Meditation to fit the person: Psychology and the meditative way

At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless; Neither from nor towards; At the still point, there the dance is, But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity, Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards, Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point, There would be no dance. I can only say,there we have been: But I cannot say where. And I cannot say, how long, For that is to place it in time. T.S.Eliot, “Four Quartets”

Abstract

Only lately having recovered their bodies and feelings, Western devotees of various meditative practices are in increasing numbers striving to transcend both. Is such a turning inward healthy for individuals and our society? A full response requires both a clarifying discussion of exactly what meditation is and a review of its effects. Meditation, essentially a way of life, is marked by four stages: preparation, attention, active reception, and higher consciousness. Even though the Western traditions aim finally at union with the Infinite and Eastern traditions seek primarily an internal unity through the negation of consciousness, both describe essentially the same four stages, reached through the meditative pathways of the intellect, emotions, body, and action. Present scientific research is only beginning to provide data on the effects of meditation upon the person. To date, most research findings point out psychophysiological changes during meditation, indicating a low-stress state. Meditative experience lends support to the conclusion that successful meditation also positively affects growth by touching man's inner life source, expanding his consciousness, and revealing personal life directions.