Blurts & Spasms

From Quora discussion: "How can I train myself to reach a deeper state of meditation faster?"

Unfortunately there isn't a generic prescription that will help you here, as every person is different. It may be the style of meditation you adopt - rather than the frequency or duration - that will assist you in more readily and consistently accessing the stillness you seek. You can read about a number of different approaches here: Essential Mysticism : T.Collins Logan : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive (I recommend the DjVU version, you will just need to get free DjVu software to read it). The book also touches on some environmental factors that may impact your process. However I would say that "going deeper more quickly" is not always qualitatively better, or desirable, for many reasons. Sometimes it is the very process of taking time that helps introduce different aspects of our being to meditative benefits. Even though I have used psychoactive drugs that "speed up the process," and have even developed binaural entrainment techniques that rapidly induce deeper meditative states, I do not recommend either of these approaches over the long term; they may assist with overcoming initial resistance or structural barriers to meditation for beginners, but I believe they are detrimental to long-term, more mature and nurturing outcomes.

On the other hand, perhaps what you are really looking for is a persisting, beneficial state of consciousness that extends beyond the meditative practice itself? If so, in part that will come about through consistent practice over time, but I also strongly encourage you to consider balancing those efforts with self-care in all dimensions of being as you move forward - you can take a look at the overview here Page on integrallifework.com to get an idea of what I mean. A lopsided emphasis on just one form of nurturing (in this case meditation) can lead to antagonistic or even harmful imbalances over time, and may actually undermine the calm, less reactive states you've come to appreciate. The principle at work here is that, for example, cognitive disciplines and restructuring alone may not penetrate emotional, social, physiological or other structures within and without that are harboring stuck or disruptive patterns and energies. It is a critical error not to consider these other dimensions and how they interact with each other. Lastly, there is also the question of intention. Cultivating a specific flavor of compassionate intention that motivates your practice will shape the ultimate effectiveness of that practice. I discuss this in the Essential Mysticism book referenced above as well.

I hope this was helpful.