how many HOURS a day do you meditate?

[Plenum]

this isn't a competition!

but Ra does make 71 references to the word meditate/meditation:

http://www.lawofone.info/results.php?sea...der=1&ss=1

I think my favourite answer is this one:

17.40 Questioner: Is there a “best way” to meditate?

Ra: I am Ra. No.

short and sweet, and to the point

- -

I have only started to meditate with any regularity in the last 2 years. Before that it was rather sporadic, and rather painful. Just not ready for it I guess.

now, it is one of the finest tools for me to find the Self and work through 'stuff'.

[Unbound]

Aha This is one of my favorite quotes. I love the proclamation of the identity before the answer. I admit, sometimes with a friend we have loudly proclaimed "I am Ra!"

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In answer to the question, I try to follow the Dzogchen manner and use meditation as a vehicle for constant, conscious living, that is, a way of life.

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As far as concentrated meditation, umm, usually 2 hours in total throughout the day or more, yeah. I meditate in the mornings and before sleeping for a decent amount of time usually. But I am fairly conscientious of my state, of my thoughts and of my being throughout the changing moment.

[Monica]

Before I answer the poll:

Does gardening count? I'm in a very Zen state when I garden...no thoughts whatsoever. Should I factor that in?

[Liet]

Wtf with the options man? i expected to see something like:
0-1
1-3
3-5
5-10
10-15

Whereas i've ben average 7hours a day (absolute minimum: 4, maximum: 15) since the month after i began.

Concentration meditation? Silence meditation? go figure why you get bored so easily...
Add the lower spectrum for melody and an audible sound level..... it makes s*** intresting (as you can feel the actual growth from day #1 to day #2).

Oh, and the crown, for pushing the crown (mainly from the thalamus area) upwards releases more dopamine the further up you push it, multiplied by the time its kept there, and i'm addicted (jk).... it adds depth, color and intensity to the music you got on.

And btw, Crown chakra is another way of saying "social memory complex", all your energies working towards a common goal.
The negative/maskuline (yellow ray based crown; thin and tall) grows rapidly and collapse after risen, the positive/femenine (green ray based crown; broad) doesnt grow very fast but doesnt really collapse either.
Combining them is epic.

[Plenum]

Wtf with the options man? i expected to see something like:
0-1
1-3
3-5
5-10
10-15

Whereas i've ben average 7hours a day (absolute minimum: 4, maximum: 15) since the month after i began.

but I know that you are Liet

you seem pretty hardcore at this sort of stuff.

Actually, to tell you the Truth, I had a similiar experience about 13 months ago, in Dec 2010. I had a fair chunk of time off work, and my flatmate was on the road travelling around Oz. So I had oodles of freetime, undisturbed by pesky humans.

I treated it as a meditation retreat. I actually used one of those stopwatch apps to time when I was meditating, and how much I accumulated each day. I was doing some pretty insane totals, coming close to some of your numbers.

but that was HIGHLY DEPENDENT on favourable circumstances. With work and other stuff, it's hard to log those huge numbers.

Plus, if you read Zen and the Brain, a lot of the effects of Meditation can be cumulative, so the effects on the neuronal pathways and the resultant remapping carry on long after you've finished. Long story short: PERMANENT CHANGES.

so yes, it's an awesome freakin' tool.

[Ruth]

As far as concentrated meditation, umm, usually 2 hours in total throughout the day or more, yeah. I meditate in the mornings and before sleeping for a decent amount of time usually. But I am fairly conscientious of my state, of my thoughts and of my being throughout the changing moment.

Well said Azrael. Probably about 2 hours or so concentrated at varous times throughout the day. My best times of meditation are when I am doing certain chores on "auto pilot" like unloading the dishwasher, folding clothes, driving somewhere familiar, brushing my teeth etc. And sometimes a 2 minute focused meditation can seem like hours!

Before I answer the poll:

Does gardening count? I'm in a very Zen state when I garden...no thoughts whatsoever. Should I factor that in?

Monica - I'd say yes, ABSOLUTELY! That gardening zen time is the best!

[Liet]

Plus, if you read Zen and the Brain, a lot of the effects of Meditation can be cumulative, so the effects on the neuronal pathways and the resultant remapping carry on long after you've finished. Long story short: PERMANENT CHANGES.

If you make a complete halt with a chakra (which is difficult), it takes 3-5 months before its in the bottom half of humanity... even if it was in the top 1% when you quit.

Gains from meditation arent really permanent, but if you keep doing it out for atleast 15% of the average time spent/day when pushing it, it wont fade... (just like with physical exercise)
Although, things learned or philosophy gained through meditation are never lost...
Like knowledge of how to get back up if if you were to loose everything // crash...
I found out i didnt know exactly how to retrace my steps when i crashed after the last time i reached my high.. therefore recovering took 6 months instead of the 2-3, which i'd only have to spend if it happened again.

Due to the third density, we are under the influence of what i'd like to call an "aura of inflation", the worth of things dissapate if you dont renew.

[Brittany]

30 minutes is about as long as I can sit still at one time when it comes to focused, deep meditation. I attempt to lead a meditative lifestyle, however, trying to be consciously aware at all times.

[godwide_void]

Similar to a few of the above answers, I try to maintain a calm and unmoved meditative state of mind throughout my entire day. Nowadays I don't have as much time when I'm home alone for the entire day, but when I do have a chance to perform more focused meditation, the low end is 30-60 minutes, high end 2 or so hours for unaltered meditation. During my entheogenic/psychedelic experiences I prefer to spend such states in deep meditation and as such, have gone on for as long as 6-8 hours.

