Meditation is a comprehensive and very valuable excerpt from Roberto Assagioli’s thoughts on the process, purpose and effects of meditation. A good starting point for anyone who wants to meditate.
By Roberto Assagioli (see source reference), translated by Gunnar Hansen.
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Nowadays[1] meditation can be approached in many ways. Some are new, others have been known and used for thousands of years. The method of this article is based on classical Eastern systems, such as Raja Yoga, and on Western psychological systems that include the transpersonal dimension, such as psychosynthesis.
The purpose of meditation is to expand, elevate, and enlighten consciousness through the harmonious and integrated action of body, emotions, and mind. It harnesses the great power of the mind and directs it toward higher levels of consciousness. It is suitable for many of us today as a bridge, a link, by which we can expand our awareness beyond our normal level of concrete mental activity, and reach a world of meaning, of pure ideas, and to the superconscious realm. When we build a usable bridge of consciousness between these realms, then insights flowing this way can permeate and enliven our entire being, and as the process continues, we come more and more into harmony with ourselves and all that is around us.
What is meditation?
Today, many people are experiencing a desire to discover more about the inner side of life, and this has led to a new interest in meditation. Previously, this form of “higher thinking” was considered a passive, reflective indulgence, but meditation as it is widely practiced today is a positive and creative way of using the mind, actively linking the outer and inner worlds. It 
involves concentration, reflection, and the formulation of ideas and thoughts, and then consideration of how these can be brought into life, taking into account both emotions and physical activity. The normal opposition between meditation on the one hand and action on the other is misleading. Meditation is inner action.
The “inner action” of thought is something we use all the time, whether we notice it or not. There is thought behind everything we do: it builds our attitudes, our relationships with others, and our entire way of life. In the world of thought, the practical beginnings of everything man creates on earth are born. From the architect’s thoughts before he draws his lines, to the scientist in search of a new formula; from the statesman to the teacher; the fabric of everyday life is woven by thinking. In this way, the future is created hour by hour, thinkers build the pattern of things to come.
We can all use creative thinking, and thus help to build the inner structure of the world of the future. For it is not only the thoughts of inventors, scientists and statesmen that create the new civilization – the enormous weight of everyone’s thoughts and the power behind all human aspirations produce the circumstances and conditions under which we will live tomorrow. We can all play a constructive role in this, if we choose to do so.
The mind can become a great creative tool, as well as an important “activator”. Its vision can connect us with our higher possibilities, and through it we can explore the outer limits of our current knowledge and make eye contact with the world that holds meaning and values. This enables us to harvest the higher ideas of the good, the true, the needed, and bring them down to everyday cognition and make them a part of life.
Thinking creatively is a necessary step in making ideas and higher concepts objective, universally recognized. And because thought is a force, we can use its energy to develop the qualities, attitudes, and conditions that we believe should dominate. If we use thought consciously and creatively, we can bring about change in ourselves and in our lives, as well as in our environment and in the world.
But thought often plays within us in a haphazard and unconscious way, and often it is the one who has us, rather than us who has it, which creates worry and depression as it sweeps us away with its power. If we use it selfishly, it can very well be destructive. Therefore, while we recognize the power of thought, we must recognize the need for right thinking, for the right motive behind the thinking, and for the right understanding of its subtle workings.
The process of meditation
Most people have only a vague idea of what meditation really is, and here we will clarify how it is achieved, how it works, what it can achieve, and the service it can provide.
Thought is a form of energy, an unrecognized but real force, and through meditation we can focus it and thus build, nourish, and maintain an idea, a quality, or one of the rules or laws of life. As we have already said, meditation is inner action—action in the inner worlds. There are many kinds of inner action: all thinking, hoping, imagining, all aspirations and desires, are activities of this type, but they are usually carried out without conscious intention and without a sense of responsibility. Meditation, on the other hand, is conscious, deliberate, inner action with the intention of fulfilling a specific purpose.
We can get an idea of the different forms of action and their distinct steps that we strive to master in meditation. We use the analogy of a space shuttle[2] that is launched into space, pursues its trajectory, and returns to earth. A similar process takes place in the meditative process.
The first step is launch. The propulsive energy of the space shuttle overcomes the downward pull of gravity and sends it upward into orbit around the earth, or beyond. In the same way, we can send our center of consciousness upward, through the worlds of emotion and imagination to the world of thought—and even beyond—to the transpersonal worlds. Our propulsive energy is aspiration, which often has the adjective “burning” attached to it. We direct this energy—as we must necessarily direct the entire meditation process—by means of the great unrealized potential of the will.
The second stage of the shuttle occurs when it approaches the gravitational field of another center of attraction. In meditation, this corresponds to coming into contact with a higher energy or life center, a realm of thought, or some area of the inner worlds.
The next step is difficult, namely, to use the attraction of the new center. If this is achieved in the right way, the propulsive energy of the space shuttle will enable it to orbit this new center, and keep it in orbit. The same applies when a consciousness penetrates higher, inner worlds. It must reach the place it is directed towards, but it must also maintain its freedom and not become a prisoner of it. It must remain in this area only as long as is necessary to achieve its purpose, namely to experience and record what can be collected in this world with which contact has been made, or from its thought world. Then we must end the meditation harmoniously and consciously. [3]
The most important task is to collect information from the instruments in the space shuttle. This corresponds to us being able to correctly interpret the ideas that we find in the higher realms. And finally, all that is collected must be used and integrated into our other knowledge and experience.
