Meditation

[Demi]

I know some people have asked me what I use and I can't find the thread so... I use Transcendental Meditation which is a very simple but very powerful technique (I say so, because I tried many others before). It introduces a type of rest into the physiology, which is deeper than sleep, and which gradually resolves all stored stresses. It is an ancient technique and has lots of knowledge to help understand the spiritual progress, but one can just meditate and that will work too . Oprah Winfrey made a show about it lately, I think its on her website OWN...
It's easy and yet powerful and I am very happy with it.

Demi

[Laurasia]

Is this the type of meditation practice that you are referring to, Demi?

If I am reading this right it is when you sit & meditate while softly chanting a mantra word or phrase to yourself over & over again. I have tried that form of meditation before but, sadly, it didn't do much for me. Then again, most all forms of "formal meditation" do very little for me anyway. ~shrug~

Sincerely,
Laurasia

Sincerely,
Laurasia

[Demi]

Hi there!

I would like to clarify mantra meditation a little bit here... especially what the difference is between TM and other mantra techniques.

All spiritual techniques and practices are aimed on reaching the Transcendent (also called many other names, such as Absolute, Divine Healing, Silence, Fullness, Great Spirit, etc...) yet there is a big difference between them.

Especially when we are talking mantra meditation, the mantra needs to be used in the correct way (that also means, a simple and effective way) in order to facilitate systematic transcending.

The way of using the mantra needs to allow it to go to subtler and subtler levels of the sound, reaching the subtlest value, and then transcending even the subtlest value, thus experiencing the infinite.

But in those meditation methods where the mantras are used only on the level of sound, holding on to the sound, the practitioner is going to keep repeating the mantra until he/she falls asleep!
If someone is lucky one might transcend but it happens in spite of the technique. Concentrating keeps the mind on the level of thought, and prevents it from actually reaching pure Being. This is why, to many people, such, basically incorrect, practice is a strain.

This is how TM differ, because the technique is specially designed to transcend during use, allowing the mind to experience pure consciousness in a systematic way - every time we use the technique. The experience of transcending is often so charming, that one doesn't even notice the time that has passed (altho we have a fixed amount of minutes each time we meditate. This is suited for anybody having a job to go to!)

It can be compared to, if you say, a mantra is an airplane. If you want to travel from New York to London, you can do two things: You can put the airplane on the water, and then paddle all the way to London. It will take some time, it will take some strain, you might or might not reach your destination.
You can also hire a pilot who knows how to fly the airplane, and you will be in London the same day.
This is the difference between 'mantra meditation' techniques. Both are called mantra. Both are airplanes. The secret lies in how you use them!

I am going to tell my personal story what happened when I learned TM. I have been taking anti-depressants for a year before, but was very unhappy with the side effects. I tried to stop several times, but each time I had to start taking the medicine again, because the symptoms came back immediately and they were unbearable to me.
I talked with my doctor about it, and he suggested that I should not stop taking the pills, in fact, he said that I should double the dose! He also said that most likely I am not going to be able to stop ever because of my history with clinical depression, but if I want to stop, it needs to be with his supervision and it always consists of going down slowly in dosage for at least 3 months.
Back then, I was already doing yoga, some meditation technique and eating healthy.
Then I enrolled in a school where we learned TM as a part of the curriculum (I wasn't eager to learn a new technique, since I already was happy with mine, but I decided to give it a try and I could always go back to my old technique if I didn't like it).

One week after learning TM, I decided to put my depression pills away in another attempt to quit... and nothing happened! It was as if I never had been taking them and never had been needing them. No side effects, I felt absolutely no problems from stopping as suddenly as I did.
That is 10 years ago and just one thing on my list!

All the best,
Demi

[Leutnantzursee]

I've never explored this method of meditation either, it sounds fascinating Demi, thank you for sharing your experiences :-) As regards depression, I took meds as well, but had a psychotic reaction to Prozac and was swiftly taken off them, I really hated how it made me feel - so disconnected, I didn't recognize myself. Sound seems to be an incredible healer, I've no doubt of that, so using it in the manner you describe certainly resonates with me. I have a Tibetan singing bowl that I've always used when doing Shamanic journeying, although a very different practice to TM, it does allow the mind to become still and it hushes the brain's 'monkey'chatter' which is necessary for any kind of focus on universal thought I would think! So many spiritual systems from the far East seem to instill a powerful sense of equilibrium and peace it seems, from what people say, from martial arts to TM - I'm really wondering if its something I should be looking into.

...OH, BTW Demi - I tried to load that episode of 'Outer limits' you posted and it won't allow folks outside the US to view it - damn! There I was with a nice cuppa, ready to watch it when it gave me the bad news!

Liz

[Demi]

Hi Lizzie

Yes, feeling disconnected was one of the side-effects, as well as memory problems (leaving the house without things that I should have brought with me, and ending up feeling like a 90-year old lady!) It was getting worse and it was worrying me. My doctor said these side effects were 'not possible to happen', and he kept saying they weren't due to the medicine; funnily enough, they ceased as soon as I stopped taking the drug. I think the medicinal industry keeps certain facts hidden for us, it's pretty scary and I'm glad that I was able to get off. I don't trust them!

Concerning the video streaming (and yes, having problems with that too, sometimes!), there are two things you can do: First, try to google the name and see if something comes up that is available in your country (full lenght of the show is about 45 minutes).
If nothing comes up, then try a VPN (Virtual Personal Network software) or Proxy server (online service, you browse through their site). They ensure anonymous browsing and bypass of blocking. Both are available for free.

Here are some links:
www.crispytech.com/2010/01/22/top-best-5-free-vpn-services-web-proxies-anonymous-web-browsing-surfing/

freenuts.com/top-10-free-online-proxy-websites/

www.makeuseof.com/tag/7-completely-free-vpn-services-protect-privacy/

I hope it works out for you!

All the best,
Demi

Btw. here is a link to a show where Oprah visits a town where everyone practices TM meditation and lives in Vedic houses, interviewing people there - quite interesting! (if you are able to watch it
Also an article.
www.oprah.com/own-oprahs-next-chapter/Oprahs-Next-Chapter-Americas-Most-Unusual-Town

[msmir]

Very interesting as I will look into this. Great thanks. I am an internet marketer so I know how awesome having a VPN is! Some are free but the better ones are not. You can watch anything on those.

[Storm]

Thanks for the info about VPN and meditation. I am very interested to start pursuing some type of meditative process when I have more time next year. I want to explore Creation more. I applaud you for giving up your medication! I have managed to get myself off Ventolin and I don't even use headache pills now as I prefer to work with thought and vibration and I use sound therapy a lot for healing. But I am needing a tool for exploration of spirituality to further degrees without resorting to mind altering substances. I am ready to take a further step into a wider arena, possibly even more cosmic, (without wishing to sound daft). A late dear relative once gave me a book by an Indian guy about travelling to the stars and to other worlds via meditation and I can't find it. I am sure it will turn up when it is meant to and I feel strongly that meditation work of this nature could help. I have a lot of spontaneous spiritual experiences and epiphanies and also healing experiences, but I would very much like cultivate this more by learning a meditative skill. I have ordered some books on Transcendental Meditation. Thanks again.