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 ofyears, 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. 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. Meditation Research
According to meditation research the different types of meditation that people of all religious backgrounds regularly practice has always been a matter of great contemplation and deliberation as far as science goes. There have been countless meditation research studies done on the benefits and drawbacks of incorporating meditation into every day life, in instances such as workplace stress, anger management, peer relationships, and everything else.
Meditation research has proven meditation’s ability to train the mind to do certain things and create certain moods or have certain effects on the body and the mind. It has been proven that meditation helps to balance out the levels of certain chemicals in the body and in the brain in particular that affect mood swings. Meditation research has found that meditation has been proven to alleviate tension in the workplace and in the home, leading to better lives for people who struggle with this.
The meditation research that has been done and comes out in the favor of meditation has had an overwhelming impact on the way some employers conduct their businesses. There are businesses that have actually used meditation research that has been done and implemented meditation into their regular programs. Some firms incorporate time for meditation into their schedules, or provide recreational rooms to be used for meditation purposes. Others sponsor regular meditation seminars that address all aspects of meditation’s relationship to the workplace, including stress relief and employee relations.
Meditation research claims that meditation has been proven to help reduce the effects of cancer on the body, controlling the rapid growth at which cancerous tumor cells can multiply and cause damage to the body. Scientists and researchers have always wanted to delve into what it is about meditation that has the effect it does on the human system. They have always wanted to explore the idea of meditation and examine the effects it has in certain circumstances, seeking a certain answer in hopes that it will be in their favor and to date much of the investigation and research that has been done has come out with positive results.
Meditation Statistics
Meditation statistics show there are an endless variety of benefits to be achieved through practicing meditation regularly.
There are pages and pages of meditation statistics to describe all of the positive things meditation can do for your life.
Meditation statistics usually show favor to utilizing meditation in every day life and practices rather than utilizing other supposedly preventative measures to deter stress and anger. Statistics usually go in the favor of having meditation rooms or sessions at work and many employers are even sending their employees to meditation and stress relieving seminars, or finding other more holistic ways of catering to the inner needs of their employees.
We all know that stress is a killer. It causes high blood pressure and heart problems in all kinds of people all over the world. According to meditation statistics regular meditation can help to ease the stress levels in the body significantly. Meditation statistics show that the stress levels in certain people during meditation are significantly lower than the stress levels of a similar group of people who are simply resting or relaxing, without the meditative state. For this reason, employers all over the United States are leading the way and implementing certain rooms designated just for meditation.
Surprisingly enough, meditation has also been used in studies relating to cancerous tumors in the body. In essence, meditation helps to relieve the anxiety and stress associated with cancer to such a degree that it can actually inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Meditation has not been approved by any agency as an actual treatment or course of medicine for cancer, but it is definitely in the works. Meditation statistics do not show meditation as consistently and across the board as many medical professionals would like.
After exploring the statistics of mediation and the various ways in which it can improve your life, from improving your health through relaxation and de-stressing techniques or simple relaxation that leads to a more productive and efficient life you can try it out yourself.
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