There is another element to the analogy: control of the space shuttle and knowledge of its position in relation to the earth are known throughout the journey. So also with meditation: conscious control must never be given up. It is possible to fall into a state of unconsciousness, but to bring oneself into this situation is wrong and dangerous. Meditation must always be a conscious process, we must remain completely alert at all times, and from this point of attention – here where we are – we must direct the whole process, keep an eye on it, control it and regulate its extent and duration.
Preparation for meditation
The success of meditation depends very much on proper and careful preparation. First, a place must be found that is as quiet as possible – at least until we are accustomed to meditating. A place where we can feel undisturbed. We must sit in a comfortable position. The Eastern method of sitting in the tailor’s or lotus position has the advantage of keeping the spine upright, but it is difficult for people who are not used to it, and it is not necessary. An effective preparation for meditation is to read or study something related to the theme we want to meditate on, this increases the mind’s ability to focus on the subject.
Relaxation in meditation
The next thing is to try to eliminate all physical, emotional and mental tension, because this tension is an unnecessary expenditure of both nervous and muscular energy. Relaxation is an art that must be practiced, and is not as simple as it seems. In order to achieve it, we tend to fall into the opposite ditch: a state of passivity that ends in sleepiness. The aim is to eliminate all unnecessary tension, while maintaining the muscular tension necessary for alertness and full awareness of what we are doing.
The various techniques of relaxation cannot be described here, but there are many books which carefully describe the various aspects of the subject. One of the most effective methods is slow, rhythmic breathing. But breathing exercises must be done with caution, for they can be harmful if done too strenuously. A suitable exercise consists of deep breaths with short pauses after each exhalation and inhalation. This can be done about 10 times, rhythmically and slowly. There should be no feeling of exertion, either in the breathing itself or in the pauses, the regular rhythm being the aim rather than the time taken. The muscles of the lungs should be relaxed with each exhalation; this release of tension can then be spread to the other muscles of the body and a general state of relaxation can be achieved.
Physical relaxation is a first and necessary step towards the more important psychological relaxation. This includes emotional and mental relaxation, which is achieved through two clearly separated phases, corresponding to the two different levels of the inner worlds where we want to work: the emotional and the mental. Each of these must be handled separately and in its own way.
When we relax physically, we begin to observe ourselves psychologically, and then we find that various emotions come and go. These emotions must subside. It is not good to suppress them by force, but simply observing them calmly “from above,” without identifying with them, causes them to gradually lose their strength and intensity, so that they cease to dominate us and become calm—if not completely, then at least to a level where they no longer constitute a serious obstacle; and that is good enough.
This is the first part of psychological relaxation. The second part is mental relaxation. By nature the mind is restless and in constant activity, and this is intensified by the fast pace of modern life, and also by emotional stimulation. If we can manage to exclude for a moment the activities of daily life and silence the emotions, then it will be less difficult to deal with the natural restlessness of the mind.
This cannot be done completely in the preparatory stage; on the contrary, it becomes the main task of the first part of the meditation itself, which is concentration. In the preparatory stage it is enough to achieve a certain degree of disidentification from the activity of the mind and to resist being carried hither and thither, which must be separated from the consciousness of the self, which we might call the “observer”. This gives us what we may call a platform from which we can go to the meditation proper. Here again the method is not to suppress by force, or by an effort which immediately produces tension and therefore destroys our intention. The method we must use is rather attrition, to refrain from nourishing with our interest any random thought or image that is in the mind. If this is successful, they will not come appreciably in the way of the inner action of the meditation. This preparation may be described as making space in and around the centre of consciousness for the concentration exercises to come, but without trying to clear the whole field completely at this stage.
Concentration and meditation
The first thing to recognize about concentration is to recognize the difference between spontaneous or automatic concentration and, on the other hand, deliberate, controlled concentration. They are different, both in their nature and in the way they work. Spontaneous concentration is the way the mind functions under the influence of a strong interest, desire, or emotion that makes it work in a particular way. A typical example is the businessman planning the success of his company. Another example is the student’s concentration on the subjects he expects to be examined in.
Those who can concentrate in this way believe that their ability to concentrate is good, but this is an illusion. It suggests a certain aspect of concentration, but the ability to keep the mind on a task or subject driven by intense interest, need or fear does not necessarily mean that they can do the same when this incentive is absent. The fact is that when we try to concentrate on an abstract subject, or on something that has no personal interest or benefit, we find it much more difficult, and we often discover that we have no real control over our minds at all.
It is recognized that our emotions, drives and thoughts act almost dramatically on us and are the most powerful forces in our lives. In other words, we are driven by them and it is not we ourselves who choose, direct and control.
This is one reason why purely mental or spiritual interests do not have the same momentum as personal interests. Another reason is an inherent difference in the nature of these interests. Abstract subjects are “thinner”; they are more elusive for the mind to grasp and hold on to. The mind, less accustomed to this more subtle way of functioning, hesitates to face it and turns away. It is a new form of activity, and generally any new subject or new field of knowledge presents difficulties at first. Our minds do not like to begin work in new areas. In areas with which it is familiar, much work has already been done; there is a background or some experience, and there are connections that make the work easier. A new subject requires much more concentration and effort.
