The document you point to — only a working group provisional report dubbed a “meditation” — is about “New Age.” New Age is an entirely different issue. It is rooted in a view from astrology that we’re entering the Age of Aquarius in which human evolution will take our species to the next level of development. It figures prominently in some aspects of the self-help movement because of its focus on individual growth, and it tends also to be associated with things Anglo-Catholic mysticism expert Evelyn Underhill would have categorized as “magic” — crystals, channeling, tarot, etc. Though even the Vatican report says there are things of value in it, none of this has ANYTHING to do with meditation.

To group Hinduism, yogic philosophy and Buddhism into New Age is wrong. These are major world religions practiced by billions of people, each of which predates Christianity. Far more appropriate would be to cite the papal declaration Nostra Aetate, which points admiringly to Buddhism in particular and says it and

“other religions found everywhere try to counter the restlessness of the human heart, each in its own manner, by proposing ‘ways,’ comprising teachings, rules of life, and sacred rites. The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions. She regards with sincere reverence those ways of conduct and of life, those precepts and teachings which, though differing in many aspects from the ones she holds and sets forth, nonetheless often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men.”

If I am in a room that has some images of Hindu gods or a Buddha statue, where a few of the people present practice that religion, this does not threaten my Catholic faith or identity. If there is a talk and it veers into territory that is in any way incompatible with my beliefs, in my experience it is almost always possible to find much that is good in the teaching anyway. And this can happen in a Christian church too! If someone finds, week after week, a focus on spiritual teaching that is unwelcome by them, then they can go somewhere else where it’s not, or where the focus is kept to meditation or yoga postures.

One final note. Many people less open than I on this issue still consider it acceptable to identify as both Catholic and zen. Practitioners of Zen Buddhism tend to be quite adamant about its role as a set of ethics and a way of understanding right actions in the world separate from any belief system.

But I don’t want to get bogged down here in arguing whether it’s a religion or not. The form of Buddhism I have practiced is Theravada. Even if zen and Theravada Buddhism were full-blown theistic religions, I see absolutely nothing wrong with learning from them. The truth of the matter is that in the West, the mystical tradition was largely ignored or even discredited for many centuries. So those faiths that kept it going have much to teach us.

Thanks again for the respectfulness of your note. I hope you find my further thoughts welcome.

That said, here are a few thoughts. One is, Is this because you, like most Americans, are in a permanent state of being sleep-deprived? Many of us are moving most of the time, but then when we stop, our need for sleep catches up with us. Also, if you are meditating in the morning before you are fully awake, you might experiment with doing it at other times. And finally, two things I suggested in the column: sit in an alert, stable posture, not reclining in any way; and if you meditate with your eyes closed, try doing it with them open. Both these things can lessen the tendency to get into a dreamy state of mind. While meditating you want to be fully alert, despite not focusing on anything. Hope that helps!

For further reading about Christianity and New Age http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/interelg/documents/rc_pc_interelg_doc_20030203_new-age_en.html#4%20NEW%20AGE%20AND%20CHRISTIAN%20FAITH%20IN%20CONTRAST

I’d also recommend reading Fr. Tom Ryan’s Prayer of Heart & Body for more information about Christian meditation. He writes about the use of meditation and yoga in a Christian context to experience God’s presence.

For myself, rather than meditating on a single word all the time, I meditate on different passages from the Bible. I’ll read them and spend time focusing on different words and phrases, asking myself questions about them, and actively conversing with God as He converses with me over His word.

I’ve documented a number of these sessions and typically publish new ones each week as Christian guided meditations. If you get a chance to check them out, I’d love to hear what you think. You’l find them at: http://www.mindfulworship.com/category/free-guided-meditations/ They aren’t for everyone, but it’s my way of inviting people to join in what I naturally do myself.

Worship Mindfully!
Ricky Spears
http://www.MindfulWorship.com