An Introduction to the History of Meditation

Experts say that the history of meditation predates written records of history. They speculate that early man started meditating as he stared into the flames of a fire, but no one knows for sure if this is true. The Hindu scriptures written about 5000 years ago contain the earliest records of meditation, but it was Buddha who really helped spread this method of practice through the countries of Asia.

In each country and religion, the practitioners adopted it into their culture and religion and developed different meditation techniques. Just about all religions of the world contain some form of meditative practice, even in that of the aboriginal groups. In the Islamic religion it is believed that meditation was developed by Muhammed, but whether it was Buddha or Muhammed that was responsible for bringing it to the attention of the people, it still took 1000 years for it to reach the Western world.

To really understand the history of meditation, one has to look at its development within each of the major religions. In the Hindu religion it was practiced as a way of finding the true nature of Brahman. Buddha’s method of reaching enlightenment through meditation caused a breach with this main goal of meditating. Instead, Buddha taught that it was a way of finding the way in which a person is interconnected with all aspects of life and nature.

In Judaism the history of meditation refers to its beginnings as a way of analyzing the Scriptures in order to achieve a better understanding of and relationship with God. Kabbalah is a form of meditation in this religion in which the practitioner constructs a spiritual realm through which the soul can navigate to achieve a purpose. One of the most common methods of meditating in this religion is Hitbodedut, which refers to the analytical study of a concept to increase understanding.

Monastic practices in Christianity are part of the history of meditation in this religion. The practice of saying the rosary can be compared to a mantra for spiritual meditation as is the memorization and repetition of Bible verses. Prayer is seen as a meditation of the heart focusing on a deeper relationship with God to achieve a deeper understanding of one’s true inner self.

The history of meditation plays an important part in the religion of Islam. Muslims are required to pray five times a day, during which they are expected to meditate and focus on Allah in order to develop a deeper connection with their Creator. In turn, this meditation will help guide the soul to finding the truth to help them find a spiritual balance that will help them in all other aspects of their daily lives.

Any history of meditation also has to include the meditation practices of the Sikh religion and the Ba’Hai faith. In Sikhism, quiet meditation is essential to focusing on the attributes of God through 10 gateways or energy centers in the body. The final stage is a state of peace and tranquility.

Singing hymns is one way of meditating in this religion. The teachings of the Ba’Hai faith hold that in order to achieve spiritual growth one must practice meditation, as well as pray and fast. Meditation is seen as the key for opening the doors to the mysteries contained within the mind. Some of the meditating practices of this religion are repetitive in nature, such as the repetition of a phrase.

While the history of meditation is different in each religion, it still involves sitting in the same position for a length of time in a quiet place where you are able to focus your thoughts to reach the inner depths of your mind.