The realization that we are not masters of our minds may be shocking, but it is only good if we are shocked. It will encourage us to strive towards this mastery, and will help us to find the emotional drive we previously lacked. Another important result of these discoveries about ourselves is the realization that there is a difference between ourselves and our minds and our emotions. The failure to keep the mind “on fire” has shown that there is a conflict, and conflict means that there are two disagreeing forces. The recognition of conflict is therefore valuable in bringing to light the difference between the ego and its will on the one hand, and on the other hand the mind, which is often disobedient, hesitant or lazy, or which in a way has a life of its own.
These preliminary but important realizations give us a foundation for the task of learning to concentrate the mind with the will. They make us understand ourselves and give us the spur we need to master this precious tool, the mind, which is such an excellent servant when under control, but which gives us so many problems when it goes its own way.
The initial technique for gaining control of the mind and the ability to concentrate when one wants is to concentrate at first on simple and neutral objects that have no interest for us. In this way we learn to hold the mind steady without the help of personal interest and desire. There are many kinds of exercises of this type. Visual perception is simple, and therefore a good one to start with. It trains the attention, not the thought process, and it develops an elementary ability to focus the attention, which is the first step in the more advanced and complex process: meditating on abstract subjects.
A simple exercise in visual perception is to look at a set of objects quickly and accurately. For example, look at the contents of a room for half a minute and then write a description of them in as much detail as possible. The same exercise can be used for a shop window or a picture.
Exercises in looking at external objects are a preparation for concentrating on internal objects – internal images or conceptions. An exercise that mediates a transition between the two levels is to look at a picture for 20-30 seconds, then close your eyes and try to hold the picture in the “mind’s eye” or the “inner eye”. We all have this imaginative faculty of seeing subjects, faces, etc., which are familiar to us. It is more developed and vivid in some people than in others, but for our purposes it is not so much the vividness that is important, but rather the ability to hold the picture firmly in the mind’s eye and to be able to concentrate the attention on it. Looking at the picture for a while helps a lot in obtaining a clear inner picture, and therefore in being able to hold it.
Another exercise of this type is to recall an image and hold it for a short time without having looked at it recently. You can start with a familiar object, such as a building you see every day, a familiar view, or a family member. The image must be constructed precisely, with concentration on the details, and then held for a while.
Here begins a real struggle—an interesting but sometimes exhausting skirmish—between our will to hold the image steady and then the fleeting nature of our imagination, which is accustomed to flickering from one thing to another in rapid and often disorderly succession. It will do all sorts of tricks; it will distort the image, enlarge it, add a foreign element, divide it into two or more parts, replace it with something else—indeed, do everything except let the image stand still before the mind’s eye.
That fact is again revealing. Again we get proof that we are not our own masters, and that there is a conflict between our tools and ourselves. This is where the process of governing oneself truly begins, in the sense of controlling, directing, and using – by force of will – all our tools.
In addition to such exercises, everyday life provides an excellent opportunity to train our concentration. We simply need to concentrate completely on what we are doing, without letting our mind wander. Habitual actions are often performed in an almost dreamlike manner, with random thoughts about irrelevant things coming and going in the mind. This creates a state of passive dissociation that can grow to harmful dimensions, and which is in any case a waste of energy. While concentration, on the other hand, increases the ability to live in the present in general, and in particular in the focused part of the present where our immediate activity takes place.
There is a higher and more important form of concentration than the types we have been dealing with so far. It is that of the Observer or the inner Spectator who, completely concentrated, contemplates the fluid panorama that constitutes psychological life. What William James has called the stream of consciousness. Without being a part of the stream, the observer perceives it, evaluates it, and when necessary intervenes and changes it. Such an inner attitude is not easy to maintain permanently. If one stands, so to speak, “on the shore” of the stream of consciousness, there is a risk of being drawn into its eddies. Attention is easily absorbed by a wave of emotion, by some interesting idea, by a strong urge, and we must constantly draw it back to the center of concentration, to attention, that part of us which is persistent and unchanging throughout all the changes in the psychological flow.
The key to acquiring the ability to concentrate is, as with any other skill, great patience and repeated practice. Two extremes should be avoided. One is to do these apparently uninteresting exercises in a more or less careless manner, as a kind of routine. This will be too superficial to serve any purpose. The other extreme is to work at them with too much force and effort. Nor should we do these exercises when we are tired, for then there is little chance of success, and any progress will cost too much effort.
Nor should one be discouraged by lack of success at first, especially in the ability to maintain concentration for a certain period of time. In the beginning, it is good enough if we can maintain concentration for ten or twenty seconds; a minute or two is quite a long time. So it is better to do short, repeated exercises with some success than to try to force oneself to maintain concentration for a longer period of time.
Finally, there are two beneficial attitudes that all of us as observers should strive to maintain throughout all exercises and experiments. The first is patience with ourselves, or more precisely: with our tools. The same attitude we would use with a disobedient child whose cooperation we hope to obtain in the end. The second attitude is confidence that persistence will bring success. The following words by Hermann Keyserling – from his “Travel Diary of a Philosopher” – will strengthen our confidence and emphasize the value of what we are seeking to achieve:
“The power of concentration is undoubtedly the driving force of our entire psychic mechanism. Nothing increases our performance so much as when it is increased; every success, in whatever field, can be traced back to the intelligent use of this power. No obstacle can in the long run resist the enormous power of the highest concentration. Attention forces every problem to reveal sooner or later all its aspects, which can be recognized by the individual.”
Types of meditation
In accordance with tradition, we can define meditation as “a process of sustained, controlled mental attention and activity”. Under this general definition, one can then name the different types, stages and techniques. We have already dealt with the first stage of meditation: concentration. We will now briefly consider the most important types of meditation before dealing in detail with some of them.
