Practiced for thousands of years, meditation is the spiritual practice of contemplative prayer found amongst all cultures and provinces of the world (). The term meditation comes from the Latin word ‘meditārī’ which means to reflect, study and practice the revelations of God. Christian meditation is diversely interpreted by each individual, however, meditation generally signifies a deeper connection to God (). For Christians, meditation is a form of heightening one’s spirituality and experiencing the righteous of God. This is carried out through clearing the mind as a way of feeling God’s presence as well as welcoming his guidance. In the context of meditation, there is no set time nor place, yet, for Christians the religious practice generally takes place in the morning or at night …show more content…
Meditation is considered to be an essential component of Christian faith (). The practice is thought to deepen one’s faith by a means of opening their mind to God, thus sanctioning spiritual growth (). This quiet and reflective practice keeps one’s faith alive through a strong union with God whilst creating an awareness of one’s thoughts (). There are many reasons as to why one should meditate daily, especially considering the practice is compatible with everyday life ().
Dating back thousands of years, the earliest written record of meditation stems back to the 5th and 6th Century (). Meditation was first practiced in India amongst Hindu communities and was referred to as ‘Tantra’ (). In ancient times, meditation was simply practiced for religious purposes to exercise mindfulness and self-growth (). More recently, during the 1960’s and 1970’s meditation was practiced newly in the Wester Nations (). Those who meditated throughout this period were considered to be ‘hippies’ and were later thought to be ‘new-agers’ in the 1980’s (). Today, meditation has evolved as a structured practice that take place amongst countless religions for various purposes