What is Meditation?
Meditation is the means by which we experience the love, peace, and stillness that is within ourselves. It is the process of experiencing God’s love for ourselves by taking our attention away from the world outside and focusing it within. Doing so, allows us to defocus from the turmoil of our surroundings and connect with the Source of all love, all joy, which is God. Meditation is the highest form of prayer and unlocks the gates to the reservoir of untapped love that we carry with us.
What is SOS Meditation?
SOS Meditation, the technique of meditation taught at Science of Spirituality, focuses on experiencing the inner Light of God. It is taught as a science that anyone can practice no matter one’s age, faith, or beliefs. In this form of meditation, the attention is focused at what is called the spiritual eye, or the seat of the soul, which is between and behind the two eyebrows. This seat of the soul is the gateway to the inner spiritual regions. As our sensory currents are raised to this point and focused there, it opens into the inner realms, which are spiritual in nature.
What Happens During SOS Meditation?
Those who receive the complete meditation instructions from a spiritual Master see various forms of Light and spiritual realms unfold for them. By concentrating the attention into the middle of whatever appears before you when your eyes are closed, the consciousness or soul begins to journey on a stream of Light into higher regions. There are regions after regions of higher and higher states of Light. The ultimate step on the journey is when the soul returns to the source of all-consciousness and all-Light from where it originally came. These states bring with them knowledge and wisdom of all that is and answer our questions about the mysteries of life and death. We are then filled with a peace and bliss beyond any that we can know in this world.
For more information on how to meditate and to learn about the SOS Meditation Technique,
https://www.sos.org/meditation/learn-meditation
Can Meditation Be Adapted to Modern Life?
Yes, it can. Meditation can be practiced within the confines of our everyday life. We live a normal life in the world, but the difference is that we add time daily for meditation and try to become more ethical so as to accelerate our progress. We do our best at our jobs, attend to our family obligations, earn an honest livelihood, and try to help others. While doing all this we keep our eyes on the spiritual journey and the spiritual values of life.
Benefits of Meditation
While it is a trending topic these days, meditation is an ancient practice that is only now becoming widely popular for its many benefits. Over the last few decades, the scientific benefits of meditation have been studied by numerous clinical and research groups around the world. To varying degrees, systematic reviews and meta-analyses have found evidence of the physiological benefits of meditation.
Meditation Heals the Body
Meditation Reduces Stress and Anxiety
People around the world have been turning to meditation to release stress, as research has shown that that spending regular, accurate time in meditation can reduce stress and anxiety. This in turn alleviates stress-related ailments such as high blood pressure, insomnia, chronic pain and fatigue, while reducing the risk of diseases aggravated by stress, such as heart disease, digestive disorders and headaches.
Ref, for further reading –
Researchers from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD sifted through nearly thousands of meditation studies, to find 47 trials that met their criteria for well-designed studies. Their findings, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, suggest that meditation can help ease psychological stresses like anxiety, depression, and pain. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/1809754
Meditation Increases Immunity
Meditation also increases resistance to disease and improves recovery time after surgery and illness. These health benefits of meditation are attributed to the fact that meditation helps slow down the brain waves to a state of calm, which allows the body to also become calmer and more relaxed.
Ref, for further reading –
New Clues Into How Meditation May Boost The Immune System https://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2016/09/06/new-clues-into-how-meditation-can-boost-the-immune-system/?sh=2f30d7073698
Thibodeaux N, Rossano MJ. Meditation and Immune Function: The Impact of Stress Management on the Immune System. OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine 2018; 3(4): 032; doi:10.21926/obm.icm.1804032.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329479535_Meditation_and_Immune_Function_The_Impact_of_Stress_Management_on_the_Immune_System
Meditation Reduces Pain
Many medical centers and hospitals now offer classes on meditation to reduce stress, eliminate certain illnesses, and improve health outcomes in patients. Meditation can heal our physical body by healing our mind and our emotional state. By becoming absorbed within, we divert our attention from feeling the effects of illness. There is a healing power of the Divine that we can tap into when we shift our consciousness from the physical body to our spiritual side. We can rise above physical pain by connecting with the power within in meditation.
Ref, for further reading –
Does Meditation Reduce Pain through a Unique Neural Mechanism? Tim V. Salomons and Aaron Kucyi https://www.jneurosci.org/content/31/36/12705?utm_source=TrendMD&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=JNeurosci_TrendMD_0
Meditation Relaxes the Body
We receive more rest in meditation than the same amount of time spent in sleep. Why? In sleep, we dream. We may have good dreams or stressful ones. The sleeping body may react to dreams as if awake. We may toss and turn in sleep. In meditation, though, the body and mind are still. There are no stressful thoughts or dreams in meditation to which we can react. Thus, it is a time of peace for our body.
