Um, I didn't have the time or patience to read the entire argument going on here. But I do have a few things to say:
Angela Harlem: I meditate for various different reasons, and someone recommended the following book to me--"Wherever You Go, There You Are; Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life" by Jon Kabat-Zinn. I've already read it once, and am going through it again. It was written by a doctor who teaches sufferers of chronic pain to meditate. (It says he is the founder and director of the Stress Reduction Clinic and UMass.) He knows what he's talking about, and if you want to learn about meditation and how to go about it, I would get the book at a library or buy it. Also, yogajournal.com has interesting articles and info on meditation.
Second, it alarms me that people are getting so up in arms about meditation. Meditation may have Eastern roots, but it is by no means limited to Eastern religions or schools of thought. I think that some people in this thread have the wrong idea of what meditation actually is and who practices it.
In the book I just mentioned, it says this about meditation: "[It] will not conflict with any beliefs or traditions--religious or for that matter scientific--nor is it trying to sell you anything, especially not a new belief system or ideology. It is simply a practical way to be more in touch with the fullness of your being through a systematic process of self-observation, self-inquiry, and mindful action."
Also, there is no right or wrong way to meditate. For some, the goal is to clear the mind by eliminating distracting thoughts. For others, it is an opportunity to sit still and listen to their own thoughts for a little while. For some, it can be a way to achieve oneness with the universe, as corny or Eastern as that may sound. For others, it can be therapeutic. For me, I can meditate walking to my car from my office. Others meditate sitting in lotus pose on a cushion. Again, there is no one way to meditate.
And to stereotype those who meditate as all seeking the same thing or all betraying their Western heritage, or whatever, is unfortunate. Meditation has taught me to accept things as they are. If someone wants to meditate, who am I to question their motives?
Anyway, Angela Harlem, I encourage you to check it out. It is a challenging undertaking which I have enjoyed practicing.
I leave you with this thought:
"I exist as I am, that is enough,
If no other in the world be aware I sit content,
And if each and all be aware I sit content." --Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass
------------------
U2 @ The Blooming Heart