 106. Meditation |
Select a simple affirmation which describes spiritual ideals and goals. The Lord's Prayer is such an affirmation. Many affirmations were suggested in the Edgar Cayce readings. The oddly worded sentences at times actually help one hold the thought and look for the meaning. The following are examples from the readings:
Father, as we seek to see and know Thy face, may we each, as individuals and as a group, come to know ourselves, even as we are known, that we – as light in Thee – may give the better concept of Thy Spirit in this world.
Create in me a pure heart, O God. Open Thou my heart to the faith. Thou hast implanted in all that seek Thy face. Help Thou mine unbelief in my God, in my neighbor, in myself.
How gracious is Thy presence in the earth, O Lord! Be Thou the guide that we with patience may run the race which is set before us, looking to Thee, the Author and Giver of life.
Select just fifteen minutes of the night or day when it is possible to be quiet. This must be a time that can be set aside daily until the habit of silence can be established. Select a place. In the beginning it will be found that it is easier to be quiet in the same place each day. The conscious mind adjusts itself more easily when it accepts the suggestion that it is in a certain place, at a certain time, for a definite purpose. Sit or lie in a comfortable position. Focus the attention on the affirmation. Do not strain or concentrate. Simply hold the affirmation in consciousness. You may already be commenting that in fifteen minutes you will not be able even to get started. It is better discipline to work regularly each day for a few minutes than to attempt long periods of undirected daydreaming. In fact, it would be neither desirable nor healthy to force the mind and body until the habit of a short period of control has been established. Normally some of the following reactions will take place. The body will resist. The chair will be uncomfortable. There will be pressure at one point or another. There may be irritation of the skin or even an uncontrollable desire to move some part of the body. At times thirst will develop. A glass of water will seem absolutely essential to continuing life. In the beginning it will seem impossible not to be conscious of these sensations in the body. Do not pamper them. On the other hand, feel no sense of guilt at being aware of them. Simply return the attention to the affirmation. As one continues with daily sessions, consciousness will shift from the body to mental activity. All kinds of impressions which have seemingly been forgotten will be remembered. Thoughts of details of the day's activities, plans for tomorrow, or memory of events of a few days past may begin to flicker briefly on the screen of consciousness. Sounds will become more prominent. Noises that have not been heard before will seem disturbing and much louder than usual. Gently but firmly consciousness must be moved back to the affirmation. This must be done as many times as is necessary. At the end of the fifteen-minute period one should stop and go about his daily activities. No sense of guilt or disturbance should be felt that the mind is caught literally dozens of times in a fifteen-minute period wandering away from the affirmation. As the days pass and one persistently keeps the regular time and place for being still, the body and the conscious mind will grow relatively quiet. A new set of images will begin to flood into consciousness. They come from the unconscious. There will be pictures, scenes, faces, colors, designs of all kinds. This may be compared to a very interesting television show. Many individuals stop here to look at these pictures, follow the action in these scenes, and consider this to be meditation. As with attention on the body and the activity of the conscious mind, it is necessary to refocus awareness. Attention should be moved gently but firmly back to the affirmation. The meaning of the words should be re-examined.
