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History Of MeditationSome experts speculate that long before written history, early man discovered the effects of meditation by gazing into the flickering flames of a fire. The earliest record of meditation techniques is found in Hindu scriptures written 5,000 years ago. With the advent of Buddha, around 500 B.C., meditation began to spread across the entire Asian continent. Each culture adapted meditation into their own religious and spiritual practices, resulting in wide variations in styles and traditions. The Sufis of Islam believe that the practice began in that religion at the very inception, with Mohammed. Thousands of years after meditation was widespread in Asia, it became known in the Western world. Meditative practices, in one form or another, appear in almost all of the world's religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Jainism and aboriginal religions. In the 1960s and '70s, meditation became extremely popular in America. The interest of popular culture icons such as the Beatles spread through the rest of society, especially the young, while scientists began exploring the practice's physical and mental benefits. Meditation became the first widely accepted form of alternative (or holistic) medicine in the West, and is now used routinely to reduce stress and promote healing. Nearly 50 years ago, Roy Masters developed a new variation on the practice, which he called "Be Still and Know." While other forms of meditation create a kind of self-hypnosis, "Be Still and Know" is meant to increase clarity of thought by removing emotional reactions. By attaining such objectivity, many spiritual and physical benefits accrue. Read more about this technique at the website for the Foundation of Human Understanding.
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