Ref, for further reading –
Effect of meditation on autonomic function in healthy individuals: A longitudinal study Abhimanyu Ganguly,1 Sandip M. Hulke,2 Rajay Bharshanakar,3 Rachna Parashar,2 and Santosh Wakode4
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7586536/
Meditation: Process and effects Hari Sharma https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4895748/
Meditation Heals the Body
Meditation Reduces Stress and Anxiety
People around the world have been turning to meditation to release stress, as research has shown that that spending regular, accurate time in meditation can reduce stress and anxiety. This in turn alleviates stress-related ailments such as high blood pressure, insomnia, chronic pain and fatigue, while reducing the risk of diseases aggravated by stress, such as heart disease, digestive disorders and headaches.
Ref, for further reading –
Researchers from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD sifted through nearly thousands of meditation studies, to find 47 trials that met their criteria for well-designed studies. Their findings, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, suggest that meditation can help ease psychological stresses like anxiety, depression, and pain. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/1809754
Meditation Increases Immunity
Meditation also increases resistance to disease and improves recovery time after surgery and illness. These health benefits of meditation are attributed to the fact that meditation helps slow down the brain waves to a state of calm, which allows the body to also become calmer and more relaxed.
Ref, for further reading –
New Clues Into How Meditation May Boost The Immune System https://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2016/09/06/new-clues-into-how-meditation-can-boost-the-immune-system/?sh=2f30d7073698
Meditation and Immune Function: The Impact of Stress Management on the Immune System
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329479535_Meditation_and_Immune_Function_The_Impact_of_Stress_Management_on_the_Immune_System
Meditation Reduces Pain
Many medical centers and hospitals now offer classes on meditation to reduce stress, eliminate certain illnesses, and improve health outcomes in patients. Meditation can heal our physical body by healing our mind and our emotional state. By becoming absorbed within, we divert our attention from feeling the effects of illness. There is a healing power of the Divine that we can tap into when we shift our consciousness from the physical body to our spiritual side. We can rise above physical pain by connecting with the power within in meditation.
Ref, for further reading –
Does Meditation Reduce Pain through a Unique Neural Mechanism? Tim V. Salomons and Aaron Kucyi https://www.jneurosci.org/content/31/36/12705?utm_source=TrendMD&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=JNeurosci_TrendMD_0
Meditation Relaxes the Body
We receive more rest in meditation than the same amount of time spent in sleep. Why? In sleep, we dream. We may have good dreams or stressful ones. The sleeping body may react to dreams as if awake. We may toss and turn in sleep. In meditation, though, the body and mind are still. There are no stressful thoughts or dreams in meditation to which we can react. Thus, it is a time of peace for our body.
Ref, for further reading –
Effect of meditation on autonomic function in healthy individuals: A longitudinal study Abhimanyu Ganguly,1 Sandip M. Hulke,2 Rajay Bharshanakar,3 Rachna Parashar,2 and Santosh Wakode4
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7586536/
Meditation: Process and effects Hari Sharma https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4895748/
Meditation Heals the Mind
Our minds are often agitated by pressures. Life has become complicated. People have too much to do and not enough time to do it. Some people hold jobs that require long hours and too much responsibility. Others work two jobs and raise a family. People snap—they become irritable, off-balance, and “stressed-out.” They may act in ways that are not “themselves.” Sometimes they take out their frustrations on their loved ones.
Meditation Calms the Mind
Meditation is a way to eliminate the lack of balance caused by mental stress. By spending time in meditation, we create a calm haven to restore equilibrium to our mental functioning. Researchers who record brain activity find that our brain waves measure from 13—20 Hz when we are involved with stressful situations at work, driving in traffic, or in a fight-or-flight mode. In meditation, brain waves register between 5-8 Hz, a state of deep relaxation. In meditation, stress levels are reduced. The mind becomes calm, and, in turn, calms the body. Through meditation, we bring about healing of our mental state. We can then function more effectively and peacefully in this world.
Ref, for further reading –
Meditation and yoga can ‘reverse’ DNA reactions which cause stress, new study suggests https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170615213301.htm
Meditation Improves Concentration
As our stress levels decrease, we gain more mental clarity, equilibrium, and a sense of balance as we go about our daily activities. Our concentration and ability to focus is enhanced, and this boosts our productivity in all endeavors. We are more in control of our reactions and can face conflict and adversity with equanimity and in a calm manner. Our angle of vision shifts. We see the panorama of life for what it is, and the little things stop bothering us.