First, there is reflective meditation, which is a complete mental process. It is a sequential, coordinated thinking on or about a defined subject, theme, word, or thought—such as what we have called “seed thoughts.” This is a good term because the original or starting thought is the seed and starting point for all subsequent development of the subject.
Then there is what we call receptive or receiving meditation[4] because its purpose is for the mind to receive “light” on a subject, a truth, a realization.
It is important to recognize that receptive does not mean passive or negative. No, it means a state of intense wakefulness without any autonomous systems running. It can be compared to listening or trying to see something very far away, or – to use a word from electronics – to the mind acting like a radio receiver and trying to tune in to the sending station. The sending station is primarily the higher Self (the transpersonal self). The process is called inspiration, or in some cases intuition, and the result is the enlightenment of the mind. But the effect of this kind of meditation is not limited to this, for the new and higher truths received have a transforming and uplifting effect on the entire personality; they change the whole man.
The third type is creative meditation which aims first at building up a dynamic, effective, well-defined thought or idea, then at changing it with the energy of feeling, and finally at giving it life or impetus by the will, so that it may fulfill a function or purpose. This function may take place both in the inner worlds, or in the outer world of action, by giving it a pattern or a spur.
There is another aspect of meditation which has been called elevation or ascension. It leads, as a starting point, to receptive meditation. Here one strives with full intention to raise the center of consciousness to ever higher levels in the inner world. It is like climbing an inner ladder towards the transpersonal Self, and sometimes being able to contact it for a moment. When the peak is reached, an active interaction can take place between the mind and the Self. Martin Buber and others have called this the inner dialogue.
Reflective meditation
The simplest definition of the first type of meditation – reflective meditation – is simply: to think. That is a correct definition, but it is too narrow, because normally we don’t think much about our thinking! We imagine that since we are intelligent, we can think – but thinking about something that interests us is actually just a basic form of mental activity.
It is said that the mind usually “thinks in us,” rather than that we think. This means that the activity of the mind is a process that usually goes on largely by itself, driven by impressions or urges of various kinds; and that it flows disorderly, one train of thought being displaced by the next, and by the next, and so on. We may describe this state of affairs more accurately by saying that the mind is normally independent of the “I” and of the will. It is constantly disturbed by feelings, urges, ideas, and external influences, and reacts to them. Such mental activity hardly deserves the name of real thinking, for it is only when a strong urge or interest keeps the mind going that it functions in an orderly and productive manner.
Spontaneous—or we might also call it unconscious or unrecognized—meditation is often practiced by people who do not call it that. The scientist working on a problem, the philosopher devising a concept, the businessman intelligently planning the organization of his business, are all examples of this, for they all exhibit a coherent and organized use of the mind—of thinking.
As a prerequisite for real meditation, we must recognize that the mind is really a tool, an inner tool, from which we must disidentify in order to use it properly. Practicing concentration teaches us the first step—how to control the mind, how to keep it on track in the direction you want. Now comes the next step—how to not only hold it, but make it move forward, to go the way we want it to go, toward a chosen goal.
To think in this way means to reflect or ponder upon a given well-defined subject, and to explore all the implications, ramifications, and meanings hidden within it. And meditation can be said to be an unbroken stream of thought towards the subject of concentration.
The first condition for developing the art of thinking, therefore, is to be completely aware of the process of thinking itself, for example, by immediately noticing when its course begins to deviate as a result of either emotional reaction, or a preconceived mental attitude, or – as is often the case – as a result of mechanical association which carries the mind through a series of related subjects to a point far from the starting point.
The second prerequisite is persistence – to think through. Here something strange happens. After a few minutes of reflective thinking, it first feels as if the topic has been exhausted, that there is nothing more to think about. But if we persist through this void and continue to reflect, we begin to discover some unrecognized aspects. We may even find that what at first seemed empty of content actually contains an abundance – what the French call an “embarras de richesses”. Then a new challenge arises: how to explore all the now recognized aspects and complexity of the topic, and how to deal with this influx of new lines of thought.
Countless subjects lend themselves to reflective meditation, here we can only mention the different categories. Psychological and spiritual qualities offer an almost infinite range – courage, harmony, calm, joy, will and so on. Symbols constitute another possible type.
One can also meditate on a sentence that gives concrete expression to a thought. Such “seed thoughts” are of course also innumerable, but they can be roughly divided into two classes: first, those that appear simple and obvious, but which turn out to contain a world of meaning. Second, those that are formulated as paradoxes and therefore function as challenges. These often appear in the form of apparent contradictions, the reconciliation of which lies in the formulation of a higher or more comprehensive synthesis of the two contradictory expressions, for example:
“Trade with interest without interest”
“Suffer with joy” (which does not mean enjoying suffering)
“Hurry slowly” (from Latin: festina lente)
“Live in eternity and in the moment”
“See action in non-business and non-business in action”
Technical suggestions regarding reflective meditation
The first suggestion is to never focus on negative aspects, but to direct your attention towards the positive. The second is to immediately write down all significant thoughts or conclusions. Concepts that seem clear and vivid during meditation tend to disappear from consciousness very quickly, and then they are lost – at least temporarily – if they are not retained immediately. Putting thoughts into words also forces us to be clear in thought and precise, and it reveals any confusion and uncertainty in our minds. The writing process itself is a spur to meditation, and can lead to further valuable thoughts that, so to speak, “flow from the pen (or the PC! (oa))”. Writing in this way is a meditation technique. It certainly helps to keep the mind focused and active in the direction you want.
