Meditation

[Exarch]

for those who meditate, how do you do it? what do you do?
what techniques do u apply? how's your breathing etc?

and secondly,
is meditation the devil according to christians/jews/muslims, as it apparently seems to be, according to televangelist Bob Larsen..

[Romulus_A]

Can't answer the first, but I can answer the second. No meditation is not the devil to most Christians/Jews/Muslims.

Don't forget that people like Bob Larsen have been saying the end is upon us for many years, I wouldn't believe much of what they say.

[Exarch]

meditation is very subejctive and very individualistic.
not exactly something the communistic churches cotton on to.

[Romulus_A]

It also helps deal with stress, and allows some time for quiet in your life, which I'm sure many people, no matter the religion like to have.

[The Big Red 1]

Christians consider praying a form of meditation if you center your self.

Meditation can also be a form of praying if you prefer the other way around.

I meditate in a warm bath with my eyes open and just think about abstract and philosophical concepts and forget about the world. Afterwards I feel lighter less wayed down like I could fly up to heaven if I wanted to. I feel connected with god. It's amazing the power of the mind.

Whether you feel the above is meditation or not.

[Exarch]

praying and meditating are different things.
when a christian (or other) prays, they're asking for something from teir deity;
when one meditates, you are focusing on a single thing-something to which they like-to calm and centre their minds.
of course, other practitioners have different ways of doing things. focusing on breath is an eg as qigong and taichi practitioenrs tend to do.

[Romulus_A]

praying and meditating are different things.
when a christian (or other) prays, they're asking for something from teir deity;
when one meditates, you are focusing on a single thing-something to which they like-to calm and centre their minds.
of course, other practitioners have different ways of doing things. focusing on breath is an eg as qigong and taichi practitioenrs tend to do.

Praying can be a form of meditation. Speaking personally, as a Christian, I know that after I have prayed, I feel calmer, and more relaxed, similar to regular meditation. Praying isn't always about asking for things (if it was, then there wouldn't be many people praying because they knew they wouldn't get anything), it's sometimes about talking to a higher power, and letting your mind flow easier as you communicate with him.

[The Big Red 1]

Praying can be a form of meditation. Speaking personally, as a Christian, I know that after I have prayed, I feel calmer, and more relaxed, similar to regular meditation. Praying isn't always about asking for things (if it was, then there wouldn't be many people praying because they knew they wouldn't get anything), it's sometimes about talking to a higher power, and letting your mind flow easier as you communicate with him.

I was going to answer the EXACT same way. +rep.

It's hard for people who aren't Christians to understand prayer as meditation.

[Exarch]

Praying can be a form of meditation. Speaking personally, as a Christian, I know that after I have prayed, I feel calmer, and more relaxed, similar to regular meditation. Praying isn't always about asking for things (if it was, then there wouldn't be many people praying because they knew they wouldn't get anything), it's sometimes about talking to a higher power, and letting your mind flow easier as you communicate with him.

some ministers would say you're opening yourself up to demons and other spirits; 'conversing with other elementals'

[The Big Red 1]

some ministers would say you're opening yourself up to demons and other spirits; 'conversing with other elementals'

Some preacher's are crazy.

[Exarch]

Some preacher's are crazy.

lol
now aint that the truth
i knew such a minister who said meditation, along with mormons was opening urself up to daemons

[czePowerslave]

Whenever I do something that resemble meditation, I tend to completely calm down, breathing from down --> up, slowly, trying to feel the breath comin in and out as much as I can.
It helps me greatly to reduce too much adrenalin in my blood, or whenever I dont feel very well, I can lets say "cure" meself with this, just by attempting to concentrate my breathing and some sort of energy from it to a specified place.

Ok say I lie, but it works.

[Exarch]

u get the good and the bad.
ttytt, i've always regarded this 'holy spirit' christians refer to as a type of 'daemon'.
when i say 'daemon' i'm referring to the old greek meaning of the word.

[The Big Red 1]

u get the good and the bad.
ttytt, i've always regarded this 'holy spirit' christians refer to as a type of 'daemon'.
when i say 'daemon' i'm referring to the old greek meaning of the word.

Now I'm going to have to look up the greek meaning.

[roy34543]

The devil is actually vastly different in judaism, If you can say the "devil" exists at all. so i guess no to the second. And christians, jews and muslims tend to be perfectly fine with meditation anyway.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satan#In_Judaism

Definition differs greatly but hes more like.. A lawyer. Though some would say that differences between the devil and lawyers are minimal.

[Exarch]

The devil is actually vastly different in judaism, If you can say the "devil" exists at all. so i guess no to the second. And christians, jews and muslims tend to be perfectly fine with meditation anyway.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satan#In_Judaism

Definition differs greatly but hes more like.. A lawyer. Though some would say that differences between the devil and lawyers are minimal.

so u mean satan in judaism is more like a prosecutor?
that'd imply he's doing god's will right?
he's on the payroll so to speak

[roy34543]

Yes. He is kinda supposed to have free will and sometimes has disagreements with god, but technically is still under gods service.

[Exarch]

Funny then how the role of satan changes in christianity and i assume islam as well

[The Big Red 1]

Funny then how the role of satan changes in christianity and i assume islam as well

It's amazing how everything changes in these religions when we technically worship the same god. That's why I'm going to read the Torah, Quran, and Bible. To find out what I'm missing.

[Exarch]

It's amazing how everything changes in these religions when we technically worship the same god. That's why I'm going to read the Torah, Quran, and Bible. To find out what I'm missing.

as a scholar, i'd also suggest u try to read the original manuscripts in the origiall greek and latin.
see if there's something missing in the translation.
like the whole debate about whether mary was a virgin when she gave birth to jesus, and the translation of virgin being synonamus with 'young lady'