The Importance of Mediation for the Solitary
In reality, meditation is a simple, useful practice that doesn't have to have anything to do with spirituality or devotion.
Here, we are talking about meditation's uses in a spiritual sense. But the beginnings of any mediation practice are quite simple, natural and nondenominational.
For the best book on mediation I have ever read, and which will explain a great deal about mediation and how to get started, see Meditation for Dummies by Stephen Bodian.
Paganism, as a spiritual path, suggests frequent contact with the Gods. Pagans perform ritual; ritual of many types from the elaborate to the simple. But is is a unifying concept for Pagans of every stripe.
At is heart, ritual is a method for invoking alternate states of consciousness: in particular, a state where the Pagan can contact or unite with the Gods.
Most of us only recognize two states of consciousness: waking and sleeping. Ritual consciousness is a tenuous concept for many of us, and most books on Paganism and ritual talk a great deal about it, but not how to achieve or maintain it. It seems the authors just expect that is will follow if you perform the steps they outline. This is very often far from the case for most of us.
This is probably the largest objection to "cookbook" types of publications of spirituality. The hard truth is: you are not going to get all the answers out of any one single book, especially when it comes to a spiritual discipline.
Reading is also not enough. Practice is the real test. And when what you have read is only a basic outline, with steps to perform by rote and no real depth of explanation or technique, practice can be a fruitless, frustrating or illusory endeavor.
Ritual is all about "the other". It is set apart, it is not "normal". You often find the words "other realms" or "outside space and time". (C'mon, if you've read more than one book you've seen one of those exact phrases.) Mediation, alternate states of consciousness; that is exactly what these phrases mean. And if you have experienced alternate states through the practice of mediation, you will find that they are easier to recognize, obtain and maintain in a ritual context.
For the solitary, who has no other teacher that books and practice, elementary
meditation which teach more in five to ten minutes a day over the course of
a few months (possibly weeks or even days, but I'm presenting a pessimistic
view so as not to appear to grandiose) than repeating the same rote rituals
for dozens of years.
Now, I am not advocating that you run out and buy a bunch of books on meditation.
In fact, I advise against it. Most of the suck. They contain phrases like:
"still your mind" or "achieve total relaxation" (C'mon,
if you've read more than one thing on mediation you've seen exactly what I'm
talking about).
If you must buy a book, get Meditation
for Dummies. It doesn't say absurd things like that. It demystifies meditation,
teaches it simply and very practically. And for those of us who may be interested
in deeper practice, historical information, or avenues for exploration, it
provides them, too.
By now, you must be saying "is this just a damned review of this book
he wants me to buy, or is he ever going to say something useful". So,
okay, here it comes: meditation in a nutshell.
"Sit down. Shut up. Get out." - Aliester Crowley
Sorry about that. Uncle Al just put it so succinctly, is somewhat obscurely
at the same time, as was his wont.
Here's a simple meditation I learned from Meditation for Dummies:
- Find a quiet place to sit, where you can sit with your spine relatively straight. (On a cushion, on the floor, in front of your personal altar is a great place)
- Count your breaths, starting on 1 with an inhale, 2 exhale... up to 10 and then back down to 1.
- Repeat as desired.
That's it. Nothing mysterious here. Okay, so it does look suspiciously like
cookbook directions... sorry about that. But it is elementary in its simplicity
and it works.
Take five minutes twice a day to do this and you will be well on your way
to exploring the "other realms".
You will probably find that your mind wanders. Just gently begin again. This
is the essence of meditation, simple concentation.