Confusions About Different Meditations, there are way too many Options

I've been wanting to start meditating for so long but everyday i get more dismayed when i read more books. I learn there are meditations for so many "specific" little things. Are there no ways to meditate daily(with enough time) to develop all psychic(all forms) abilities and also strengthen the mind AND relax the body? Can't this be done daily for 1-2 hours? Because through reading i've found that there are meditations for stress, finding life, etc... Anyone who can, please try and help me daily mediation exercises(for a beginner) who wants to practice psychism(later) and strengthen the mind daily, also to learn astral projection, energy manipulation, chakra work, all of those.

Thank You

There is so much information around now and I appreciate that you may be looking for the right way or the best way, but there is only one best way and that is just to do it, just start somewhere.

Meditation is about awareness, it is about becoming aware of your own mind and body and about the world around you.

One of my first meditation exercises was just to sit for between 5 and 15 minutes and notice all of the sounds around me (eyes closed and just listen). You start to become aware of things you don't normally notice, like say the hum of the freezer etc.

Another one that is useful for some things you want to do later, is to become aware of your body, starting say at your feet and noticing comfort or discomfort, coolness or heat, restfulness or tension.

Becoming aware is the basis for all of the things you want to do. Honestly.

Oh and you don't have to sit in awkward positions either, be comfortable is my motto.

This post has been edited by Radiant Star: Oct 9 2006, 03:03 AM

Thank you Radiant Star i appreciate your help.

Can anyone give examples of what meditations they started with and how that went? thank you

Thank you Radiant Star i appreciate your help.

Can anyone give examples of what meditations they started with and how that went? thank you

I started with buddhist meditation. It taught me to quiet my mind. Still use it today.

I know what you mean, there are too many things to do whilst meditating!!!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/shok.gif)

When I started to meditate I wasnt too sure what I was doing but I thought I'd go for it all the same. I just layed down for a while and did nothing. Afterward I felt centered and refreshed. Slowly over time I found different things to do, play music, use crystals etc. but the best thing to do is to just light a candle and listen to music. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Calms you down a lot when stress is getting in your way or even anger. So I'd just have to say it's your 'quiet space'.

One of the other things I was taught to do was to sit back inside myself and watch my thoughts arise but not engage with them. Just let them rise and fall without judgement or criticism or affection or anything else.

One of my favourite ones is to get an object, anything from an ordinary tea cup or a pencil or a mobile and really look at it, become aware of everything about it, colour, size, components, dullness or shininess, sound or quiet etc. Use all of your senses, sight, smell, hearing, taste if its edible and touch and then see if you can use your sixth sense in any way to see if it belonged to anyone else before you or anything about its history. This doesn't have to be accurate information, it is just an exercize in awareness.

If you can work with someone else, close your eyes and allow the other person to hand an object to you and go through the senses using your eyes last.

It is interesting that we often see the object is a very different way after this experience and things we took for granted often become appreciated, whereas things we felt very attached to, seem less important. We somehow can create a balance in many cases.

Smasher . . . you don't have to DO anything (necassarily) when meditatiing. Actually, when you begin (your long-term practice) its probably best to do nothing.
To a point...nothing. make your practice first doing nothing . . . just laying/sitting still. Get control of your body.
Then start on the other things, slowly . . . one at a time.
Maybe breathing control (I like slow, regular diaphram breathing . . . mentally focusing on the sensation of in/ex haling on the nostril edge . . . its a tempature thing)
then maybe thought control (both of RS's methods are great)

Just do anything . . . . just lay/sit and physically relax, not "meditate" . . . just full body relax (might be surprising how powerful a practice that can be . . . later)

Don't worry about the books . . . thats a great way for your brain to distract you from contolling your mind. Books always have something to say, its just someone else . . .


I would suggest (note*this is just another book saying something*) you set and keep time limits. Decide to meditate for an amount of time (it can be little, thats ok), Then DO IT . . . and not more or less then the amount.

This post has been edited by palindroem: Oct 14 2006, 05:17 AM

Thank you for the replies.

I just never thought i'd get far by doing simple meditations, but I'll have to try them to find out.

I will keep this updated when I start my meditations.

Thank you for the replies.

I just never thought i'd get far by doing simple meditations, but I'll have to try them to find out.

I will keep this updated when I start my meditations.

The simple meditations are the foundation that rituals are built on.

Awareness is needed so the magician can sense subtle energies around them. Allowing them to know if it can be woven into the spell or pushed aside.

Letting your thoughts go without attachment is the foundation for focus. It is difficult to concentrate on the intent or mood of a ritual if random events from the past or the current day keep repeating in the mind.

What the magician invisions is what gets woven into the spell. Clearing the mind allows us to understand what it is we truly want and more importantly what we truly need. Then we can focus, and after practicing observation, invision in detail what we intend.

The many different styles and visualizations used in meditation are there to either help focus the mind on an image or to keep rituals entertaining. Spice things up a bit.

Thus, i've scripted my own from dozens of meditation books i've read. Please, help me "STEP BY STEP" on meditations from beginning to advanced; for ALL magickal purposes.

