Ask Yentl

Mental Yentl the Meditation Matchmaker Answers your Questions about Meditation - P. 2

Dear Yentl,
      My name is Thomas and my problem is this: I have been a meditator for years. My mantra meditation used to be very effective. Through the years I got away from regular practice and only meditated occassionally. Recently I have taken up meditation on a daily basis again. I have tried several different meditations, but fail to feel the "Spiritual Experience" that meditation is to me. I would truly like to regain the feeling that meditation is revealing and sacred, rather than just a substitute for a brief rest period for the mind. Can you help me? — Thomas

Dear Thomas,
      Possibly. You didn't mention what those "several different meditations" are, so I'll address my comments to your primary meditation method, mantra meditation.
      I see two possibilities here. One is that mantra meditation is right for you, but you're experiencing a lull, brought on perhaps by stress, preoccupation with other matters, a change of environment, an emotional shutdown or some other factor or combination of factors. You might want to make some adjustments in these areas of your life and see if that helps.
      But regardless of whether you can pinpoint the cause for your lull, there's a larger issue at hand here: your desire to recapture previous meditative states and experiences. The dry spell you are experiencing is a common occurrence. The "spiritual sky" reveals itself, then retreats, leaving the meditator feeling abandoned and adrift. Disappointment, confusion, frustration, a sense of wasted effort or even failure often follow. These are feelings that can further compromise the quality of one's meditation practice.
      A meditator may even experience this lull as "the dark night of the soul," a phenomenon noted by St. John of the Cross, who wrote eloquently of his own agonizing struggle with it. (Some mystics argue that it's not the soul — whose nature is light  — that experiences the "dark night," but rather the personality. Either way, it's a real pain in the tuchus, isn't it?)
      Being in the doldrums with your practice may be life's way of inviting you to examine your expectations, Thomas. It's hard to gauge the degree of your expectations from an email letter, but you use the terms "revealing" and "sacred" to describe what you expect from your meditation. Both seem like reasonable expectations to me, at least as regards your overall meditation practice. Only you can decide whether you expect too much from each meditative session. Of course, your dry spell may also be life's way of saying, "Get some detachment already!"
      A second possibility is that you have derived the maximum benefit from mantra meditation, and you are done with it, period. If so, it may be time for you to move on to some other type of meditation. Stick with it or move on? How does one decide? Let's look at some strategies.
      (1) Formulate a question like, "Which type of meditation is best for me right now?" Or "How should I adjust my meditation practice?" Then take the question deep into meditation and patiently wait for the answer. Or pose the question to your dreams right before falling asleep, paying close attention in the morning as you are waking up.
      (2) Read Dark Night of the Soul, by St. John of the Cross, and see if any solutions come to mind.
      (3) Practice a complementary form of meditation alongside your current method. You may have been taught that mixing meditation systems is a no-no, which I agree with as far as the "major" meditation systems are concerned. But there are types of meditation (like guided meditation) that are totally compatible with other forms.
      Adopting a complementary meditation regimen for awhile can lift your spirits and get your attention off your "meditation problem." It can also help you to develop other aspects of your spiritual nature (like empowering the imagination), so practicing it keeps you moving forward. More upliftment!
      In choosing a complementary method, bear in mind that even the simplest method can yield useful insights, produce profound realizations and open doorways to expanded states of consciousness.
      (4) Remind yourself often that the meditative life is full of surprises. One moment you're stuck, the next moment, a whole new vista suddenly opens up!
      (5) The meditative life has spiritual lessons associated with it. (How could it not?) From these we can learn a great deal about detachment, discernment, flexibility, gratitude, patience, cycles of opportunity, the perfection of all things, perseverance, etc. Reflect on this concept and seek to integrate its implications into your awareness.
      (6) Order a Mental Yentl Reading, which will open up several new meditation avenues for you and give you all the information you need on each one to get you started. Learn more about it here. — Yentl

Thomas writes back:

Dear Yentl,
      Thank you for your quick response. ... Long story short, it turns out that my mantra meditation is the one that best suits my needs. Without your expert advice, and my experimenting with different meditations, I would still be experiencing the "dark night of the soul." I have lowered my "expectations" and am enjoying the benefits that just meditating for the sake of meditation provides. Thank you again, Yentl. — Thomas


© 2003-2012 by Sue Annabrooke Jones. All rights reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever, including Internet usage, without express written permission from the author, except in the case of quotations.

Next >

< Previous