The time that should be spent in meditation varies, but in the beginning it should not exceed 10-15 minutes. That is enough. The time that should be spent on each meditation theme also varies, but it should not be less than a week, and after some practice one often finds that a month is more appropriate. In fact, some topics seem almost inexhaustible. A good method is to meditate on certain themes in a cycle, that is, so that a list of topics is used in turn for a week at a time, after which the series is started over again.
Here the time factor should be mentioned. It is a problem that everyone faces. Almost everyone feels so busy, their lives are so complicated, there is so little privacy these days, and the demands of work and family leave so little time and energy that – even if you recognize the value of meditation every day – you feel that you cannot cope. These difficulties are real enough. The structure and workings of modern life do not take into account the rights of the inner life, so that the whole trend at present is against it. But despite these great problems, we can actually find time for at least a short meditation during the day if we feel strongly enough the value of an inner life and have a strong intention to spend time for it. 10-15 minutes is not a very long time to fit into a 24-hour schedule.
It is clear, however, that in modern life it is almost impossible to have ideal conditions for this, and every quiet hour we have during the day is an oasis to be used. A good rhythm is to meditate in the same place first thing in the morning before we embark on the hardships of the day. Regularity is extremely valuable, but on the other hand we must not become dependent on such a rhythm, so even if it takes a little longer to tune in to the inner work and is more difficult, it is good to learn to do this, independent of our surroundings. We all have these problems, and everyone must find their own solution to them.
The benefits of reflective meditation are many. First, it makes us better at using the mental tool and gives us a growing sense of mastery over our minds. This is of course achieved gradually, and we cannot expect to achieve perfection; but even a modest degree of mastery of the mind is satisfactory and highly valuable, for the mind is a bad master but a very good servant. Other results will appear if we seriously begin and continue this form of inner action, which is also a necessary prerequisite for the other types of meditation. It begins our training in this area and lays the foundation for all future attainments.
Receptive meditation
Receptive meditation is the most valuable part of our mental training, but although it appears quite simple, it is actually the most difficult, and we are very likely to make mistakes in its practice. There are also real dangers attached to it, and we may therefore feel tempted to neglect it. It is certainly not advisable for everyone, but there are good reasons for training in it and making it a regular part of our inner action, and therefore I will now review its proper and safe use.
First, it is necessary to recognize how invaluable receptive meditation is, and how much useful insight it can bring, both in our spiritual realizations and in guiding us in our daily lives. Second, increased sensitivity and receptivity to “impressions” is a natural and spontaneous result of inner attunement, and of a relationship or contact with the Transpersonal Self. Third, when done correctly it is not only safe, but also a great help in avoiding the dangers of unconscious receptivity. This is such an important and frequent occurrence that I will dwell on it for a moment.
We should begin with a clear understanding that we are exposed to countless individual, group and mass influences all the time. The latter take the form of waves of excitement, panic or hostility which sweep through humanity, or large sections of it, affecting or even engulfing those who do not know how to deal with them. These waves or powerful influences, which are today increasingly recognized under the name of “vibrations” or “energies”, can reach us through the normal senses, telepathically as psychic impressions, or from the mental plane.
It is extremely useful—though it may seem shocking—to recognize how much we are instruments or victims of influences of which we are not conscious, or to which we passively yield. A brilliant example, which may be considered a giant experiment in mass suggestion and behavioral influence, is advertising, the effectiveness of which can be measured in billions of dollars. At first it was used more or less empirically[5], albeit with psychological skill; but today it is used quite deliberately, utilizing certain psychological techniques.
One might think that we should try to become insensitive to external influences, but that is not the right solution. It is almost impossible to become insensitive, nor is it desirable. We do not live in isolation; we are intimately connected and interact with others, both individuals and groups. Isolation would mean self-centeredness, and it is such an unnatural state that it often proves painful and even unbearable. The pain of loneliness, caused by isolation, has been vividly described by several existentialist writers, such as Kierkegaard and Kafka.
Human relations imply receptivity, and lack of receptivity excludes love. The right solution implies clear thinking and skill in action, and can be reached through three stages of inner activity—attention, control, and wise use. These functions of receptive meditation offer the best opportunity to turn the burdens, mistakes, and dangers of receptivity into good. It should be understood and remembered that receptive meditation is a special type of meditation—it is a conscious and controlled mental activity. It is quite different from psychic receptivity, which opens us to influences of an emotional and imaginative nature. The mental properties of meditation enable us to distinguish between the various impressions, to register them correctly, and later to interpret them correctly. These points will be further developed later when the techniques of receptive meditation are described.
Stages of receptive meditation
The first condition for safe, receptive meditation is the ability to keep our consciousness constantly and attentively on the mental level, and therefore it should be performed only after the same preparation as described for reflective meditation. This means that we must go through the stages: relaxation, mental preparation by means of appropriate reading, disidentification of the self from the body and emotional life, the raising of the center of consciousness, and the attainment of the inner attitude of the Observer. This is a state of positive, fully awake attention. It is also advisable at this stage – when possible – to continue to perform a short, reflective meditation; this will consolidate the positive inner attitude and develop the ability to use the mind as an obedient instrument.
