Holistic Health Practices/Part 26

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New Age (Eastern-occultic) meditation is practiced by millions of people. It involves the control and regulation of the mind for various physical and spiritual (occult) purposes. Meditation promoters claim the practice has numerous health benefits, but even if true, the potential spiritual and even physical hazards outweigh them. Meditation claims to work by “stilling” or otherwise influencing the mind. The meditator is allegedly able to perceive true reality, his own true nature, and to achieve true spiritual enlightenment. The majority of forms of meditation practiced today are occultic. In his The Varieties of Meditative Experience (p. 117), meditation authority Dr. Daniel Goleman observes: “Virtually every system of meditation recognizes the awakened state as the ultimate goal of meditation…. Each path labels this end state differently. But no matter how diverse the names, these paths all propose the same basic formula in an alchemy [occultic transformation] of the self.”

Apart from a “relaxation response,” scientific studies have confirmed other physical and psychological influences of meditation, but their meaning and value are widely interpreted.

New Age meditation characteristically uses the mind in an abnormal manner to radically restructure a person’s perceptions toward supporting occultic philosophy and goals. Regressive or spiritistically induced states of consciousness are wrongly interpreted as “higher” or “divine” states of consciousness. For example, in many forms of meditation practice, spirit possession itself is actually interpreted as a form of spiritual enlightenment; further, meditation-developed psychic powers are falsely interpreted as evidence of a latent divine nature. Unfortunately, meditators often do not realize the possible long-term results or consequences of these practices. For example, the dangerous and growing phenomenon of kundalini arousal characteristically incorporates periods of severe mental disruption and demonization.

The underlying philosophy, stated purpose, physical method, and spiritual context of meditation determine its outcome. Responsible biblical meditation is a spiritually healthy practice; but again, most meditation practiced today involves occultic methods which may bring harmful consequences. Among them are spiritistic influence and even demon possession, and various forms of physical, psychological, and spiritual damage which are increasingly reported in the literature.

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