A human being is part of the whole, called by us ‘universe’; a part limited in time and space. We experience ourselves, our thoughts and feelings as something separate from the rest. A kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from the prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. The true value of a human being is determined by the measure and the sense in which they have obtained liberation from the self. We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if humanity is to survive.

- Albert Einstein, 1954

Meditation, which attempts to achieve the liberation from the self that Einstein talked about, is gaining in popularity in much of the world. It is even offered by some large corporations to their employees. Much research has been done that shows not only does it improve our mental state but physical conditions as well.

Meditation’s growing popularity seems to be contradictory since we have become a society that glorifies the self or ego. So why are people getting interested in meditation, which is about liberation from the self? Maybe because we have gone so far in glorifying the self and still do not feel joy, peace and fulfillment. Looking at the World today we also see the fruits of the self-centered mind and where it has taken mankind. All the spiritual scriptures and teachers through the millennia have clearly stated that man has a higher purpose than merely struggling for his own survival and self-aggrandizement. They say that man was actually intended to be one with God.

The idea of sharing God’s consciousness seems ridiculously impossible to us, only because we identify with a self that we have been creating since we were born. A self that we have built as a reaction to every experience we had. Certainly it is impossible for the mind of the Universe to fit into such a limited framework. Meditation’s aim is freeing us from this self-centered mind.

The three types of mediation I will discuss here namely Yoga, Buddhist and True Self Meditation have the common goal to expose and discard the false or delusional self, allowing us to get in touch with our True Self.

Yoga meditation, practiced for over 2,500 years, has several techniques mainly based on quiet concentration. In Yoga we may focus our attention on an object, our breathing, physical exercise postures or on nothing at all. As we focus our attention we notice the noise that our self-centered mind is constantly making and gradually we become an observer of it rather than a slave to it. The more we observe this mind, the more we understand how it works and blocks our peace and happiness. Through practice we can eventually free ourselves from the demands of the self-centered mind and start to become aware of our divine nature.

The goal of all Buddhist meditations is to change one’s perspective on the “self” that our egos grasp on to so strongly. For example, one Buddhist meditation focuses on the suffering of all living beings. We imagine that all the suffering and unhappiness of all living beings gathers together in the aspect of black smoke at our heart. While contemplating this suffering the black smoke gradually disappears, as we breathe in and out. We feel more peaceful and imagine that our ignorance and self-grasping disappear along with the black smoke. The result is that our perspective changes and this helps us release our strong belief in our small and suffering self.

True Self Meditation, like Yoga and Buddhist meditation, has the goal of eliminating the delusional self, allowing us to experience our true Self. Started in 1996, already 5,000 of its students have achieved enlightenment and it is growing rapidly because it is easy to follow. It is caringly taught by those that have already achieved enlightenment through it.

Practicing it we realize that the human mind is nothing more than pictures of one’s life lived, our thoughts and habits. It is from inside of that mind that we experience the world. This is why we do not experience the world as it really is. After all the illusionary world is released we become born into the real world, experiencing reality in a very new way that is free of fears, anxieties, pride, inferiority and the endless negative feelings we hold. Instead, we see the world with great appreciation, love, compassion and freedom.

Every form of meditation has the goal of freeing us from our delusional minds, the prison that Einstein described. Though we cling to our false worlds there is nothing lost by letting them go; instead we gain more than we might imagine.

Neal Clark is a Medical Technologist and a student of world religions and practices for 50 years. He practices and guides meditation at the Plainview Meditation Center.