Many children learn (either consciously or subconsciously) that happiness is difficult to achieve. They also often learn that one can only be happy when a certain set of external circumstances are met (for example the approval of a friend or parent, or having a certain toy or other item).
For many people this same mindset carries over strongly into adulthood. Many adults only experience happiness if they own the most stuff, or have the latest ipod or iphone; or eat the right food; or live in the right house; or drive the right car; and so on.
In all cases they have learned that happiness is something external to themselves that can only be achieved by having the right object, doing the right thing or obtaining the approval of someone else.
And that behavior continues into adulthood, only it is our boss that we are trying to please. Or our spouse. Or our now older parents. Either way, we are still seeking happiness in the wrong place – outside of ourselves.
So sooner or later some people ask themselves if there is a better way to be happy that gets you off the consumerism cycle? That doesn’t cost as much. And something that is longer lasting and more satisfying.
Some who ask that question are guided through intuition or coincidence to find some sort of spiritual practice that is more innately satisfying, and that is able to provide the required happiness more frequently, easily and cheaply.
Meditation is one of the paths to finding a sacred place within yourself.
At its most basic, meditation is trance. Trance is a state of relaxed awareness that produces certain beneficial brainwave and body changes – as the level of the practitioner increases one can also experience increasing degrees of psychic and spiritual phenomena. And importantly for this article, HAPPINESS!
What meditation does is to beneficially change your body’s chemical soup and nervous impulses. The result is that both body and mind feels more relaxed. Your thoughts slow down, increased levels of joy-promoting neurotransmitters are released, and you become happy.
At another level, however, happiness though meditation is due to coming into closer contact with God, the Source, the Universe, or whatever else you want to call Original Energy.
While there are many ways to be happy, meditation is one of the easiest and most accessible of all. It is also free and always available – you can’t forget to pack it when you go on holiday!
Because meditation brings you into closer contact with Original Energy, it promotes your psychic development as well. To see how much you’ve developed take this free psychic test or read more about psychic tests at Squidoo. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service