Ref, for further reading –
8 Things to Know About Meditation for Health https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/tips/things-to-know-about-meditation-for-health
Meditation Balances the Body’s Systems https://www.webmd.com/balance/features/transcendental-meditation#1
How Meditation seems to change the brain in depressed patients https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/04/harvard-researchers-study-how-mindfulness-may-change-the-brain-in-depressed-patients/
Harvard neuroscientist: Meditation not only reduces stress, here’s how it changes your brain https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2015/05/26/harvard-neuroscientist-meditation-not-only-reduces-stress-it-literally-changes-your-brain/
MEDITATION
HEALS THE EMOTIONS
Meditation Bathes Us in Love
Meditation can supplement therapy to heal emotional pain. As people work on their emotional problems with the guidance of trained specialists, they can increase their healing by meditating. Meditation helps in several ways. First, by rising above body-consciousness we see our lives from a clear angle of vision. We recognize the roots of our pains and solve the problems. Second, in meditation, we contact the source of love. The Current of Light is made of the same essence as our soul and God—love, consciousness, and bliss. As we contact the divine current, we experience divine love. We connect with the love of God latent within. It is said, “God is love, the soul is love, and the way back to God is through love.” Contact with godly love fills us with more love than we can ever imagine. This can fill the hole that may be the root cause of one’s emotional pain. Through meditation’s healing power, one can mitigate and eliminate emotional pain.
Meditation Improves our Communications
Communicating with the inner world – another word for meditation – improves our relationships with the outer world. As we experience higher realms of existence, we find that the Light within us is within other people. This brings about an understanding of the unity of life. With this awareness, we develop love, tolerance, and respect for all people. We begin to see life from a new angle and our behavior changes. As a result, we grow to treat others kindly and care about them. We seek to serve and help people. We do whatever we can to eliminate the suffering of others. Our communications will improve, we become increasingly humble and kind, and sensitive to the hearts of others.
Can Meditation Help Me Cope With Life’s Problems?
Problems in life will always be there, and many are not within our control. However, meditation can help us tackle problems in two ways: (1) Meditation can control our unhealthy physical responses to challenges that come our way. In meditation, the heart beats slower, and our body and mind relax. When the body is calm, physical reactions to stress are moderated. Thus, meditation provides a defense mechanism against stress, and we can confront problems without upsetting our physiological systems. Meditation provides a way to control our reactions. (2) Meditation changes our angle of vision such that we begin to see life and all the ups and downs, from a different perspective. With this shift, we are able to face problems in a calm and poised manner.
Meditation
Eliminates the Fear of Death
In meditation, we get glimpses into the worlds beyond, and this experience confirms for us that the soul lives on after death. Death is just a change from one state of existence to another. It is like removing our coat. We toss off this physical vesture for the spiritual one. We see that we exist beyond the death of the physical body. We lose our fear of death. This brings inner peace as we face the challenges of life. We face life with a calmness and wisdom that radiates to those around us.
Meditation
Can Become Our Inner Retreat
If we become habituated to meditation, we may call on that same calming response when in difficult situations. Rather than reacting immediately, we can take a moment of silent meditation. Putting ourselves in a meditative state is a defense against reacting in a way that produces stress. We can carry the calm of the meditative state in the face of tension throughout the day. The more we meditate, the more easily we can access a sense of serenity as we face daily challenges.
MEDITATION HEALS THE SPIRIT
Spiritual Benefits of Meditation: The Real Reason to Meditate
Significant as they are, the benefits of meditation on the body, mind, and emotions are just byproducts of true meditation. There is much more to meditation than meets the eye. The real reason to meditate is in fact, a spiritual reason – it is to reap the spiritual benefits of the practice. Meditation helps us become aware of our spiritual nature, which is our true essence. Once we become aware of our spiritual nature, we also gain knowledge of God, and then everything else in life falls into place. We experience the love, joy, and bliss that we were born seeking, and this love seeps into our very being. We experience inner peace.
Inner and Outer Peace
The benefits of meditation, however, do not stop with us. There is yet another remarkable byproduct of meditation: just as a flower spreads its fragrance to its surroundings, we too begin to radiate the love and peace that we experience in meditation to others. As we each heal through the alchemy of God’s love that is experienced in meditation, we become an instrument in bringing about a healing of our world. We become ambassadors of love and peace. In attaining inner peace through meditation, we contribute to the realization of outer peace in our world.
