The Origins of Meditation

There is no brief history of meditation. Our teachers hail from all corners of the globe. As leaders in their area of expertise, their knowledge and teachings go deep within the fields of spirituality, religion and psychology. Some are secular, others are far from it. There is not just one origin of meditation; its roots travel back to ancient times and have developed into many forms of meditation practices used by millions of people from different belief systems and nationalities.

This overview pins down the main origins of meditation practices that are as diverse as their practitioners.

The Origin of Meditation: Secular and Religious, Scientific and Spiritual

Traditions

Different cultures and religions of the world have developed manifold traditional meditation practices. It is believed that the earliest meditation practice dates back to the ancient Hindu tradition Vedantism 1500 B.C. In the West, meditative practices were first mentioned in Jewish writings. These teachings especially focused on the meditative approach during prayer. The diversity of traditional origins is reflected in our free meditation library. Explore thousands of guided meditations from these traditions:

Sciences

Science meets meditation: Scientific fields such as Psychology and Neuroscience have brought religious and spiritual practices to secular perspectives. The first physiological studies on meditation took place in the 1950s. Since then, meditation research has expanded into many scientific fields and given us insight into how the brain is affected by meditation practices. Research keeps discovering more and more benefits such as stress reduction, lengthening attention span and improving sleep quality. Explore guided practices from these scientific origins of meditation:

Concepts

Established world theories also evolved meditation practices. Browse through popular conceptual meditation practices:

This list of origins of meditation is not finalised — it will never be. New practices can develop at any time in any culture. Meditation is mainly a personal experience and exploration. Individuals keep evolving new practices that will be passed on by generations. This overview show what an important integral part meditation has been playing in the evolvement of humanity.

Get an overview of the benefits of meditation and find the ideal practice for your needs and desires.