Meditation and psychology have to do with the one and the many. I was teaching a meditation technique to a group of students. They all had a little meditation experience. I asked them to sit in their chairs, feet flat on the floor, shoulders relaxed. I asked them to feel the whole body sitting in the chair, and then look, feel, inside. Be ready to experience whatever arises. Then be ready for the next moment, and the next moment, just as it is, without judgement. Also, be ready to experience the space in-between feelings, sensations, thoughts and intuitions. Then, be ready for the next. Basically have an intention to experience body and mind, as it is, and as it changes; producing various sensations, feelings, thoughts, and intuitions. The four psychological functions described by Carl Jung. I continued to guide the meditation by reminding them to relax and allow thoughts to come and go, not following thoughts or pushing them away, the same for anything appearing in the mind and body. Also, notice the space in between the thoughts and feelings.
After about fifteen minutes, I asked if anyone would describe their experience. One woman said she didn’t like it because her mind stopped, another said she only had a few thoughts the whole time, and someone else said they had never experienced such calmness.
This is a place where psychology and meditation may cross. Psychology is the study of the content arising in the mind and body; meditation, the focus and awareness of the content. Meditation gives methods and instruction for reducing identification with the 10,000 things (Tao Te Ching, verse 34). Psychology provides understanding of human relationships, to self, culture and the unknown, or in other words, the 10,000 things.
Mind slows by itself
Above we can see the effect of a particular meditation technique. The mind stream slowed by itself, by being ready to experience. By not identifying with the mind or trying to stop the mind, it slowed on its own and then the mind naturally settles into the body and it’s functions, such as, breathing and heart beat. With this balance between mind and body it is easier to look into the shadow and deeper aspects of the unconscious. I had a dream one night where the Dalai Lama told me, “to not distinguish between states of mind”. As we go deeper into oneself, there are many states of mind; emotional states of mind, relational states of mind, waking states of mind, dream and visionary to mention a few. As these states change throughout the day, it is easier to have less preferences. From this kind of openness, there is a greater vision to distinguish how you will navigate through life.
Empathy for self and other
So, as we study and practice, there is progress, as described in the Zen Ox Herding pictures for meditation or in Jung’s, Mysterium coniunctionis (C.W. vol 14), the relationship of opposites. There is progress in the relationship with the mind and body, the 1 and the 10,000 things, wife and husband, conscious and unconscious, life and death, etc. When we experience the death of loved ones, there is a natural resistance to life because of the hurt, then a gradual melting, to more appreciation for life. This meditation can be extended into any situation, particularly with other people. It is possible to relax and just observe what happens. It requires empathy to experience others and ourselves, as we are, with less judgement.