To recognize the difference between reflective and receptive meditation, it is helpful to think of the mind as an “inner eye,” which from a certain point of view it really is. In reflective meditation, the mind’s eye is figuratively directed horizontally, trying to see beyond the apparent, or trying to interpret correctly what has entered the field of consciousness. In receptive meditation, on the other hand, we direct the mind’s eye upward, trying to discern what is “up there,” at a higher level than what we are aware of. This can also be described using terms from the sense of hearing: we are trying to catch an inner sound or message coming from a higher or finer region.
Silence
This stage must be described carefully, for there are many kinds of silence. The sure and true kind that we need is a positive silence, that is, maintaining a vigilant inner silence for the desired period, in which we eliminate as much as possible of the spontaneous activity of the mind.
This phase of silence is a necessary condition for receiving and registering influence from a higher place. Someone who was striving to achieve this inner silence once described it in this amusing way: “I was in deep meditation and knew that I had reached a very clear and luminous place, and like a flash the thought came: ‘I know that I am in a very real inner place, and yet I am deaf and blind, and can neither see nor hear.’ A fraction of a second later came this answer: ‘If you were also mute, perhaps you could both hear and see!’”
To attain and maintain inner silence is a difficult task, requiring perseverance and firm determination; it is a continuous act of will. Our psychological mechanism is not accustomed to such strong discipline, it resists it and tries in every way to shake it off. A deluge of impressions, sensations, feelings, ideas and thoughts invade the field of consciousness and a fierce struggle for supremacy begins. It feels as if we will never be able to dispel the invaders who seem to come from all sides at once. But it is not necessary to resort to drastic measures; too strenuous an approach is not desirable and will never achieve its purpose.
There are several techniques we can employ; one is to repeat the same word or phrase over and over; another is to call up an image and hold it clear and still in the center of consciousness. The best words or images for this use are those that indicate a state of calm, of peace or stillness. An effective phrase is, for example (from a hymn used in the Greek mysteries): “Be silent, oh strings, that a new melody may come to me.” Images such as the following help to quiet the mind: a calm lake reflecting the blue of the sky; a majestic mountain peak; the star-studded sky in the stillness of the night.
Those who have already had some training in meditation will be able to use the technique of observing the mental stream in a detached, dispassionate way, as something objective, not belonging to oneself. If we manage to maintain this positive observing attitude long enough, the flow of emotions and thoughts will become slower and slower until it stops completely.
An opposite state, namely sleepiness, sometimes occurs. This should be avoided because it does not contribute to receiving higher states, but can instead produce undesirable and even dangerous states.
It is worth the effort and constant practice to strive for inner silence. Besides being necessary for receptive meditation, it has its own value; it contributes to a state of harmony, peace, and quiet joy, and it creates a sense of expanded awareness. It is also, in its very essence, filled with rest and freshness.
Methods of receiving in meditation
When a state of stillness has been attained, after a period of effort and struggle to attain stillness, we are ready for the next step: reception. The inner attitude is now one of quiet alertness and patient waiting; it may also be described as a state of intense but not emotional interest in what may happen and what we may become aware of. The source from which we await impressions, and to which we therefore direct our focused attention, should be the Transpersonal Self. This is the sure source of true impressions. But it is not the only source. Impressions from other sources are often—if they are high and true—channeled or conveyed through the Self to consciousness.
Inner vision and meditation
There are many ways to receive. Our consciousness can receive impressions through sight, hearing, touch, or through an urge to act – and in other ways. The most common is probably through sight or illumination (spiritual enlightenment). The mind is symbolically an inner eye, and the symbolism of sight is often used. We speak of insight, of illumination, of “seeing” in the sense of recognizing the meaning or significance of a fact or event, and we speak of “seeing” the solution to a problem, and of getting a “clear” idea. Sometimes an abstract geometric figure or other symbolic form enters our field of consciousness. However, a series of concrete images or shapes and colors may also appear, but such come from the imagination (fantasy) and are not of mental origin. During receptive meditation, one should not attach importance to these types of images; at most, they should be observed calmly for a short time without too much interest.
A higher form of spiritual “sight” may be called intuition. The word is perhaps misleading because it has been used with various meanings. Etymologically, it means “to look into.” In its highest and purest form, intuition can be considered a direct, suprarational[6] understanding of the true nature and reality of a thing; an understanding of its true quality, purpose, and essence. It is quite different from what we call “hunches,” which are psychic impressions concerning people or events and which are of a personal nature or interest.
Inner hearing and meditation
The second way of receiving impressions is through inner hearing. Again we must distinguish sharply between hearing voices on the psychic level and the much higher inner spiritual hearing. It is not an easy distinction, and it requires a finer sense than that needed to distinguish between images and true spiritual insight, mentioned above. The difference is one of quality and level. After some training in receptivity one becomes more and more aware of the level on which consciousness functions. If it functions on the level of imagination and emotion, the voices heard will usually give messages or impressions of a personal character, strongly colored by emotion.
But inspiration from higher levels is usually impersonal. The messages are short, urgent, and meaningful. They usually concern one’s spiritual development and contain wise counsel, perhaps a flaw to be overcome, a spiritual quality to be developed, or a lofty goal to be achieved. Sometimes the message is symbolic, even though the phrase seems to have a concrete meaning. This was the case, for example, with the well-known message received by Saint Francis: “Go and rebuild my church.” He first interpreted it as an order to complete a small church that was in ruins, but later he understood that it was an order to rebuild the Roman church of his time.
