by free2beme 39 Replies latest jw friends
I also should have mentioned that I have had good results from brain entrainment CD's/MP3's. There are different brands out there, however I have only used Dr. Jeffrey Thompson's programs, so I can only comment on those. He has different programs depending on what you are looking for. Some are designed for deep meditation (Theta waves) and some have different wavelengths (Awakened Mind, Creative Mind, Peak Performance, etc.) that tap into other brainwave frequencies.
exjdub
Meditation can be used for thrills, or it can be used to awaken to the truth of our Being and the underlying truth of ALL existence. It helps to be very clear on what your authentic and sincere desire is for....so we may have to first meditate on that.
For me meditation is about shinning acute awareness inward into what has been hidden. It's about clearly seeing what is True, and what is smoke and mirrors.
Who/what am I, really? What is the actual foundational Beingness and Reality of all things? What is true??? It is questions like these that I enter into deeper meditations (other than just being consciously present of the present moment, which can be seen as a meditation too). If I am to discover truth it seems very important that no stone be left unturned, and no thing left unmet and unexamined.
For me, deeper meditation is a time to put up ones sword, surrender and nonjudgmentally meet with whatever the universe presents. What unites what we would call "good" and what we would define as "evil"? What is the foundational reality of everything? Is there a Oneness which dissolves all duality?
It has been said that: "when you can look the devil in the eye, and clearly see the Christ, you are home, you are seeing truly and clearly." Meditation is different for everyone; for me the most terrifying moments ever experienced have occurred in meditation. It seems it is the darkness which most hungers for the light of our conscious and nonjudgmental acceptance and embracement. Often it is the demons which haunt us and from which we run away, that are actually the doorway to Truth and understanding of the Oneness which unites us all.
Good luck.
j
In other words: The most important and significant key within meditation, may be to open our arms and let the demons in.
j
I always thought the meditation ban was quite ridiculous. They base it on that stupid cryptic scripture about someone sweeping their mind clean and evil spirits coming back and finding even more room to toss brain cells around like confetti, or whatever demons do when they possess someone. I can't remember the exact scripture off the top of my head, but I remember flipping through another Christian publication (can't remember the denomination), and they quoted the same scripture and made suggestions for "alternative acceptable ways" for a Christian to relax. What a joke.
FBF
Being raised a JW, I had all the brainwashing regarding the demons taking over an empty mind. Therefore, when I started using a meditation CD called "The Daily Dose," it was really HARD to get my mind quiet and following the guided mediation. But I benefitted tremedously from even the little bit of focus I received from doing it.
I have seen some crazy demon things through the years, but now that I think about it, nothing in like the last 20 years. And I think they came to visit me a night they attacked a sister I knew. She took interest in spiritistic things, I didn't and won't have anything to do with them.
There are several programs as mentioned that are introductory to meditation...I would recommend anyone investigating it and doing it to their comfort level, which will get broader as you go along. It calms the heart, mind...it helps you focus and gives you clarity. It is a wonderful thing.
I am reading a fascinating book called "The Power of the Subconsious Mind" by Joseph Murphy. It helps you understand how powerful thoughts are and how important it is to seed the mid with positive thoughts/words. The results are amazing. Thoughts are energy, and you can change life by changing the way you think. I am so loving this knowledge.
Good luck!
The Watchtower Society's teachings on this matter is downright sillyness. If demonic influence was possible every time we allowed our conscious mind to go into relexed state; every JW would be getting attacked every time they took a nap.
Your comment about being attacked while napping reminded me of something an elder told me one time.
I remember when it was brought out that the demons cannot read our minds but by watching our actions they see what appeals to us and will "tempt" us through the things they've seen us do. Say, a brother watches porn, the demons see that and then entice him with temptation to commit fornication. (This is the WTS belief, not mine).
Anyway, some time later another talk or part on the meeting talked about not even thinking about impure thoughts so as to not encourage demons to attack us. I asked an elder about that. How can the demons know what we're thinking if they can't read minds. The answer: They can't read our conscious minds but can, during certain periods of sleep, read our dreams and thoughts. That's why some brothers reported being "attacked" by demons in their sleep (which I learned after leaving that night time panic attacks are probably what JWs feel are demon attacks).
It's refreshing to read about some of the posters' exposure to meditation. I meditated for nearly 30 years, and I must confess I used it as a way of looking for mystical experiences. Even though I had some of those experiences I sought, they ultimately left me feeling a lack - they were enough to keep me in a "seeking" mode. Then I discovered the type of "meditation" that JamesThomas spoke of - an opening to the awareness of the essence that lies at the core of life. With that discovery all seeking dissolved, only to be replaced by implaccable peace and stillness.
nice comments and thoughtful thread. :)
when i began meditating, i practiced the zazen techniques. but as i grew in my abilities i found that gradually i was able to try other techniques from different eastern practices, and even began making up some of my own. or combinations of things that had worked the best for me.
and then one day i realized that i could meditate all day long, in every moment, regardless of what i was doing. washing the dishes etc. this was because i had become used to the result that meditation is supposed to give, and it did not have anything to do with being asleep or in some trance (in most cases). but rather it was a lucid clarity that it gives. it's really a state of mind. a higher resolution for seeing the world.
i still take time out occasionally to meditate. but mostly i just concentrate on residing with my entire self in the moment, every moment, as the eternal thing that it is, as i go about my day. like yoda said, there is no trying, only doing.
as far as demons are concerned, i never really thought about it, as i had desposed of that concept long before i even began meditating. but i agree with satanus. demons are inside, not outside. if anything, meditation exorcises demons. it puts one in control of their *mind*. and the ego, the biggest demon of them all, cannot survive long when one lives in the moment with every bit of energy and consciousness they have.
peace,
tetra
I am way late on this one but I just saw Josh's comments. He is totally right about just being aware all the time. He is further along than me. While a daily meditation regimen is rather mechanical for me (and becoming less and less daily) it is necessary - though sometimes awkward.
Kinda like being a JW all your life and then starting to celebrate holidays. Sometimes it can be forced and awkward - but after awhile it just becomes an opportunity for wonderful memories and is as familiar and a part of life as anything.
The last thing I ever want to do is meditate to be more regimented .... blech.
-ithinkisee
Very interesting, just posting to find it later when I have time.
