Some meditational states Why do I say "some?" Because I think that many sorts of meditation are merely tools for organizing one's mind (or brain... they are the same thing). The mind is an incredibly complex thing, and maintaining a healthy one can take on many aspects. For some people, "meditations" are used where they follow a formal or even ritualized process of visualization in a peaceful setting. These could range from the mundane (imagining oneself being confident and successful at work) to the more sublime (processes intended to calm the mind or enhance problem solving by indirect means). These are not in and of themselves transcendent experiences, thay are (hopefully valid) methods of acheiving and /or maintaining good working order in the complex machine that is one's mind. Some forms of meditation, however, are intended specifically to catapult one into a transcendent state. I am not a student of these in a formal sense, although I certainly am aware of things I can do (or not do) which increase the likelihood of my "taking leave of my senses" for a while. For me, the strongest path I have found is simply to want to do it. Keeping in my mind on a daily basis the goal of transcendence has proven to be alarmingly good at getting me there, although without a certain amount of control over it that would be fortuitous. In a sense, this "wanting" is a guided meditation of sorts. I spend time remembering past feelings of transcendence, and imagine a bit how it will feel to experience this again, and as tiem goes by it becomes more likely that not only will I enter these states but that they will be stronger than before. I suppose I could use a similar approach to getting a better handle on how much my will is involved in when I want to go and my ability to cope with the results - but maybe not. So far, the more intense ones have been rather distracting from the ordinary flow of life and requirements and obligations imposed on me by this world. Still, it's worth it! 12/26/01 
© Huw Powell
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