This type of impression also includes many artistic, literary and musical inspirations. The poet or musician has the impression that something within him or someone else is dictating. He seems to “hear” within, and the poem or idea or theme spontaneously appears in his field of consciousness. This process has been expressed through the years through the symbol of the Muse, who inspires or speaks to the poet’s attentive ear.
Sometimes a dialogue is established between the conscious personality and the Self; a question asked by the meditating mind receives a quick and clear inner answer which seems to formulate itself and emerge in consciousness. If the personality comments on it and responds, a further reaction is registered. This dialogue has been treated on a general level by Martin Buber in several of his books, and he uses the expression for all kinds of spiritual relationships. This dialogue can be promoted by using one of the symbols of the Self, namely the Wise Old Man.
Inner connection and meditation
The third form of receptivity can be called contact, because it is like the physical sense of touch. But this expression should not be taken literally. When we say that we “contact someone” or “are in contact with someone”, it does not mean that we touch the person physically, but it tells of a relationship, a willed interaction. The same can be said of inner contact, which specifically refers to the Self. It means an easy access, or attunement to the Self, which opens itself receptively and we understand its qualities and nature, and gradually we are enabled to identify with, or unite in consciousness with, it, even if partially and for a moment.
Through this closeness, this “touch” of the Self, we are harmonized and enlivened, recharged with energy, or with that which we precisely need and which the Self is trying to make us understand. The effect is clarification and enlightenment. We are filled with certainty, courage, joy; we feel renewed and ready to return to personal life and meet its critical situations and challenges. We feel that a higher power has descended to us and has given us an impression or infusion of the radiance from superconscious levels through the Self.
Encouragement to action
The fourth way we can receive impressions from the Self is through an urge to action. We become aware of it as a clear urge to do something, to undertake a task or duty related to service; sometimes it may be an urge for inner action, to change something in ourselves. This type of impression is what the Quakers—who have practiced this kind of receptive meditation extensively—call “affairs.”[7]
Again we must carefully distinguish between promptings from the Self or from a high, superconscious level, and those which come from the middle or lower unconscious. The way they appear in consciousness is the same, but a difference can be experienced in the quality and content of the prompting. When it appears as a call to some grand mission and an action with great personal gain, there is good reason for distrust. Such prompting is usually of lower origin, is inauthentic, and should be rejected.
Recording during meditation
After reception comes the stage of recording. Every impression—regardless of the type and how it is received—should be carefully and immediately written down. As mentioned earlier in connection with reflective meditation, the higher impressions are often vivid and clear at the moment of reception, but they have a strange tendency to quickly disappear from the field of consciousness, and if they are not seized and recorded immediately, they are likely to be lost. Formulating and writing them down also helps to understand them better. Sometimes the impression will develop as we write it down, and we will continue to receive it. Writing can actually be used to induce inspiration; it creates a suitable channel for the higher impressions. But while writing one should always remain alert and fully conscious, not allowing any kind of automatic writing, which can easily have undesirable and even dangerous effects.
Delayed reception
Another interesting feature of receptivity is the delayed reception of impressions. It often seems as if nothing is happening during receptive meditation. We remain in a state of emptiness and become conscious of nothing, except perhaps a feeling of calm, rest, and refreshment. But this does not necessarily mean that the meditation has been futile and unsuccessful, for very often an inspiration or impression comes into our consciousness later in the day or a following day. Perhaps in another meditation or at a time when we are occupied with quite different activities. It may be in a moment of relaxation or on awakening in the morning; but when it does, we recognize a connection between the apparently unsuccessful meditation and the following inspiration. This connection becomes apparent when the answer to our question that we were seeking appears in our mind, but there may also be a less dramatic but equally true delayed reception of impressions to which we should be aware.
Therefore, after meditation, we should always maintain an inner attitude of alertness or awareness – what is called a “meditative attitude” – throughout the day. We can train ourselves to a dual consciousness, namely, maintaining our normal concentration on our external activity, while at the same time keeping a part of our consciousness directed towards the inner world. This is the “Observer’s attitude”: seeing both what is happening in the external world and on the various inner levels of life.
Dangers and pitfalls of receptive meditation
There are many possible and real dangers which should be understood and carefully countered. The two most important dangers are negativity or passivity on the one hand, and overstimulation and arousal on the other. Passivity allows elements from the unconscious (even from the lower levels) to enter the field of consciousness. They are not always recognized, but even when they do, it can be difficult to counter their influence and resist their onslaught. The difficulty is increased when they deceive us by an alluring appearance. They may appear harmless or even of a higher order, and yet they are not only without real value, but they can be completely misleading.
Consciousness can also be invaded by influences from sources outside the individual unconscious. We may say they come from the collective unconscious. These may include general psychic tendencies, common symbols and forms (what Jung called “archetypes”), and certain group centers of influence. This area is large, and as yet comparatively little known, and we cannot here enter into a detailed discussion of the subject. It is sufficient for our present purpose to highlight the real danger.
The most important safeguard against this danger is constant vigilance, as has been said. Another safeguard is to strive to make clear the difference between spiritual impressions and, on the other hand, the manifold but low psychic influences. Psychic phenomena have no intrinsic value for spiritual or merely personal development, and excessive interest in them can become a decisive derailment to our growth. It is wise to remember that animals and primitive men have psychic powers. On the other hand, scientific investigation of these phenomena clearly has its place, but it is also something quite different, and it requires quite different methods from those used in receptive meditation.
