Guided Meditation: How does it compare to the Transcendental Meditation technique?
By: Cory Ellerd
Submitted: 2010-04-21 12:00:05 | Word Count: 641
In guided meditation, guided imagery or guided relaxation techniques, the instructor offers suggestions to guide the listener into a meditative state. Visualization practices can be similarly guided, or practiced on one's own. The goal of these techniques can be relaxation, healing, uplifting emotions, inner peace or other desired outcomes.
The Transcendental Meditation technique is not "guided meditation" and does not depend on a CD or any outside guide. It is not a process of bringing awareness to the body or imagining a peaceful, relaxed state or particular goal in life. Although guided meditation practices may create pleasant moods or degrees of relaxation, much greater benefit comes from the process of transcending the realm of thinking and imagination.
[ advertisement ]
During the TM technique the mind settles inward to experience quieter stages of the thinking process, until one transcends, or goes beyond thinking and arrives at the silent source of thought-the mind's inner reservoir of energy, creativity and intelligence-the state of pure consciousness. Scientific research has shown this to be a unique state of restful alertness, characterized by decreased breath rate and other indicators of deep relaxation, along with heightened brainwave coherence throughout all areas of the brain.
Practices that keep the mind engaged on the more surface, active levels-using imagination and suggestion-have not been found to produce this range of effects.
The goals of guided meditation or visualization, such as inner calm, release of tension and increased awareness, are easily achieved by diving deep within through the TM technique-transcending thought and imagination to experience the most expansive state of consciousness that is naturally all-positive, blissful, harmonious, and fully awake.
Guided meditation and visualization
In guided meditation practices-also called "guided imagery" or "guided relaxation"-a speaker offers instruction or suggestion to guide the listener into a meditative state. Visualization practices can be similarly guided, or practiced on one's own. The aim can be relaxation, positive thinking, healing, inner peace or other desired outcomes.
Guided meditation and visualization tend to keep attention in the active realm of thinking, imagining and feeling. The TM technique is not "guided meditation" and does not require a CD or any outside influence. It is not an act of merely imagining a peaceful, settled state, and its positive affect on daily life is more far reaching.
The TM technique is not "guided meditation" and does not require a CD or any outside influence. It is not an act of merely imagining a peaceful, settled state, and its positive affect on daily life is more far reaching.
The TM technique is a quiet process of settling inward to experience finer and finer stages of the thinking process, until one transcends thinking and arrives at the silent source of thought-the mind's inner reservoir of energy, creativity and intelligence-the state of pure consciousness. Research studies have shown this to be a unique state of restful alertness, characterized by decreased breath rate and other indicators of deep relaxation, along with heightened brainwave coherence throughout all areas of the brain.
The deeply settled, coherent meditative state gained during TM practice has proven to be highly restorative and beneficial to all aspects of life.
Practices that keep the mind's thought processes engaged on the more surface, active levels-using imagination and suggestion-have not been found to produce this range of effects.
The goals of guided meditation or visualization, such as relaxation, positive thinking and inner growth, are easily achieved by diving deep within through the TM technique-transcending thought and imagination to experience the state of one's self that is naturally all-positive, blissful, harmonious, and fully awake.
