JWs are increasingly urged to meditate ?JW style?. The ?asana? as pictured in the Watchtower and other publications is always the same: A person seated, holding a Bible (often to the chest), and staring vaguely upwards.
Although this ?meditation? is rarely practiced by the R&F, some do enjoy ?picturing? what Paradise will be like. It is obvious to me that this is being pushed as a method of creative visualization. Most Christian religions avidly denounce any sort of formal meditation ? not JWs. Is this just a white-washed form of mind control?
Compare the excerpts from Shakti Gawain to the JW mantra: ?Reflect on the past, muse on the present, and contemplate the possible future.? (Red highlights are mine.)
Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain In creative visualization you use your imagination to create a clear image, idea, or feeling of something you wish to manifest. Then you continue to focus on the idea, feeling, or picture regularly, giving it positive energy until it becomes objective reality ... in other words, until you actually achieve what you have been imagining. Either way, the technique is basically the same. After relaxing into a deep, quiet, meditative state of mind, imagine that you are working in your ideal job situation. Imagine yourself in the physical setting or environment that you would like, doing work that you enjoy and find satisfying, interacting with people in a harmonious way, receiving appreciation and appropriate financial compensation. Add any other details that are important for you, such as the hours you work, the amount of autonomy and/or responsibility you have, and so on. Try to get a feeling in yourself that this is possible; experience it as if it were already happening. In short, imagine it exactly the way you'd like it to be, as if it were already so! It should be noted here that this technique cannot be used to "control" the behavior of others or cause them to do something against their will. Its effect is to dissolve our internal barriers to natural harmony and self-realization, allowing everyone to manifest in his or her most positive aspect.
What ?internal barriers? is the WTBTS trying to dissolve? See the WTBTS quotes below?