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Exactly. How many Westerners are trying to meditate without a conscious belief in a Higher Power, an Infinite Creator, God, or such? I wonder if there may be ne

Exactly. How many Westerners are trying to meditate without a conscious belief in a Higher Power, an Infinite Creator, God, or such? I wonder if there may be negative spiritual effects by employing meditation without seeking closeness with divinity.

DrThunder 3y ago
Eh, my guess is it just isn't quite as effective. Belief in a higher power makes things a lot easier to accept and meditation in many aspects is the practice of accepting emotions and thoughts. I would also say prayer like you see in Abrahamic religions is its own type of meditation. You also enter a sort of meditative state in sports where you kind of feel in the moment and "in the flow" where there's not God involved... at least not consciously.
- waterheater 3y ago
  >Eh, my guess is it just isn't quite as effective. I suppose that would be less guess and more...belief. :) Meditation is not just about accepting emotions and thoughts; you can get such by talking with a close friend or visiting a mental health counselor. Many people claim to receive new insight or guidance amidst the mental stillness. Two common explanations is that it's either God or your Higher Self sending a message. Prayer is absolutely a form of meditation, arguably a more advanced form. If meditation fosters observation of self and others, prayer takes that observation and combines it with will to cause action. What you're ultimately getting at is the difference between "going through the motions" and proper meditation and prayer. Most spiritual systems discuss a "right" way to meditate or pray which focuses less on the external actions and more on your internal desire.
GloriousKoji 3y ago
We've stripped off the religious part and rebranded it as mindfulness. There have been reports of having positive impact on mental health.
sn9 3y ago
Atheism isn't a solely Western thing. Not all meditative traditions require belief in a God. See Hindu atheism for example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_atheism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_atheism

DrThunder 3y ago

Eh, my guess is it just isn't quite as effective. Belief in a higher power makes things a lot easier to accept and meditation in many aspects is the practice of accepting emotions and thoughts. I would also say prayer like you see in Abrahamic religions is its own type of meditation. You also enter a sort of meditative state in sports where you kind of feel in the moment and "in the flow" where there's not God involved... at least not consciously.

waterheater 3y ago
>Eh, my guess is it just isn't quite as effective. I suppose that would be less guess and more...belief. :) Meditation is not just about accepting emotions and thoughts; you can get such by talking with a close friend or visiting a mental health counselor. Many people claim to receive new insight or guidance amidst the mental stillness. Two common explanations is that it's either God or your Higher Self sending a message. Prayer is absolutely a form of meditation, arguably a more advanced form. If meditation fosters observation of self and others, prayer takes that observation and combines it with will to cause action. What you're ultimately getting at is the difference between "going through the motions" and proper meditation and prayer. Most spiritual systems discuss a "right" way to meditate or pray which focuses less on the external actions and more on your internal desire.

GloriousKoji 3y ago

We've stripped off the religious part and rebranded it as mindfulness. There have been reports of having positive impact on mental health.

sn9 3y ago

Atheism isn't a solely Western thing. Not all meditative traditions require belief in a God. See Hindu atheism for example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_atheism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_atheism