I had been chatting with friends who do, and/or listen to, guided meditations (visualizations) and meditate.
One friend told me that he saw guided meditation (visualization) as external and meditation as internal.
When he said that, I became excited. This is my understanding (watered down version) of the conversation:
Meditation is internal. You go within – working to still the mind and enter the nothingness (aka – void, center, core, stillness, etc.); learn about, and from, self.
Guided meditation (visualization) is external. You are following the instructions and visualizing what you are hearing.
I excitedly told him:
From my pre-teen years up until January 2009, my guides/higher self requested I not participate in meditation or visualization tapes, cd’s, classes, groups; nor attend metaphysical related or healing classes, courses, seminars, etc. They (guides and/or higher self) didn’t tell me I COULDN’T; rather requested I didn’t…so I didn’t.
I did ask, “Why not?”, and was told it would ‘contaminate’ or ‘undo’ what they were teaching me.
However, in January ’09, I was given the ‘all clear’ sign to experiment.
I downloaded “The Daisy Pond” (The American Monk) and began listening to, and following the guided meditation. Then something curious happened.
The narrator’s voice went off to my right ear and then started diminishing in volume – I could no longer understand what he was saying.
My left ear heard nothing. “I” then shifted to the left side of my body and out. I entered the nothingness (stillness) and everything-ness. It’s those moments in meditation where you are in nothingness and, for a brief time, you understand everything.
I then told my friend that this was how I was taught to meditate – enter the stillness and experience knowing everything for that brief time. And my friend knew exactly what I was talking about!
When I was younger and had tried to tell others (who did meditation) about the stillness/nothingness, I was greeted with raised eyebrows and the incredulous sounding, “Uh huuh…” I was speaking nonsense to them. I hadn’t discussed it again, until now.
I cannot tell you that one method is better than another; you need to do what feels right to you.
I do wish you each the experience of nothingness and of perfect understanding within.
Jan Toomer
April 1, 2009
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