History of Meditation

Meditation has been around in recorded history for thousands of years. The history of Meditation dates all the way back to ancient times. There has been proof found in Indian artifacts of the history of meditation called, “Tantra,” that speaks of such practices, dating back 5000 years. Researchers suggest that primitive hunting and gathering societies may have been the ones to have discovered meditation and its many different states of consciousness while gazing into the flames of their fires. The history of Meditation has evolved over thousands of years, into a structured practice that people use daily.
One of the biggest proponents in the history of meditation is the Buddha. The Buddha is also known as one of the biggest meditation icons in both current and times past and has been around since 500 B.C.. The teaching of the Buddha became popular in the Asian continent. According to the history of meditation other separate countries and cultures soon adopted many different forms of meditation creating their own special ways of practicing it. Some of the most popularly used forms today are the Buddhist and Hindu-based Easter-style meditation.
After meditation hit the East, it took thousands of years for it to spread to Western societies. It wasn’t until the mid-20th century when it finally started to gain popularity in the West. Many researchers and professors in the 1960's and 1970s, learned of the multitude of benefits that meditation had to offer as they began testing the effects of it.
Meditation is a practice that helps people achieve balance both mentally and physically as well as emotionally. It is even used to treat depression, stress and anxiety. The deep rest that a person achieves through meditation can rid him or her of stress and enables that person to make better choices by allowing them to think more clearly. There have been reports of higher self esteem in people who meditate.
People have even used this practice in the deliberation, to help them quit smoking and to put a stop to alcohol and drug addictions. A person can even reduce blood pressure and greatly lower the symptoms of menopause and premenstrual syndrome. Meditation also helps to lower ones heart rate and blood pressure by slowing down ones breathing which lowers the amount of oxygen needed for the body. The thought process allows the mind and muscles to gently relax.
The history of Meditation has proven that this practice of the mind and body can help a person in a multitude of ways. You can practice this in the comfort of your own home or become involved in a local meditation group. No matter how you choose to incorporate meditation into your life style you will be sure to discover a fountain of benefits.
By Mary Jones

Where Did Meditation Originate
Where did meditation originate? History shows meditation as being a long standing tradition in main Asian countries, like Japan, China, and India. So, exactly where did meditation originate? Meditation appears to be universal, appearing in cultures all over the world. The differences appear to lie more with the goals, purposes, and styles. Tantric meditation developed by South India tribes between ten and fifteen thousand years ago, was an expression of the desire to understand the conscious mind. When asking the question "Where did meditation originate?", can we answer it with here, this is where mediation originated? Perhaps. It was certainly widespread. Tantric meditation after being further developed seven thousand years ago by the yogi Shiva, became an integral part of Taoism, Buddhism, the Tibetan and Zen varieties and Sufism.
So where did meditation originate? Since the dawn of man, throughout recorded history, there have been fundamental questions that have begged for an answer not readily found, questions about the origins and nature of life, who created life originally? Why is life on Earth, what purpose does it hold? Obviously, these are the questions that have plagued man kind since its conception with no clear satisfactory answer. In an effort to extinguish the curiosity that drives us as humans to ask this question, two approaches were developed to allow all angles of possible answers to these questions to be explored. One approach delved into the world around us, discovering and finding various happenings with nature, this approach developed into Science. The other approach looked at the questions of the purpose of man, the creation of the universe and the existence of a creator from an internal perspective. This perhaps is a better answer to the question where did meditation originate? Meditation serves the same purpose no matter the philosophy or religious practice, methodology or ritual. That purpose is to delve into the hidden parts of our minds, conscience and unconscious, to find answers to the questions revolving around the meaning of life and the purpose of existence. By clearing the mind and learning to understand the complexity of ourselves, we can begin to understand the purpose for which we were created. Nothing can better explain the purpose and origin of meditation than it is an act of self-discovery and awareness. It brings forth not only knowledge of one’s self but of the nature of the world that we live in. Where did meditation originate? It originated from the desire of man to answer the all important question of Why?
In these modern days, we have forgotten the origins of meditation and forgotten its purpose and have become lost in the single approach of life. Meditation may not just be something for gaining the meaning of life but also for learning about our true selves that we sometimes lose sight of in the hustle and bustle of modern life and the very fascinating and more understandable world of science rather than the uncharitable mysteries of the mind.
By Philip Stilchford

Brain Waves in Meditation
The measurement of brain waves in meditation is a relatively recent development, as scientists strive to discover how this ancient practice of meditation can reduce stress, increase feelings of well being, and benefit overall health, among other advantages. It is of specific use to help one increase alertness, relaxation and reflection even in “waking” states. Brain waves in meditation are predominantly those discussed below, while those in normal consciousness are of the beta type. Each type, as discussed below, has specific benefits.Brain waves in meditation shift through various stages. The most common brain waves in meditation are alpha waves. These alpha brain waves in meditation basically promote changes in the autonomic nervous system that calm it. Regular contemplative practice of this type reverses the roles of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems so that the normally dominant sympathetic nervous system takes a back seat to the normally secondary parasympathetic nervous system. This lowers blood pressure and heart rate and lowers the amount of stress hormones in the body, as well as calming the mind. One of these stress hormones is cortisol, incidentally, which has been shown to encourage weight gain when it is elevated over the long term.
Gamma brain waves in meditation also greatly increase. Gamma waves denote intense focus and are usually weak and transient in normal brain activity. In experienced meditation practitioners, it was particularly noted that gamma brain waves in meditation were especially high in the left prefrontal cortex of the brain. This is an exciting finding, since this area is often associated with decreased anxiety and fear, positive emotions, and a decrease in depressive feelings or symptoms.
Theta brain waves in meditation are said to help open the “third eye” for practitioners. This “etheric eye” is said to be the channel through which practitioners gain illumination wisdom via vibrations received through the third eye. In practical terms, theta brainwaves in meditation also invoke a deep sense of relaxation and also encourage creativity and make problem solving and memorization easier. Most people have also experienced a theta state, for example, in the condition known as “highway hypnosis,” wherein drivers can perform driving tasks so automatically that they don’t remember making the drive home from their office. Theta waves also present themselves for most people when they do any task that is automatic or nearly so, such as folding clothes, washing hair, etc.
Finally, delta brain waves in meditation are the slowest of all. Everyone experiences delta waves in deep sleep, but delta brain waves in meditation are said to help experienced practitioners access the unconscious mind. Their existence may also be part of the reason that newly learned skills may be best integrated if one “sleeps on them," since they are associated with people's ability to integrate newly learned tasks.
By Amy Barnfeld