In Nisha’s opinion, an awakening experience is “an activation of higher consciousness or an increase in our awareness as souls.” Some people have reported experiencing what is known as “awakening.” “In my opinion, this is a practice that cannot be forced nor should any attempt be made to rush into it,” he says. “Everyone’s experiences will feel different because we are all beautifully unique individuals,” says Alico. This can prevent unrealistic expectations about what your practice “should” be. “If you are just getting into spiritual meditations, I recommend staying away from conversations where other people talk about their spiritual meditation practice experience.” “With any type of meditation, the more you try the harder it will be to achieve a meditative state,” says Alico. Whether you feel an automatic connection to something deeper or feel nothing at all, experts agree you shouldn’t try to force it. This list is by no means exhaustive, and reportings of spiritual experiences are incredibly diverse and varied. absorption or loss of a sense of separateness.Spiritual meditation is a highly individual experience that can feel vastly different for each person.Īn important work on the topic in Western thought is “ The Varieties of Religious Experience,” written by philosopher, psychologist, physiologist, and Harvard professor William James in 1902.Īccording to a 2019 study, qualities of spiritual experience can include: “From my perspective and experience of spiritual meditation, the element of spirituality comes from the connection to one’s soul,” says Nisha. Shaman Nisha, a sixth-generation shaman of Southern African and South-East Asian lineage, agrees with Alico. “The intention to connect to something greater than yourself is what makes this practice spiritual,” says Alico.
Unlike other forms of meditation, spiritual meditation is about more than stress reduction or relaxation. “A spiritual meditation is a meditation practice you partake in with the desire to connect with a higher power, the Universe, God, your Highest Self, etc.,” says Jen Alico, a certified meditation coach.Īccording to a 2017 study, spiritual meditation focuses on developing a deeper understanding of spiritual/religious meaning and connection with a higher power. trance states in Shamanistic traditions.Marananussati bhavana or reflection on one’s mortality in Theravada Buddhism.loving-kindness or metta meditation in Buddhism.Just a few examples of spiritual meditation in major religious traditions include: There are thousands, if not millions, of religious and spiritual traditions that include spiritual meditation in many different forms. Traditions worldwide employ spiritual meditation as a way to connect to the divine.