But what, you may be asking yourself, is the difference between meditating, relaxing, just putting your feet up or taking a nap? In relaxation you allow the body to tick over, like an idling engine, while you observe but do not interfere. Without a relaxed mind we can never be totally relaxed 'just resting'; and sometimes even sleeping, if we are tense through worry, does not go deep enough. In the meditative state breathing slows, heart rate and blood pressure lowers, muscles relax. The mind relaxes and the electrical activity of the brain's cerebral cortex moves out of the rhythm of everyday consciousness (Beta rhythm). It assumes a new rhythm close to that of the sleep state (Delta rhythm) or the state between sleep and waking known as Alpha rhythm.
In Alpha states, the body gradually relaxes as the parasympathetic nervous system (which reverses the fight or flight response) predominates. Alpha is the most pleasant state of awareness to be in. It has, in fact, been likened to being awake, yet in a sleeping body. In other words, a combination of a calm, clear, tension-free mind and body that is totally relaxed. It is this Alpha state that is facilitated by meditation and which we sometimes refer to as the 'meditative space'. And it is in this Alpha state that tension evaporates, batteries get recharged, the ravages of daily stress are repaired, and we experience a sense of 'self' and wllbeing, this is experienced as a state of bliss by most meditators.
It is only recently that we have learned to understand why this is so, with the discovery of the different functions of the two hemispheres of the brain which consist of an outer layer rich in nerve cells, called white matter. The dominant hemisphere - the left side in most people - deals with logical functions such as rational thought, calculation, speech and writing. The non-dominant hemishpere - generally the right side - is more intuitive and concerned with creativity, imagination and emotional responses. Most of the time, the cortex is engaged with social interaction and daily tasks. Consequently, the left side has to work harder than the right.
Alpha is very much a right-side brain phenomenon. In other words, it comes to us when we move out of the functions that are the speciality of the left brain hemishpere, into the world of feelings. Meditation - the high road to Alpha - is therefore, not surprisingly, very much about the recovery of feeling, the capacity to experience the world directly, to know it without the intervening filter of labelling that passes for knowledge. I say -recovery of feeling and direct experience' because we had it as a child, but have since been educated out of it. In a sense, therefore, meditation is a de-conditioning, a breaking of habits of compulsive thinking. To meditate is to restore the balance of the brain's two hemispheres.
When a meditation is carried out as a regular practice, meditatiors report an increase in vitality, the curing of a range of physical conditions and return to balance, lightness and wellbeing. This is due to the fact that meditation with a spiritual goal will transform the impulses which agitate the mind. In visualisation, you use your imagery to stimulate the body. In meditation you withdraw the mind from the body (without losing awareness of its presence) and dwell on a single non-physical concept. This takes you beyond the normal limitations of living, to achieve a much greater sense of control. People who meditate regularly show an increase in their psychological stability, they show less anxiety and report that they have a greater sense of control over their lives. They may find need for less sleep and have increased energy available to work or study.
During Meditation, high-intensity alpha waves are produced. The hemispheres are fairly synchronised, suggesting integration of left and right brain. During sleep, alpha waves frequency in both hemispheres is of a lower intensity than