[abstrktion]

Wow. I can spend a few minutes before bed, or I "brood" during my drive to work (30 minutes each way on a beautiful mountain road), but I don't anticipate having HOURS to meditate until I'm retired and my children are grown! Glad you guys are holding out the "good vibrations" for the rest of us!

[jacrob]

10 to 30 minutes is all I can spare with work and child. It usually involves my mind crazily racing from one thought to another and has been this way for the last 5 years. I'd love to experience the quiet states described by some but it's not to be.

I've just accepted it as my thinking time!

[GoldenBeam]

My motto is: Meditation is Job No. 1!

That priotitizes my day.

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Oh, and the garden gardens me - over 50 containers of trees, berries and vegies on my apartment balcony!

[Diana]

Before I answer the poll:

Does gardening count? I'm in a very Zen state when I garden...no thoughts whatsoever. Should I factor that in?

It definitely counts, but in my life, it is somewhat different than meditation proper. For me, there are 2 types of meditation:

1) Meditation that is the result of a one-pointed focus on any daily activity such as gardening, writing, work, walking, cleaning, anything. These things can be done with total focus and relaxation, emptying the mind of everything. However, there is still some consciousness of the task, which produces a dynamic. The mind can open to messages, contact with higher self, but it seems to be colored by the purpose.

While gardening, one might realize the beauty of all things while opening to the miracle of plants. While writing, painting, or any other creative adventure, one might open to channeling information as one's focus becomes greater, and the mind let's go of extraneous influences, but it is still in dynamic with the task.

2) Meditation for meditation's sake. This is when one endeavors to completely empty the mind of all, and there is no dynamic or task in place to possibly limit access to information. One opens oneself to the infinite, and the infinite is tapped.

Because of my creative work, and the fact that I work from home, I have gotten really good at one-pointed focus on tasks. One learns to "get in the groove" where time is no longer comprehendible, much like gardening I would guess.

I have meditated sporadically with groups or at home, in the traditional way. For a few years, I was meditating 2 hours a day. I must say that that much meditation yielded far more profound results, and more "out there" as far what I experienced as a result.

[Parsons]

You know... I am STILL trying to figure out meditation. I know how important it is to my path, but nothing seems to "stick". I will go and sit on my bed and try to meditate for 15 mins - hour when I renew my efforts, but nothing of substance seems to come. It just feels like I chose to sit on my bed and do nothing for a half an hour. I have been able to think of "nothing" for minutes on end until a car drives down my street or I hear the dog stirring downstairs. I have also tried focusing on specific things, but this is more difficult than thinking of nothing for me since I start automatically extrapolating likely future scenarios around whatever I tried to focus on.

This matter is of the utmost importance to me, yet I can't seem to figure it out. This is the same problem I have with starting ANYTHING new: I just don't know where to start.

[Liet]

You know... I am STILL trying to figure out meditation. I know how important it is to my path, but nothing seems to "stick". I will go and sit on my bed and try to meditate for 15 mins - hour when I renew my efforts, but nothing of substance seems to come. It just feels like I chose to sit on my bed and do nothing for a half an hour. I have been able to think of "nothing" for minutes on end until a car drives down my street or I hear the dog stirring downstairs. I have also tried focusing on specific things, but this is more difficult than thinking of nothing for me since I start automatically extrapolating likely future scenarios around whatever I tried to focus on.

This matter is of the utmost importance to me, yet I can't seem to figure it out. This is the same problem I have with starting ANYTHING new: I just don't know where to start.

Try to focus on widening your energyflow (base-up), that way its impossible to not see changes/progress.
Get a smoky quartz (doesnt have to be big), that one radiates with the lower spine area's energy..

If you can not actualy feel your energies, it means you are lacking energy generation/concentration...
aka warmth energies.

[Oceania]

meditation is for monks not monkeys

[Diana]

You know... I am STILL trying to figure out meditation. I know how important it is to my path, but nothing seems to "stick". I will go and sit on my bed and try to meditate for 15 mins - hour when I renew my efforts, but nothing of substance seems to come. It just feels like I chose to sit on my bed and do nothing for a half an hour. I have been able to think of "nothing" for minutes on end until a car drives down my street or I hear the dog stirring downstairs. I have also tried focusing on specific things, but this is more difficult than thinking of nothing for me since I start automatically extrapolating likely future scenarios around whatever I tried to focus on.

This matter is of the utmost importance to me, yet I can't seem to figure it out. This is the same problem I have with starting ANYTHING new: I just don't know where to start.

Duncan, I understand about "starting things." This is because I have worked for myself for a long time, and every time I start a job it the hardest part, It is INERTIA. The only way to counteract is to just do it. Go through the steps even if they are mechanical.

Don't expect anything is my advice. I think this is a major road block, as we all are children of instant gratification. Start with 5 minutes each day and just sit there no matter what. I find it helpful to use a timer, as then I have no thoughts of, How much time has passed?, Has it been 3 minutes yet?, etc. If your mind wanders, as everyone's does, just bring it back to focus, no biggie. If you get nothing from the meditation regarding "information" or "experience," I can assure you that the least of what you will get is a centering in calmness for the day.

Also, stories of others' experiences resulting from meditation are likely not frequent at all. They probably clock huge amounts of time in-between these events. Just as positive language and thoughts will reprogram your brain (subconscious), meditation will reprogram your focus to intelligent infinity, but it takes effort and time.

[BrownEye]

I hear focusing on a candle flame can do wonders.

[Ruth]

I hear focusing on a candle flame can do wonders.

Yes! I'd forgotten that technique. Pickle, your post reminded me about Wii Fit which has a "game" of sitting perfectly still while focusing on a virtual flame, while you hear sounds of someone walking around and there are moths flying at the flame. It has been an excellent tool for me to help my granddaughter and my grand-brothers (have 2 half-brothers ages 8 & 15) to "be still" and focus.