Non Spirtual meditation

Tacklewasher

One of the threads here got me thinking about meditation. I'm an atheist and have no wish for a spiritual or religious take on it, but am wondering if there is a good read or study on meditation that might appeal to me and let me know what it is about.

Biggest thing for me would be stress reduction.

From the thread, I got to an old book https://www.amazon.com/Relaxation-Response-Herbert-Benson/dp/0380006766/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8 and am wondering if anyone has read it, or something similar. I'm interested both in why to do it and how to do it.

BTW, this is something that has been on my mind for a bit, the thread just kinda reminded me to ask.

Also I wasn't really sure where to ask, so I'm in the general section. If a mod thinks this is better answered elsewhere, please feel free to move it.

Thanks.

janejellyroll

I don't have a book to recommend, but if you have a smartphone, I have had success with the "Calm" app. It has guided meditations and it's non-spiritual (at least every one I've done). I had trouble getting my mind "quiet" so doing guided was an excellent start for me.

Alassonde

I read a book that was really good about it, "The Meditation Transformation" by Jennifer Brooks. I thought it was a very good book for the basics of how and why to meditate. Not religious at all either.

everher

Can't recommend any books, but I will say I find it very calming so if you are looking for stress reduction this very well may work for you.

bbell1985

I am an atheist as well. i don't meditate but I never thought of it as a religious thing. Not sure why one would.

rosebarnalice

Explore yoga and meditation sites and apps as well. There are some good short 5 minute guided breathing and imagery meditations from such sites as http://www.innerhealthstudio.com/relaxation-scripts.html and http://www.the-guided-meditation-site.com/progressive-muscle-relaxation-script.html. A fellow athiest, I enjoy a good yoga class every now and then!

Annie_01

My son meditates and it helps him tremendously. He is atheist.

I have done some meditation...I am agnostic.

joans1976

janejellyroll wrote: »

I don't have a book to recommend, but if you have a smartphone, I have had success with the "Calm" app. It has guided meditations and it's non-spiritual (at least every one I've done). I had trouble getting my mind "quiet" so doing guided was an excellent start for me.

^ exact same thing I was going to recommend. I use the breathing tool the most. After about 10 minutes (not sure, I only listen I don't look at my phone) I'm almost "high" in a way. Maybe I'm Zen? I don't know what Zen is so I chose to use the word high. Definitely a clear mind and better functionality the next day. I do it at night.
I also use another app called "Relax Melodies" for sleep. It has over 20 sounds and you can mix them, at different volumes to play continuously or set a timer for it to gradually fade away.

I am not religious at all and would freak out if someone pushed that on me but I knew I needed meditation of some kind for my anxiety. I do other things too but these are easy and daily. One thing though, you've got to give it a chance. It takes longer than 2 minutes to clear your mind. It took patience and practice but now I love it!
Good luck! Asking questions and researching is a great start!

annacole94

I did the intro course through Headspace, and then switched to Insight Timer for apps. I read "10% Happier", and enjoyed it. The author is a journalist and very level to read.

Meditation isn't really inherently religious at all. It's attempting to control your thoughts and gain distance between your self and your emotions and desires. Download headspace and do the free 10 session intro. It includes animations that give you a basic overview. There's nothing incompatible with atheism.

eok902

There's been a huge surge in mindfulness meditation in the past few years, which is non spiritual and more about mind training. I have meditated on and off for 3 years but never for spiritual reasons. I used to use Headspace, which is a mindfulness website (and app) that has a free 10-session course you can try before paying a small subscription to download the guided meditations. I also have an app called Buddhify that is non spiritual (despite the name), which has guided meditations for different situations (some have a lot of guidance and not enough silence!). To read up on mindfulness, try books by Jon Kabat-Zinn.

I don't meditate at the moment (I find daily yoga has a similar effect with the added bonus of stretching) but the habits I learned while using the Headspace app have stuck. Good luck!

[edited for spelling]

Tacklewasher

Thanks all. Some things to try.

janejellyroll

joans1976 wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

I don't have a book to recommend, but if you have a smartphone, I have had success with the "Calm" app. It has guided meditations and it's non-spiritual (at least every one I've done). I had trouble getting my mind "quiet" so doing guided was an excellent start for me.

^ exact same thing I was going to recommend. I use the breathing tool the most. After about 10 minutes (not sure, I only listen I don't look at my phone) I'm almost "high" in a way. Maybe I'm Zen? I don't know what Zen is so I chose to use the word high. Definitely a clear mind and better functionality the next day. I do it at night.
I also use another app called "Relax Melodies" for sleep. It has over 20 sounds and you can mix them, at different volumes to play continuously or set a timer for it to gradually fade away.

I am not religious at all and would freak out if someone pushed that on me but I knew I needed meditation of some kind for my anxiety. I do other things too but these are easy and daily. One thing though, you've got to give it a chance. It takes longer than 2 minutes to clear your mind. It took patience and practice but now I love it!
Good luck! Asking questions and researching is a great start!

I LOVE Relax Melodies. It has so many different options for sounds and is great for relaxing/sleeping.

