My preferred method of meditation is guided. Instead of trying to shut off your mind, guided meditations give your mind something to do. In a sense, they trick it into thinking that it's still busily sorting and filing typical everyday thoughts when, in reality, it's following a mapped out journey. These type of meditations can be found already spoken aloud on CD's and tapes, or you can find them written out in books. The catch with the book versions is that you either have to memorize/get a feel for the journey and where it means to take you or you need to record a voice (yours, someone elses, preferably someone with a soothing, relaxing voice) that you can listen to and follow. Either way, the guided meditations tend to be easier, especially for the beginner, because your mind follows the pictures being offered by the narrator.
Personally, I have found that the more meditations I do, the more I begin to recognize which journeys I prefer. I am an Earth person, all the way. I love meadows, trees, forests, small creeks and I adore animal life. One meditation I really enjoy guides me through a forest and eventually to a meadow. Once there, you sit at the base of a large tree and the voice on the recording stops for about ten minutes, leaving you and your mind to wander. I've seen different animals approach, the weather change, flowers appear, etc. Then, one the meditation is over, you have information to work with. Why did that specific animal appear? What does it symbolize? What does that particular flower mean?
Sometimes, I sort of invent my own meditation based on the purpose. When I say purpose, I am actually talking about the reason for the meditation you are doing. Sure, sometimes we meditate to relax, but meditation can also help us solve problems, get advice, or simply learn things about ourselves we might never have known.
Grounding and centering meditations are used most often. They help to clear your mind, help you think straight, calm down and relax, and grounding also puts you in tune with Mother Earth. Many friends of mine use grounding just before performing a ritual, or any sort of magickal work. The most common method seems to be the 'Tree Roots' meditation. Sitting or standing comfortably, breathe deeply a few times. Then, feel roots begin to extend from your feet down into Mother Earth. You can picture these roots as they grow, making their way through bedrock, soil, water pockets, until you reach the core. The core of Mother Earth provides us with pure white energy which we can use to relax, to heal, to purify, to cast circle etc. As you can tell, this meditation can be altered to suit anyone.
As to the 'blanking your mind' meditation, I have experienced that as well. My most successful experience was at the Shambala Centre, a Buddhist temple in Halifax, NS. I learned quite a bit from a teacher there. When you are sitting comfortably and ready to begin, you don't close your eyes. You relax them. They become half lidded but not fully closed. I was told to focus on a spot on the floor.
Also, you have to be in the moment. You can't be thinking of yesterday or tomorrow. Sound easy? Most of us do not live in the moment. As you read this, you are thinking that you have to go pick up your brother at work in 20 minutes or, Goddess! You seriously told your friend off yesterday! or Tomorrow, I CAN'T forget to bring that form to my boss etc etc. Being in the moment takes practice. That's where your breathing comes in.
Breathing is everything. Hear it. Feel it. Realize it is life. Tune out everything else and feel that moment as you live it. If you hear a car horn outside, don't picture a car in your mind. Hear the sound for what it is, another unidentified noise. Once you're able to silence your mind, you'll find a twenty minute meditation goes by swiftly. Ten minutes feels like seconds. Plus, you feel extremely refreshed afterwards.
In some of my meditations, I have spoken to people or beings I have met. In my experience, this takes place, live time, in my mind. Almost like a daydream. I speak with trees and I've found that they have quite a lot to say! For example, I met a tree once in a park near my home. I was sitting at his base, leaning against him and relaxing, my eyes closed. I didn't suddenly hear a voice, I simply had the idea of trying to communicate with this tree. I relaxed my mind. What I mean by that is...not an easy thing to explain...I let my mind 'go loose' so that anything could appear there. I said hello, in my mind, silently, and I heard, deep in my subconscious, a greeting in return. Subsequently, we/I had a conversation. He told me his name was Thoth, which I pronounced Thhh-aw-thhh at the time because I wasn't familiar with it. Turns out, Thoth, pronouned Toth for those who wish to know, is an Egyptian God. The God of the Moon, of wisdom, of writing. It is said he invented the written word. Here I am, an author who loves to write and is interested in learning more about the Egyptian way of life, and I happen to hear the word Thoth, which I wasn't familiar with at all. We had an interesting discussion. I would ask a question and that let my mind go to show me whatever picture it wished. You have to accept the first thing that comes to mind. Generally, you'll know if you thought it up because any picture that appears is generally not something you WOULD have thought up on your own. Today, I continue to visit this tree and leave small offerings. Thoth has become a sort of Patron God to me and I've researched into the Egyptian myths and legends more since then.
I have met those people who say 'you're making it all up in your head! It's not real!' And in my case, 'well you probably heard that Thoth name before and just didn't remember!' You know, perhaps I did. To this day, I don't recall knowing that name and it took two friends of mine after hearing my story, to say 'isn't that an Egyptian God?' for me to check it out. But regardless, because of that meditation/discussion, I learned about Thoth. I began my Egyptian studies. Whether I made it all up or not, good has come from the experience.
I also believe in other spiritual beings and I think that they can and do contact us when the need arises (or when they feel like being mischievious!). Other times, I believe it is my subconscious letting me in on its secrets. Either way, I learn about myself and my path. Whether I dream it all up on my own, or learn from outside influences, the important thing is that I'm learning.
There's no truly one-hundred-percent accurate way to tell whether your imagination is working overtime, or if you truly have received info from an outside source. But through practice and getting to know yourself, you get to know which is which.
The Club - Blackangel
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