Abstract
Meditation has been practiced since civilization for relaxation and mental peace. It has been shown to reduce illness, increase intelligence and performance and reduce tension and aging process.
Very recently, Quantum meditation has been claimed in addition to above benefits to reverse incurable diseases like cancer and prevent congenital anomaly in foetus.

Introduction

Concept of meditation is as old as civilization. Saints and seers have taken refuge in solitude and meditation to get peace of mind. It elevates you to the higher plane where you are connected to your inner voice. Importantly, meditation increases serotonin production, which results in reduction in anxiety. This means it filters out sorrows from the mind and renders it neutral. Since meditation lowers oxygen consumption it burns stress. A person then radiates joy and links positively with his surroundings.

Meditation slows down breathing which aids relaxation. Since it slows down breathing it makes you thoughtful, introspective, dynamic, peaceful and versatile. It allows you to penetrate inner recess of your mind where there is nothing but peace. It does this by increasing brain wave coherence which intern makes you more intelligent and leads to better performance and greater creativity.

Forms of Meditation

There are innumerable types of meditation. It does not matter which one you follow but it does matter how you perform.

Meditation has been described in the Book of Wisdom - the Veda - about 4000 years ago which was presented by Patanjali in an abridged form about 2500 years ago.1 However, meditation in more disciplined form (Vipassana) came from Buddha around 500 BC. In recent years, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi described a simple method popularly known as Transcendental Meditation (TM) : who came forward with scientific evidences of its beneficial effect.2 However, one of the interesting meditations is Sufism. Sufis do not believe in scientific proof of its effects. They meditate quietly at mid night without any publicity. Midnight meditation has its reference in Bhagvat Geeta where Krishna says those who pray when the whole world is sleeping they are nearer to God.

Practice of Meditation for General well being

Meditation works at molecular level bringing out inner beauty and natural outlook. It frees us from tenacious and persistent preoccupation with the past as well as future and its benefits are proven far reaching and profound.

Most meditations are practiced morning and evening in a quiet surrounding mostly sitting on the ground in a comfortable position. But TM can be practiced sitting in an armed chair for 20 minutes morning and evening showing wide range of benefits including increased intelligence, reduced incidence of disease and reversal of aging process.2 Very recently Saral meditation a simplified version of TM but without mantra has been shown to have similar effects, practicing only once for 20 minutes in 24 hours3 as it emphasizes to be conscious of breathing at other times when mind is free.⁴

Meditation for reversal of disease process

Till recently a meditation working at conscious level far beyond the molecules or atoms called Quantum meditation has been described5-7 claiming reversal of incurable diseases like cancer and prevention of foetal abnormality if practiced by mother before conception and throughout pregnancy. It is based on the fact that through deep and prolonged meditation one can reach the conscious (Quantum) level untouched by disease. Physics informs us that the basic fabric of nature lies at the Quantum level far beyond atoms and molecules. A Quantum defined as the basic unit of matter or energy is from 10,000,000 to 100,000,000 times smaller than the smallest atom. At this level, matter and energy become interchangeable. All Quanta are made up of invisible vibrations - ghosts of energy waiting to take physical form.

Ayurveda says all human beings are created out of consciousness, it first takes form as invisible vibrations called Quantum fluctuations before it proceeds to coalesce into impulses of energy and particle matter. This is where the knowledge comes from. This is the invisible field very much like the underlying intelligence in DNA, the seat of consciousness. This is the field (vacuum) entered by Buddha (500 BC) through deep meditation, conquering all human sufferings.8 This is the field approached recently by Deepak Chopra through Bliss and Primordial sound curing incurable diseases like cancer.⁹

Quantum and the God

But no body will ever see Quantum; it is the vacuum experienced by Buddha. It is possible that the whole Universe is a Quantum, the Sun, the Moon, the Earth and the Stars are small artifacts in that Quantum. We breathe air and oxygen but there is something else (Life force) called Prana (Hindi), Che (Japanese) or Ki (Chinese). We may be short of breath (air) and oxygen in high altitude and within water but we are never short of Prana (a part of Quantum) anywhere in the world, not even on the moon, which can be felt but not seen like God.

A disciple once asked Sri Ramkrishna whether he had seen God, answer was yes, but his God was Ma Kali. You can see God in any form you imagine since God is every where like Quantum. You can experience intelligence but cannot see it. You can realise feeling of God but no one will ever see like the Quantum.

Conclusion

Meditation works at molecular level and brings out inner beauty and peace. But Quantum meditation works at conscious level far beyond the molecule and atom untouched by disease.

References

1. Sachidananda S. Integrated yoga : the yoga sutras of Patanjali. Pomfret, CT, USA, Integral Publications 1978.
2. Scientific Research on Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation, a review Maharishi International University Press Fairfield USA, 1993
3. Shah AH, Joshi SV, Mehrotra PP, Naina Potdar, Dhar HL. Effect of Saral Meditation on intelligence, performance and cardiopulmonary function. Ind J Med Sc 2001; 55 (11) : 604-8.
4. Dhar HL. Mechanism of Saral meditation without mantra that improves all round quality of life. BHJ 2004; 46 (3) : 194-291.
5. Dhar HL. Quantum meditation in reversal of aging and disease process. BHJ 2006; 48 (2) : 326-29.
6. Dhar HL. Meditation for young, old and for the sick. Ind J Clin Pract 2006; 16 (10) : 25-27 and 30.
7. Dhar HL. Meditation and Quantum healing. BHJ 2006 (Press).
8. Goenka SN. The art of living 1998; Vipassana Research Institute, Dhamangiri, Igatpuri, Maharashtra, India.
9. Deepak Chopra (Ed) Quantum Healing exploring the progress of mind/body Medicine. Bantum Books, Newyork 1989.