Here is what i've scriped:

-MEDITATION-

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Preparing:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Before:
* Stretch thoroughly before and after meditation.
* Breathe peacefully.

Where:
* Quiet place.
* Place for routine (same place same time).

Position:
* Sit or lying down.
* Back always straight.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Steps for beginning:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

1. Concentrate on the focus of the meditation for a few moments (your energy will be active and outgoing).

2. Let go of the concentration and open to the receptive state---meditation. Be aware, do not judge what is going on as that can break the meditative state. (You can judge or pick it apart afterward.) If you find yourself very uncomfortable with the exercise, you may wish to stop it.

3. Someitmes a person will become so in tune with whatever is being meditated upon that a state of contemplationo or oneness is reached. This seldom happens in the beginning.

4. Recall is very important after a meditation. Writing it down is usually best, or it may be shared with soemone.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Beginning:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

-----------------
First 45 days:
-----------------

1. Breathe peacefully and deeply; watch exhalations. Count them up to four and start over until body is relaxed. - Time: as much needed.

2. Relax body from toes to head. - Time: as much needed.

3. Just "be"; let no thaughts come, breathe, be calm. - Time: 5-10 minutes.

4. Listen to sounds around the house. How many at once can you hear? - Time: 5 minutes.

5. Fill self with rainbow colours, one at a time. If can't see them, just imagine they are spreading throughout your body. Start with red, follow with orange, then yellow, cgreen, blue, purple, and end with radiant white. - Time: 10 minutes.

6. Imagine an easy (beginners) scene and/or action which will bring forth all senses: smell, touch, taste, see, feel. And play any role, as long as easy. Note: everytime messed up, start over, until the particular scene or act is done right, then move on to something just a little more challenging. Time: 15 minutes.

Overall: 45 minutes

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That is what i've scripted; please, for a beginning, tell me what i need to add to "fullfill" every sense of my body. Also; please help with other (more advanced) meditation practcies.

Thank you, I crave an answer.

This post has been edited by DeathStalker: Oct 22 2006, 10:35 PM

I just never thought i'd get far by doing simple meditations, but I'll have to try them to find out.

LOL. the further you go, the more you'll find yourself coming back to simple meditations.
What appears to be the most simple is often the most difficult.

In our day and age everybody wants something in return and they want it now. I think that is why everyday we have more and more meditations with promises of greater peace, greater relaxation, greater power, greater return for less and less time.

I think helpful advice is not to think of the meditative state as something to be attained. Try to accept it as your natural state, you are a magical being by nature, all that is stopping you are the layers your mind has built up. To this extent there is no point in trying to stop thought (I know this is an early exercise in the work of Barden). Here you are using mind to control mind, which although magically useful never takes you beyond mind. (thinking about not thinking is thinking). The same results can be acheived by not letting yourself be seduced by thought. A thought is a thing, it is feed by the energy of attention. like all things it is born and dies, if you starve it, it will die quicker. So instead of actively stilling your mind you can look for that which lies beneath mind. (touching this place automatically stills the mind).

sorry this is a bit rushed in the writing but i hope it is clear what im trying to say..
good luck with your routine

LOL. the further you go, the more you'll find yourself coming back to simple meditations.
What appears to be the most simple is often the most difficult.

In our day and age everybody wants something in return and they want it now. I think that is why everyday we have more and more meditations with promises of greater peace, greater relaxation, greater power, greater return for less and less time.

I think helpful advice is not to think of the meditative state as something to be attained. Try to accept it as your natural state, you are a magical being by nature, all that is stopping you are the layers your mind has built up. To this extent there is no point in trying to stop thought (I know this is an early exercise in the work of Barden). Here you are using mind to control mind, which although magically useful never takes you beyond mind. (thinking about not thinking is thinking). The same results can be acheived by not letting yourself be seduced by thought. A thought is a thing, it is feed by the energy of attention. like all things it is born and dies, if you starve it, it will die quicker. So instead of actively stilling your mind you can look for that which lies beneath mind. (touching this place automatically stills the mind).

sorry this is a bit rushed in the writing but i hope it is clear what im trying to say..
good luck with your routine

Very true, I cannot agree more with what you said. Thank you, it opened my blinded eyes and mind greatly. Even thinking is meditation of somewhat! Just have to know how to "program" the mind to work.

Very true, I cannot agree more with what you said. Thank you, it opened my blinded eyes and mind greatly. Even thinking is meditation of somewhat! Just have to know how to "program" the mind to work.

I have to disagree although im not sure how you found it to be that way, thinking is meditating?

Meditation for many people is stepping into a state of mind where you relax and center. Grounding too although im not too sure if that actually happens, I guess it will work if you dont let yourself float away again. I was meditating/relaxing in the bath once and suddenly became aware that I was no longer in my body I could see with my astral eye to the area outside of myself and it seemed I was in a different place, then desended back into my body even though somehow it seemed that I still was already. But after that was convinced that I was grounded.
Meditation has been a part of many an OBE (out of body experience) because of different brain wave patterns that are reached when in a relaxed state. So saying that it can be used for many things but still is mostly just relaxing. Goes great with some pan pipe music! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)