Depth of meditation

Is that a box of Holosync CDs? We live in an age where advanced technology is sometimes indistinguishable from magic, but is it black magic or white magic? Is it contrary to first principles, or working along with them?

I revisited the Holosync Demo tonight. Back when Gaia – formerly Zaadz – was still alive but oh so slowly changing into a pure spam machine, they sent out a semi-advertising recommendation for this demo. They both belonged to the same “commercial New Age” arena. Gaia went under, Holosync is still thriving, and still spamming all kinds of products for their friends. Products you won’t need if their own product does what it says.

Be that as it may, I was reminded once again of their claim that the binaural technology can “meditate you”, that it can make you enter into a state of meditation deeper than that of an accomplished Zen monk. As measured by EEG waves, that is actually true.  If you close your eyes, listen to their soundscape and go with the flow, you should eventually end up with a huge proportion of delta waves in your brain, which is nearly impossible to achieve through meditation.  Or indeed in any other way except deep sleep.

It is also generally true that people who have meditated for many years and mastered advanced techniques, are able to slow down their brain waves to a deeper level than beginners.  Usually you can only reach alpha waves the first years, but eventually you can master techniques that produce theta waves, which are rarely dominant in waking states (although they appear partially – we rarely ever have one frequency completely filling the whole skull).

Now, the fallacy is to think that slow brain waves are the goal or purpose of meditation.  This may be the case in some scientific studies, but not in the established schools of meditation.  Usually meditation is part of a religious practice. Regular meditation is meant to transform the personality. And the whole “regular” thing and the patience involved is essential. It is a form of self discipline.  To bypass this is to render the whole exercise meaningless. It is like running marathon on a motorbike.  Sure, you get to the goal faster, but that was not the point!

There are various benefits, particularly to the health, of brainwave entrainment. I am still positive to it and I still use it (mostly LifeFlow now). But it does not meditate you.  And as I’ve said before, for religious meditation I have found it better to avoid brainwave entrainment. Your religion may vary, if any.  But the depth of meditation spiritually speaking is a different quality than mere brain waves.

Such is the world we live in, that quality is often reduced to quantity. I love living in this time and age, but in that regard it really is a “Kali Yuga”, an age of degradation, a barbarian age, an age of spiritual death. Love is reduced to hormones and hope to medical reforms. But such a thinking hurts the human soul. Flee while you can. The reduction of wholeness to parts is the essence of death, as the Buddha said in his last words:  “All things that are made of parts will come apart. Strive diligently!”

2 thoughts on “Depth of meditation

  1. I agree with the “age of degradation” part. And, unfortunately, when I need the meditation the most is when I can’t turn my back on those around me!

    • This is why we must meditate regularly, until the meditation starts seeping out into our daily life, through the cracks in time between events. First it becomes natural to fall into a quiet, meditative state of mind while waiting in a waiting room, standing in line and so on. Over time this spreads through smaller and smaller cracks between events. Some supposedly feel this peace between each breath, all day, but I do not.

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