So, I have been meditating since January of this year, and in the past month I have noticed that I don't actually need to think the syllable at all at the start of meditation for stess release to begin. Basically as soon as I sit down my body goes into "meditation mode" and I can feel stress being released from my body. This happens for the entire time I am meditating even though I never actually think the syllable. It also means that there is no real rest time at the end of meditation, for I have no way to signal to my body that the meditation session is over. Should I be concerned about this, or is there something I should do differently? Any advice would be much appreciated!

Elise,

This is a beautiful experience of effortlessness. We sit to meditate, and the whole thing just happens by itself, automatically, naturally. It is a beautiful experience of correct meditation. You are doing the right thing, and no change is needed.

Eventually, when all stresses are dissolved, no stress remains. Then there can be no contrast between the "meditative state" and the "awake state". That lack of contrast is an advanced experience, not a problem.

If you like, you can stretch your arms a bit during the period of silence at the end of meditation sessions, or yawn, or do some similar small activity to signal the body to prepare for activity. Some people like to lie down and rest afterward. There is no one "perfect" way to transition to activity that will be best for every individual.

Your experiences are very good. Just continue and wonderful things will happen in the future.

David Spector
NSR Meditation/USA

Thanks for the fast response David, this is great news!

I'll try stretching after meditation, that sounds like a nice way to ease my body back into activity.

So many fantastic things have already happened as a result of meditating everyday. I only wish I could convince my friends and family what a wonderful experience it is and how much it has changed my entire outlook on living (and I have only been meditating since january!) For the first time in my life I feel like each year will be better than the last, every experience more beautiful.

How I wish someone had introduced me to this form of meditation as a teenager

Hi. Would you mind sharing some of the benefits you see in your life?

Thanks.

Here are just a few:

I used to have a lot of social anxiety, I now can talk and interact with people much more easily. I am more open.

I am a lot more self assured and confident

I used to suffer weekly bouts of extreme depression, something that has now completely vanished

I used to feel anxious and unsure of my future, I still feel this sometimes, but for the most part I have a sense that I just need to keep pushing forward and that I will get where I want to be

I have always been a very creative person, and I now find that I am more easygoing towards my projects. There is not much of the old frenetic energy I used to feel, which makes creating things more fun.

I used to be very critical and am daily becoming more positive about everything

Overall, I feel more optimistic and have more conviction than doubt in my creative practice. There are days, and even weeks that I feel more like my old self but for the most part everything seems like it's getting better. In essence, I just don't take everything as seriously as I used to. It's like the effortlessness of meditation is becoming a part of how I live every day.

I hope that was helpful!

It is encouraging to hear that others have had success without the syllable.

I occasionally still use the syllable on days when I feel less centered, or when I feel like I could use a little extra help at sinking deeper in. However, it usually feels more forced to use the syllable at all. Instead, I sit down comfortably and just let myself fall into the familiar sensation. I still have moments where thoughts will pop into my mind, but usually soon fade back into the sensation.

My successes with NSR has made me want to look into the advanced techniques and maybe eventually into TM, though I feel a little conflicted about their pricing not reflecting their mission statement of bringing meditation and peace to the masses.

Bill Jones

WilliamFrankJones,

If your practice is comfortable, brings moments of silent, unbounded consciousness, and results in cumulative benefits in daily life, then it is correct practice.

However, so as not to confuse others, it should be stated clearly that in NSR Meditation we do not just sit with the eyes closed, doing nothing. Thinking the syllable is required as part of NSR. Without the generation of thoughts that we can follow to the source of thought, it is not possible for most people to transcend and experience pure consciousness.

If you are having difficulty thinking the syllable effortlessly, this is a problem that should be addressed via an NSR consultation (the order form is at www.nsrusa.org). Difficulty in thinking the syllable may indicate the presence of a deep-rooted stress that needs a corresponding deep degree of rest for release.

Floating or "contemplation" techniques in which we enjoy inner sensations are not transcending and do not bring the dramatic beneficial results that transcending brings.

David Spector
NSR Meditation/USA

David,

my practice is comfortable, I have very clear feelings of releasing stress but... I still do not feel like I have actually transcended. I get to very deep places of rest, and sometimes (rarely) I have no thoughts at all, but I don't feel I am experiencing what it is to transcend.

Recently I also feel like my practice has not been quite as effective. Would it be helpful for me to listen to the original audio again, maybe start the syllable again?

Thanks,

Elise

Elise,

I apologize if I'm confusing you by giving you contradictory advice. The advice we give people depends on their experiences, and you are now reporting very different experiences than you did in the first post in this thread.

The risk of this kind of confusion is the price we pay for giving people advice in a public forum, instead of requiring all consultations to be private. Personally, I think it is worth the risk (it can be very helpful to read about other people's experiences).

Your currently reported experiences indicate that you are meditating incorrectly. NSR Meditation requires the thinking of a special sound, or syllable. Sitting and feeling whatever you might experience, without the syllable, may be a useful technique in certain circumstances, but it is not NSR Meditation. It does not produce the rapid reduction and elimination of stress.

The NSR syllable is a special sound that is easily forgotten. The process of forgetting the syllable is called transcending. Without transcending, NSR would be only yet another of the hundreds of relatively superficial relaxation techniques available today. The regular practice of transcending, alternated with normal daily activity, brings the value of the source of thought, which is pure, silent consciousness, into all aspects of our life. This alternation of transcending and activity is what makes NSR Meditation produce such deep benefits.

In your case, it might help you to go through the initial session with the CD again, then after that perhaps review the rest of the manual as well.

The only way we can ensure that we will receive the benefits from our practice is if we practice exactly as described in the NSR manual.

David Spector
NSR Meditation/USA