Meditation of Silence - short

8/7/2019 Meditation of Silence - short

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Meditation of Silence

copyright:

Jrgen Waltersson

Verein fr ganzheitliche Naturheilkunde

Nessendorf, Germany

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Meditation of SilenceContent

1. Physiology and Meditation 3

2. Meditation of Silence 5

3. Thoughts don't disturb Meditation 6

4. The Focus of Meditation: Mantras, breath ... 9

5. Side effects of Meditation 12

6. Levels of thought levels of the universe 13

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1. Physiology and Meditation

Many of the positive results of meditation are due togeneral accepted physiological and psychological laws ofnature. The cardiologist Herbert Benson from the "NewEngland Deaconess Hospital" in Boston made researchabout traditional meditative techniques and modernmethods of relaxation in the seventies. After theapplication of different phonetic combinations, words,

prayers and syllables he every times observed what hecalled the "relaxation response":

- decreased metabolic rate,- decreased heartbeat and breathing,- decrease of the known stress symptoms.

There was no physiological and psychologicaldifference between modern techniques and traditionalforms of meditation (1).

The "relaxation response" observed by Dr. Benson isone of the two poles our physiological and psychologicallife is swinging in between. Physiologists call these twopoles the stress response and the relaxation response.

A) The stress response is the inevitable result of everystress situation - physical or psychological, pleasant orunpleasant. In a stress situation, hormones are pouredout by the hypophysis, stimulated by the hypothalamus (acentre in the brain responsible for emotions andfundamental impetus). This leads to secretion ofadrenaline by the suprarenal cortex. The complete body-

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mind system is mobilized. According to the intensity of the

stress response we experience an increased heart beatand breath activity, we feel excitement, lust, fear, dreador anger. If the stress diminishes, relaxation does notfollow automatically, especially if stress is experiencedvery frequently. In this case a prolonged but superficialrelaxation is not enough to release the permanently tensemuscle tone, the nervousness and the many attendantsymptoms of frequently experienced stress.

B) The antipode of the stress response is threlaxation response. For this also exist certain areas inthe brain, stimulated by the parasympathetic nervoussystem under specific circumstances. Dr. Bensondiscovered four prerequisites as being very conducive forthe release of the relaxation response:

1. A mental discipline. There should be a permanentlyrepeated stimulation, a sound, word or sentence, which isrepeated loud or silently in the mind. Another possibility isto fix the sight to an object. By this the mind detachesfrom the logical outward orientated thinking.

2. A passive attitude. If there are subtracting thoughts

during the permanently repeated stimulus or the fixationof the sight, it is recommended not to pay attention tothem and to return to the stimulus of the technique. Thereshould be no analysis about how perfect one practicesthe technique.

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3. Diminishing the muscle tone. It is important to have a

pleasant posture requiring only minimal muscle activity .

4. A calm environment. It is recommended to choose acalm environment without too many distracting stimuli.

These clear and simple guiding rules are common formost modern and traditional meditation techniques.

Literature:

(1) Herbert Benson, "The Relaxation Response",William Morrow and Company, Inc., New York.

(2) Herbert Benson, "Beyond the RelaxationResponse"

(3) Carrington, P. The Book of Meditation: TheComplete Guide to Modern Meditation, Element BooksLtd.; Revised edition (May 7, 1998)

(4) Gopi Krishna, The Biological Basis of Religion andGenius, Harpercollins Publisher; 1st edition (January 1,1972)(5) Stephen Levine, A Gradual Awakening, Anchor(January 16, 1989)

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(6) Science of Being and Art of Living:

Transcendental Meditation, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi,Plume (October 30, 2001)

(7) Deeksha - The Fire from Heavenby Kiara Windrider with Grace Sears, New World Library(August 15, 2006)

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Meditation of Silence - short