There are two main types of meditation. The first and easiest is analytical or reflective meditation which uses logical thought exercises to comprehend reality in order to effect changes to beliefs, attitudes, and emotions. The second and more difficult type of meditation is called stillness, stabilizing, or calming meditation. Its function is to gradually eliminate discursive thought, quiet the mind, and focus the attention. This is also known as mind control.
Western monastics call the first type meditation and the second type contemplation, and they call themselves “contemplatives.” Western popular culture confuses the word “contemplation” with thinking, discursive thought, the voices in our head. Western popular culture also uses the word “meditation” to refer to both of the two main types of meditation, and calls anyone who does these practices “meditators.”
To avoid confusion, Western Tantra will use the popular term “meditation” to refer to both types. But we will use “analytical/analysis or reflection” to refer to the meditations which use the voices in our head. We will use the words “stillness, stabilizing, calming, or mind control” to refer to the meditations which silence the voices in our head.
An example of analytical meditation is reflecting on the inevitability of death and the uncertainty of when it will occur in order to overcome laziness. An example of stillness meditation is concentrating on one’s breathing to stop discursive thought and calm the mind. We will post more meditations under this Meditation category. We invite you to also post meditation techniques that work for you, and tell us what they do.