The second danger to be guarded against is overstimulation. This is regardless of the nature or source of the impressions received; for even a high spiritual influence, if it flows into the personality in full force, may in some cases cause undesirable effects. These may range from nervous tension and exhaustion to emotional excitement, fanaticism, excessive and feverish activity, or the appearance of uncontrolled psychic phenomena. But undesirable effects can be prevented by judiciously regulating one’s meditation practice, or by discontinuing it for a time when there are signs of trouble.
These real dangers indeed call for caution, but should not create fear or inhibit the practice of meditation. Anything that is effective can be a source of danger. Even the most beneficial medicine can be harmful when taken in excessive doses. And to use another analogy: both inner ascension and mountain climbing can be dangerous, but with proper preparation, caution, and skill in execution, the dangers are minimized. And in the case of meditation, the benefits far outweigh the risks.
It should be reiterated that receptive meditation, properly performed—that is, with constant, alert attention—and followed by insightful and wise interpretation of the results, can effectively guard against influences and influences from both the inner and outer worlds that may not have previously been adequately recognized or dealt with. Meditation focuses the consciousness on the mental level, from which it can both exercise intelligent management of the worlds of emotion, imagination, and psychic phenomena, and on the other hand receive light, inspiration, and power from above.
Stages of Creative Meditation [8]
Creative meditation consists of several specific and quite different ways of using our inner capacities. For example, reflective meditation can be called the opposite of receptive meditation because it requires a completely different mental process. The different aspects of creative meditation can be listed as follows:
Concentration, which is the necessary preparation for all types of meditation.
Reflective meditation, which is strictly mental in nature.
Receptive meditation, which includes inner silence, contemplation and the awakening of intuition.
Prayer, and the function of feeling, which has a special contribution to make.
Imagery, which is perhaps the most effective driving force in the inner action and which is directed and used through
Visualization, which is another special creative technique.
Affirmation, which brings the will into function.
Invocation and Evocation are further aspects which create the perfected thought-form, i.e. a thought-form which is built up through a balanced fusion of thought, feeling, image and will.
The application of this thought-form for the good of humanity. It must take place on two levels: on the inner level as:
Telepathic emanation, and in the outer world as
Manifestation or Unfolding – the outer effects of the inner work.
The specific definition of creative meditation
Meditation can be creative because it is “inner action.” Sometimes a contrast is created between meditation and action, but this is not correct. Mastering and using psychological and spiritual energies are actions because they require will, training, and the implementation of the right techniques, and above all because they are effective – they create results.
There are various purposes that we can use in relation to creative meditation. The first and most important is self-creation. With the help of meditation we can adapt, transform and renew our personality. An effective way to do this is the “ideal model” exercise (see Assagioli’s book: Psychosynthesis ). It can be considered as a “model” for creative meditation. We use continuously, spontaneously and I would say inevitably, the creative power of thought and all the other psychological powers. But usually we do it unconsciously, randomly, and therefore with few constructive effects or, in the worst case, to the detriment of ourselves and others. A beneficial use requires, above all, that we evaluate the motives that spur us on and allow only the good ones, that is, those that are an expression of the “will to the good”. Then it is necessary to determine our goals precisely.
In the current period of change, new “forms” are being built in all areas of life, and we can cooperate by assisting in the creation and manifestation of the ideas that illuminate, animate, and shape these new forms. The different stages of creative meditation are:
1. The clear conceptualization and formulation of the idea.
2. Use of imagination, that is, the “clothing” of the idea in images and “suggestive” symbols.
3. Bringing the idea to life through warm emotions and the driving force of desire.
Source:
The article is an excerpt from three yellow books published in the late sixties under the name “Meditation for the New Age”. Assagioli, together with a group of people, was the mastermind behind these instructions. The first editions bore his name, later editions were published anonymously by Sundial House, England.
Notes:
[1] The article is many years old, but the publisher believes that the ideas contained therein are equally valid today – the principles of meditation do not change, even if society changes.
[2] The translator has taken the liberty of replacing Assagioli’s image of a missile with a space shuttle as this image more fully shows the consciously controlled process of meditation.
[3] When meditation ends, contact with daily reality must be resumed. In the same way as when a space shuttle returns to finally put its wheels on the ground – in the same world it left. (oa)
[4] English: reception; hence receptive meditation (from Latin: recipio: to receive, to give access) (oa)
[5] The author is probably referring to the “trial and error” method. (ed.)
[6] A realization that goes beyond the rational mind, (oa)
[7] Something that lies deep in one’s heart, (oa)
[8] Publisher’s note: The following paragraph is inserted to round off the article with a few words about the creative meditation that Roberto Assagioli did not elaborate on in the main text provided by The Synthesis Center.
Roberto Assagioli has a general and a more specific definition of creative meditation. The general view considers the entire meditation process as creative, which is evident from the first section: The stages of creative meditation, which is taken from the same source as the main article (see source reference).
The second section: The specific definition of creative meditation is taken from the section: Thinking and Meditation which is included in Assagioli’s book: The Psychology of the Will. As an elaboration on the second section, it can be said that creative meditation can also be called the manifesting aspect of meditation. Whereas receptive and reflective meditation to a greater extent bring illumination and insight, creative meditation is aimed at bringing these insights into life through the creative power of thought. These can be, for example, scientific or artistic projects that are conceptualized, visualized, planned and lived through a sustained mental focus. Creative meditation can also have the purpose of perfecting the personality through meditation on an ideal model. The sustained concentration on this ideal image of the personality will evoke the desired spiritual qualities in the personality.
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