Meditation, contemplation, and spiritual practices
Meditation is essentially an escape from civilization, from all this hustle and bustle that a human is immersed in every day (of course, unless he is a hermit monk living high in the mountains or a resident of some remote area), and from this perspective, it can also be considered one of the ways to exit the Matrix. Meditation is a deep inner contemplation that allows a person to a better understanding of himself, his capabilities, and establish a more effective interaction with the Matrix, while remaining as impassive as possible and distant from the negative pressure of the System.
I would consider meditation as one of the methods to exit the Matrix thru the prism of three aspects: 1) meditation as a way to escape all the “advantages” of civilization, as mentioned above; 2) meditation as a state of deep reflection, accompanied by detachment from external circumstances, which facilitates a shift in the perspective of consciousness and a deeper understanding of oneself; 3) meditation from the perspective of psycho-physical exercises within the framework of alternative medicine.
One can also, of course, consider meditation within the framework of spiritual-religious education of the individual, but this is already more closely related to religion, which we have analyzed in great detail in the corresponding section of the first part of the book, so we will not touch upon it here. In all three of the aforementioned cases, a certain process occurs, which can rightly be characterized as a departure from the System. This process occurs to varying degrees, with different frequencies, and in different ways for each individual: depending on the person’s abilities and predispositions, his mood, psychological state, the surrounding environment, and other factors.
To meditate, it is not at all necessary to travel far into the mountains, search for abandoned caves, lock yourself in your room, or find, for example, the nearest to your home yoga group. We can do this (and do) in our everyday lives: for example, when we look at the sky, think deeply about something, or perform various tasks, repeating certain mechanical, repetitive actions. But all of this is superficial, not deep meditation.
If we talk about classical types of meditation, one of the most well-known is the so-called transcendental meditation: concentration on a specific word, sound, or phrase. One of the most famous mantras is the mystical sound Om or Aum. It is believed that this sacred sound, or more precisely, the vibration it causes, was the reason for the genesis of the visible Universe. Among other types of meditation, emptiness meditation (focusing on the complete absence of thoughts) is also well-known.
According to Jiddu Krishnamurti, “with prolonged meditation on thoughtlessness, all thoughts and desires disappear, leading to the cessation of self-awareness: breathing almost completely stops, a state of deep tranquility is established, resulting in an incredible joy and bliss.” As the Dalai Lama XIV asserts, such meditation can lead to a state known in the East as enlightenment.
Among other types of meditation, one can note Kundalini meditation (when a person focuses on chakras), trataka (from Sanskrit – a steady, fixed gaze). This is a meditation on holy images, on the flame of a candle, or on religious symbols; meditation on the beating of the heart or, for example, on the sound of a bell, etc.
For most meditation techniques, deep concentration on a monotonous repetitive action or process is characteristic. For meditation, a variety of postures are used: the most well-known among them are the lotus position, half-lotus position, kneeling position, and so on. As I mentioned earlier, meditation can be performed while moving (during running, walking), as well as during work.
Despite the numerous books and studies on meditation, the effect it produces on a person remains unpredictable and poorly understood, so it is advisable to practice meditation not alone, but under the guidance of an experienced instructor. If you have decided to go all the way and personally explore all the charms, nuances, and various pitfalls of meditation, I would recommend first mastering the art of contemplation and shallow concentration, and only then moving on to more complex, deeper, and I would even say, mystical forms of meditation.
Beside everything else, meditation is an important thing from the perspective of rebooting oneself in the Matrix. Every time after such a “reboot,” you feel yourself and the entire world completely differently. The process of meditation can be compared to defragmenting a computer’s hard drive: it works on a similar principle, restructuring the “system” anew and carefully clearing space from the excess mental clutter that has accumulated over a long period.
The Book of Your Life
“Stepping outside the System is not an open, destructive war. It is the creation of an underground, far-reaching network of free people united by a single noble goal.”