Meditation is one of the practices that the New Age movement borrowed from the Eastern religions, although the Christian idea of contemplation and prayer might describe the practice of meditation.
New Age Christians argue that the New Testament references to the secrets (mysteries) that Jesus taught to his apostles were a reference to meditation. This idea is also shared by Christian mystics.
There are several types of meditation, but the goal of most of them is to allow practitioners to calm their minds so that their basic instincts are no longer a distraction. Meditation is intended to cultivate clarity, calmness, well-being, and peace.
New Age meditation can refer to any of these stages. Some meditation techniques are designed to bring about relaxation, while others focus on improving concentration. While meditation is mostly associated with Eastern traditions, some New Age meditation techniques are more informal, and without obvious Eastern links.
Intermittently popular among New Agers is Transcendental Meditation. With its origins in Hinduism, TM was adapted to the American lifestyle by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the 1950s, and made popular in the 1960s and 1970s, reaching an early peak after the Beatles followed him. However, when they concluded that Maharishi was a fraud, many of his followers dropped away by the mid-1970s.
Maharishi returned to India, where he changed strategies, replacing religious terminology with that of psychology, and returned to the United States with a new name for his teachings: the Science of Creative Intelligence. As a secular meditation practice, TM caught on under its new name, even being taught in public schools.
After a court ruled that it was a religion, it was soon banned from one school after another. Nevertheless, over the years, the practice has been altered repeatedly, and is still practiced under a number of different names.
The goal of TM is that of the New Age movement, to create a perfect world as soon as possible by transcending the physical boundaries of humanity to become one with the creative force, which is both personal and universal.
Other types of meditation used in New Age practice includes object focused meditation, guided meditations, movement meditation, spiritual meditation, and mindfulness meditation.
Focused meditation is a technique where a meditator focuses on one thing in exclusion of all others. The focus might be breathing, a word, a picture, or another object, and the goal is to strengthen the meditator's ability to focus, and to look deeper at people, objects, or events, finding greater meaning.
With guided meditation, a meditator listens to a guide and enters a state of inner stillness or deep relaxation. This can be practiced in a classroom setting or alone, while listening to a recording. There are guided meditations for personal empowerment, emotional healing, positive thinking, increasing potential, losing weight, overcoming phobias, or finding joy or love.
Movement meditation refers to any meditation that allows the meditator to move, and any movement can be used so long as it is done with mindfulness and at a slow pace. Often, it is simply a slow walking meditation, which may be viewed as pacing.
In spiritual meditation, the meditator seeks to let go of the past and the future, and to experience God. Aside from the emotional and spiritual benefits derived from meditation, spiritual meditation is believed to benefit the physical health of the meditator, whose nervous system and bodies relax and unwind. There are several types of spiritual meditations.
Mindfulness meditation is a Western form of meditation whose origins are in the Buddhist traditions of Vipassana, or insight meditation. Its purpose is to teach the meditator to pay attention to his outer and inner experiences with patience, acceptance, and compassion. It is said to have several benefits, including an improved immune system, sleep patterns, memory, and intelligence, as well as faster recovery from illness, pain management, better digestion, increased energy, and a decreased heart rate and blood pressure.
Additionally, since New Age spirituality is individual by nature, individual New Agers often make adaptations that work for them. In New Age practice, there is no one right form of meditation that works for everyone.
The focus of this category is on the use of meditation in New Age spirituality. Although New Agers have borrowed greatly from the Eastern religions, sites whose focus is on the Eastern religions should be submitted to the appropriate category for that religion.
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@Meditation@Buddhist Meditation | @Insight Meditation |
Recommended Resources
Chakras are various focal points used in a variety of ancient meditation practices, collectively known as Tantra, which are esoteric or inner traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism, although adopted as meditation aids in New Age healing practices. The site describes the 7 Chakras, offers an online chakra test, and information on the healing qualities of the chakras, as well as the healing benefits of chakra stones, chakra meditation, and an online shopping area offering several products.
https://www.chakras.info/
Intended to provide clear meditation instruction, the site presents the basics of meditation, core meditation, relaxation and stress reduction, breathing meditations, healing meditations, transforming meditations, centering, ascension, and enlightenment, as well as further information on the subject. A directory of meditation classes is included, along with meditation videos, and tips on books on Buddhism and meditation.
http://www.how-to-meditate.org/
The topics discussed in this guide include learning to relax, various meditation techniques, suggested readings, and an online store with custom-made jewelry, apparel, body and senses products, and other meditation aids. With several of them available, free meditations may be downloaded from the site. A biography of the site creator is put forth, along with links to additional resources, and a blog.
http://www.learningmeditation.com/
Offered by Project Meditation, the LifeFlow products include several packages of audio meditation tracks, which may be purchased together or individually. Each of its products is described in detail. Other resources available on the site include a definition of meditation and information on the benefits of meditation, how to meditate, and various meditation techniques, as well as an online discussion forum.
https://www.project-meditation.org/
Meditation Techniques for Beginners
The definition and benefits of meditation are put forth. Eleven simple meditation techniques for beginners are presented, along with articles on various topics, such as the health benefits of meditation, other reasons to meditate, how to do transcendental meditation, TM mantras and techniques, and mindfulness meditation techniques, and other suggestions and tips. References to other online resources are included.
http://www.meditationtechniquesbeginners.com/
More than ten styles of yoga, from beginner to advanced levels, are available at its studio in Stafford, Texas, or online, including prenatal classes. Its yoga schedule, crystal therapy healing sessions, energy readings, chakra balancing, and guided meditation with sound healing, wellness services, intuitive readings, energy medicine, massage, Reiki, nutrition coaching, and other services, which are outlined here.
https://newageyogameditation.com/
TM is a type of mantra meditation introduced by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in India in the mid-1950s, becoming popular in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s. Its techniques and anticipated benefits are outlined, including the ways in which it differs from mindfulness meditation and focus meditation. Certified TM teachers may be found through the site, and course fees, and client testimonials.
https://www.tm.org/
Transmission meditation is billed as a world service (karma) yoga, which enhances any other developmental practice that the individual may be using currently. Several articles are included that define or answer questions about the technique, and a list of transmission groups around the world is provided. Suggestions on how to go about starting a group is included, along with a video on transmission meditation.
https://www.transmissionmeditation.org/
