I would only suggest there seem to be other kinds of meditation besides letting go or dying. I don’t know much about them, however, because I don’t practice any of them.

To my mind, the questions you raise are in some way key to understanding meditation — at least the kind I’m familiar with. Since, to me, meditation is letting go or dying, it does not properly occur until one has even let go of secular goals — such as the goal of reducing stress. So far as I know, the only motivation for meditating that seems compatible with the nature of meditating — that does not seem to interfere with it — is dispassionate curiosity.

In my experience meditation often does reduce stress, Clare — although it does not cure a biological depression. But I think if you set out with the goal of reducing stress, you will be defeated.

Perhaps the most important thing to know about meditation — at least as I practice it — is that it is counter productive to force anything to happen. And if you have a goal, then that is no less than an attempt to make your goal realized. But trying to resist having a goal is also an attempt to force something to happen. So when meditating resist nothing! When your mind is trying to force something to happen — don’t even resist that, Clare! But observe what your mind is doing.

I hope this helps.

The longer you sit and observe the more attachments will float up, and you have to let them all go.

This is meditation.

I’m thinking of learning to meditate as a means to alleviate stress and learn to control or detach from strong or overwhelming emotions, e.g. depression, anxiety before an exam, etc. I’ve seen evidence that meditation can affect brain behaviour and patterns. What is your experience of its value outside of the view of it as a religious practice?

@ Leguru: What to do? I think dispassionate curiosity has worked the best for me.

Nobody’s experience is right or wrong – all are equally valid. It is a very subjective area even though certain states of mind can be replicated by others if the right techniques are employed (the Buddhists are excellent at this with their investigative approach).

Could the state of meditation be likened to Air on a G string?

@ Dinesh: I think you are describing a valid and useful way to meditate that unfortunately does not work for me. I’ve tried it to no avail. Perhaps I was doing it wrong, or perhaps it’s just incompatible with me — I’ve no idea which.

Alan Watts is very interesting, isn’t he. He’s had some influence on my thinking, and would probably have more of an influence if I study him more.

@ Meowlin: LOL!

@ Meleah: Here’s the link to your post for all who are interested: I could. But I won’t. I am glad to hear you have begun the process of letting go.

I have a REALLY hard time LETTING GO….but I think my latest post is actually the 1st STEP in letting go of my anger and sadness over certian health issues…