What are the Benefits (Promises) of Meditation?
“If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.” Big Book page 84-85
While the text above is referring to the efforts of Step Nine, it is our belief and experience that these are also the promises of meditation.
In fact, it is our experience, that a practice of meditation will enhance the benefits of all the steps - mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually.
But, let’s let science and documented research show us the proven benefits of meditation. We begin documenting our "benefits" citing a book that provides an extensive review of meditation research titled The Physical and Psychological Effects of Meditation; A Review of Contemporary Research with a Comprehensive Bibliography 1931-1996 by Michael Murphy and Steven Donovan. We will use this as our primary source for the information presented below.
Emotional Benefits
Physical Benefits
Mental Benefits