People often use word ‘meditation’, but usually they don’t know what is the meaning of it. Meditation is a derivative of Latin word ‘meditatio’, which means: contemplation, reflection, losting in thought. But if we omit the etymology of this word we will see that meditation has not much to do with thinking.

‘Meditate on something’ for a lot of us simply means thinking about something particular, e.g. how to solve a problem. So the question rise: do we think during meditation?

Techniques of meditation help to achieve such state of spirit, mind and body in which man is consciousness but he do not think! Nowadays we think almost all the time – when we speak or write or listen or …. we always have something on the brain.  

Not to think – nothing easier?! 

It seems that ‘not-thinking’ is the most easiest thing in the world. You have to only sit down, relax, … . But when you do that something strange happen – a problem appears. How long do you manage to hold on alone in silence doing nothing? Spending time without speaking, listening, reading, … is like being on holiday, isn’t it? But the answer is: no, it isn’t. If we lock man in isolated and soundproof place he will probably go crazy. Majority of people cannot spend time alone in silence. This is why being kept in confinement is one of the most severe penalty for prisoners.

In my opinion it is worth (just for our own knowledge) to do such experiment: sit down in silent place where nobody disturb you and try to spend two hours doing nothing. If you go to the cinema you spend at least two hours almost without activity, so performing successfully such exercise shouldn’t be any problem for you. But the result of experiment will show something else. For most of people spending time in such way will be very difficult. 

Can somebody tell what happen to a man while he is meditating?

 I don’t know answer for this question, but I will try to describe what happen to me during meditation.

BREATH

The breathing is rhythmic. Sometimes, when I start I breath with difficulty, but it pass after a while. The breath is deep and calm.

HEARING, VISION

Sounds (e.g. neighbour making noise behind a wall) are audible, but they do not prevent. I hear, I see, but I do not analyse – external factors have not got any influence on me. Sometimes I have a feeling that I am next to this all things which are presented by senses. It is not that feeling when I see myself sitting and meditating from a distance of e.g. a metre, but it is feeling, when this all objects, which are perceived by my eyes and ears are not connected with me. This things have not any meaning to me.

MIND

I do not think during meditation, but from time to time a thought appears. I do not concentrate on it and it disappear. I have a feeling that I can focus on a meditation more and more while the time goes by and the thoughts appear not so often like in the past.

OTHER ASPECTS

This part is difficult to describe. Sometimes I find myself in state like in the childhood when I had a high temperature. Sometimes I have strong attacks of fear. Those are very serious subjects.