With New Age meditation, one isn't required to live in a monastery or give up everyday pleasures. It also doesn't require a person to meditate for religious purposes.
New Age meditation allows for much more freedom in what or who a person chooses to use for meditation.
History of New Age Meditation in the United States
Meditation was largely viewed as an Eastern tradition until the New Age movement of the 1970s. With the New Age movement came a huge interest in meditation and people from all walks of life began to meditate.
Many saw meditation as a way to break away from strict, religious practices. Science began to study meditation and found that it had valuable healing qualities, like reducing stress.
New Age Meditation Practices
While termed New Age, some of the practices are more of a revival of earlier beliefs such as goddess worship, shamanism, and reincarnation. New Age also brought forth interest in holistic healing, tarot cards, and crystals.
Yoga went from being almost unheard of, to a popular way to work the mind, body, and spirit. Today, meditation and yoga classes are commonplace throughout the United States.
Famous Meditators
One of the best known figures associated with New Age meditation is Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who was responsible developing and introducing transcendental meditation to the western world.
Another person well-known in New Age circles is Edgar Cayce, who was able to channel a wealth of information, particularly medical, while in a trancelike state. This information is said to have come from the Akashic Records.
To learn more about Edgar Cayce and the Akashic Records, please view the article titled Edgar Cayce, Akashic Records and Meditation.
Benefits of New Age Meditation
New Age meditation brings religious freedom to meditation. In fact, one doesn't even have to believe in God to reap its many benefits. For those who do, they find that meditation allows them to get closer to their higher powers.
New Age meditation allows for combining metaphysical beliefs with the benefits the mind receives while meditating. For example, some meditation practitioners like to meditate on Tarot cards. In addition, many doctors and therapists are recommending meditation to their patients for the calming effect it has on the body, which can lead to such medical benefits as lowering high blood pressure.
With New Age meditation, it's believed that one can recall past lives, access the Akashic records, and increase psychic abilities like telepathy, precognition, and clairvoyance. A current popular trend in meditation for both Jews and non-Jews is meditating on the Kabbalah, which holds mystical teachings.
To find out more about meditation and the Kabbalah, read What is Jewish Meditation and the Kabbalah?
New Age meditation combines ancient meditation practices with today's modern world. It allows for total relaxation, healing, metaphysical teachings, and spiritual growth.
Readers may also enjoy learning more about Transcendental Meditation.
Source:
The Best Guide to Meditation, Victor N. Davich, (Renaissance Media, Inc.,) 1998.
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