WATCH ALAN WATTS DISCUSS MEDITATING WITH A SILENT MIND
As the great Deepak Chopra, tells us: ''Only a silent mind can be a healing mind [and] a silent mind is about reconnecting to your source'' [1]. The latter can be thought of as connecting with our Higher Selves which opens a portal to what we may regard as the Divine, the Great Spirit, the Multiverse, and all that is...
At the end of this blog, there is a YouTube link to an excerpt from a brilliant lecture by the late great Spiritual Teacher, Philosopher and Author, Alan Watts (who I connect to in the Spirit World). In the aforementioned piece, which was recorded at a convention on Eastern religions and Western therapy in 1971, in New York City, Alan puts a spotlight on:
How contemplation and meditation empower us to cease manufacturing our thoughts, and thus
Block our 21st century 'agitation from thinking,' something which means
We humans are continually propelled by non-stop talking to ourselves via an internal (and often, negative) dialogue
So in a nutshell, we should take time out to move away from our thoughts and internal narratives and stories, and enjoy the silence that our mind has the capacity to give us
For many, being able to attain a silent mind (even for a short amount of time), can seem like a Herculean task, but with time and practice, it can be done! I myself, used to find it extremely difficult whether it was in a physical group, or online (at a live or recorded event). - And this was very detrimental to me for my progression in mediumship. So to that end, I studied the theory of all the different forms of meditation, and then went on to do Teacher Mediumship.
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NEURO-MEDITATION
''The Quiet Mind Style of Neuro-Meditation is characterized by a significant reduction of internal-self-talk and mental imagery. It can often lead to feelings of spaciousness and quietude, as if the mind is empty or has momentarily stopped its typical parade of stories and narratives. This state of meditation is, in some ways, the stereotype of meditation and is epitomized by styles such as Transcendental Meditation (TM) and Zen'' (Travis & Shear, 2010) [2,3].
UNDERSTANDING THE BASICS
The 'Quiet Mind' form of meditation entails going into a state of consciousness. This is specified by an absence of mental imagery and self-talk
Going into this Quiet Mind meditative state leads to the inhibition of the brain's 'Default Mode Network'
Extended practice of Quiet Mind meditation can reduce anxiety and depression [2]
The Default Mode Network (DMN) comprises several areas of the brain that work simultaneously to generate our sense of identity/self. To that end, every time we engage in a mental activity which entails thinking about ourselves (for example, remembering what we did last year), our DMN becomes activated.
Once we understand the aforementioned, we realise that: because it's problematic not to have any thoughts that don't include 'me' as a central character, our brain's Default Mode Network must have be active a great deal of the time [2].
''However, when we think too much, the DMN becomes over-activated, leading to contemplation and brooding. Consequently, learning to quiet these regions of the brain can lead to significant relief and a reduction of symptoms associated with anxiety and depression'' [2]
So now enjoy Alan Watts' brilliant YouTube video 'Guided Meditation (Listening and Vocalizing),' courtesy of Official Alan Watts Org
[1]. Choprak, D. (2020). ''Only a Silent Mind Can Be a Healing Mind.''
https://www.deepakchopra.com/articles/only-a-silent-mind-can-be-a-healing-mind/
[2]. Tarrant, J. (2021). ''7 Tips to Help You Develop a Quiet Mind.'' Psychology Today.
[3]. Tarrant, J. (2017). Meditation interventions to rewire the brain: Integrating Neuroscience Strategies for ADHD, anxiety, depression and PTSD. Eau Claire, WI: PESI Publishing and Media. As cited by
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