AnnPT77

I'm an agnostic, as well as a skeptic generally, and I think I was one of the people who started this line of discussion on the other thread. I'm also a hobby reader of all kinds of neuroscience books (emphasis on the "science"), so I think I'm reasonably non-woo-woo in how I look at these things.

I've used some meditiation techniques off and on over the years, and found them beneficial, but admit I haven't had a continuous long-term consistent practice. (I've done it daily or near-daily for some periods of up to a year or two, in my 61 years, and still use the techniques regularly in specific situations, just not as a daily practice - which would be more beneficial, IMO.)

The Benson book (Relaxation Response) is good in that it's very matter-of-fact, and he strives to be research-based. Very non-woo, IMO (though I have to admit it's been years since I read it, and my copy is loaned out right now so I can't skim to verify). My memory is that he worked quite hard to keep it practical, not mystical. He had a subsequent book on the same subject ("Beyond the Relaxation Response") that I found kind of re-hash-y and lame, though.

Using the apps is a realistic option now, but I haven't done so, so I'll let others advise you on that.

Another book I liked was "How to Meditate" by Lawrence LeShan. It does include some religiously-oriented methods, but is an interesting survey of different meditation approaches.

I tend to use either the Benson approach (which is more or less a mantra-type process, with a low woo factor around the mantra), a basic general mindful activity approach, or more specifically a "watching the breath" approach, depending on the circumstances.

Overall, I'd put it in the "can't hurt, might help" category for (systematic) stress reduction and some other potential benefits. Some people like it, some don't. Consistent practice has more benefits than inconsistent - JMO.

cwolfman13

I'm agnostic and I meditate. I've never thought of it as an inherently religious practice...some may be on a spiritual quest of some sort, but really it's just a calming of the mind and letting go of the need to control.

Tacklewasher

@annpt77 Yeah, it's all your fault I'm thinking about this

The books is 10 bucks or so on Kindle. I may pick it up to read.

Also, in my mind (as twisted as it may be), I think there is a separation from religious and spiritual, just that I am neither.

ZephieC

I started with deep breathing as a way to manage pain but the other side effects were relaxation and stress reduction. Just taking a few minutes to sit quietly and focus on your breathing can make a world of difference. It doesn't have to be a long formal thing. And I did also do it lying in bed at night to quiet an anxious mind to help with sleep.

AnnPT77

Tacklewasher wrote: »

@annpt77 Yeah, it's all your fault I'm thinking about this

The books is 10 bucks or so on Kindle. I may pick it up to read.

Also, in my mind (as twisted as it may be), I think there is a separation from religious and spiritual, just that I am neither.

I'm also deeply non-spiritual. There's a lot of written matter about meditation. Even some of the writings with just a whiff of spirituality around them can be interesting because of more practical or scientific content interwoven in it, so it's a help to becoming well-informed if you can tolerate and read past a bit of those flavors.

But there's quite a lot of quite science-based writing on the subject these days, as well.

P.S. Kindle's good, but if you like physical books, it isn't unusual to see this in bigger used book stores. If the $10 isn't a big deal to you, I'd say "go for it", but the web site I linked in the other thread has some basics on it if you want a free entrée into the subject. (http://relaxationresponse.org/) Be aware, though, that - despite the Benson-ized name, and the basic steps of his method on the "steps" page - this appears to be a Transcendental Meditation web site, and those folks have got a revenue model and (IMO) some woo in their world.

257_Lag

I'm an agnostic, dyslxic insomniac. I lay awake all night wondering if there is a dog.

Seriously, I can't get the brain quiet enough to meditate on my own. I've tried again and again. I really like guided meditation though. The Honest Guys on YT have a lot I like and I recently ran across this one that I really like for stress and anxiety.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vO1wPAmiMQ

krwjohnson

There is an app called headspace that is really great. I prefer it to the calm app. It's the most non spiritual approach to meditation I have seen.

Tacklewasher

AnnPT77 wrote: »

If the $10 isn't a big deal to you, I'd say "go for it",

To be fair, that's $10 USD, so probably be $25CDN bucks up here

I read through the linked page before, which is what led me to the book. I need something to read, so I will pick it up.

perfectjewel

Isn't the word "spiritual" funny? It's like saying, "I'm not emotional" or "I'm not physical". Wish there was a different word we could use instead of spiritual. It's about consciousness and awareness, let's say that. Classic study from a more Western medical/scientific model would be someone like Jon Kabat-Zinn. He's done a lot of research since the 1970's on mindfulness meditation, and his method of "Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction" is used in hospitals for patients with chronic pain. Also consider checking out the HeartMath Institute. They've also done amazing research and have a lot of free info. You can look both up on "Google Scholar" - or even meditation itself, to find more grounded documented research studies. I hope that will help ease your scientifically interested side and let go of the "spiritual" aspect so that you can enjoy the benefits of meditation. Meditation isn't just an aside from your "regular" life - it's when you are PRESENT - washing the dishes, taking a walk... just "present" to all your senses, thoughts, feelings in that moment. Let that include your concern about spirituality and that you're doing it just right in YOUR unique way! Oh - and maybe some research on peak performance, as since this is a fitness site, you might enjoy that too. Have fun!