Acem Meditation develops inner strength and expands our inner freedom. But psychological changes do not come without resistance.
Personality changes resulting from Acem Meditation are incremental, yet fundamental. They include perceptual, emotional, bodily and behavioural modifications that wil benefit the life of the practitioner. The transitions go beyond the "feel good" levels so often promised by many growth-oriented schools. The development is not just smooth and straightforward; it may also involve resistance and confrontations with essential aspects of our selves and our basic existential assumptions. To harvest the best of Acem Meditation requires a long-term perspective. Acem Meditation is a technique that develops inner strength and makes it possible to more fully pursue deeper existential longings.
The free mental attitude in Acem Meditation brings deep relaxation both to mind and body. Deeper relaxation starts processes towards change: in due course, unresolved existential issues may be activated which interfere with our normal ways of meditating. Parts of the practice may be temporarily distorted. Blinded by the unconscious, the meditator may assume that his practice is correct, even though there is less relaxation and less satisfaction. However, the meditator who interprets this experience correctly will know that deeper changes are imminent and that discussing the experiences will foster further development.
Psychological changes do not come without resistance. In Acem Meditation, concentration of any sort is wrong. Meditators may unknowingly resist change, either by starting to concentrate or by not meditating regularly (or both). If the problems are discussed, explored and corrected, the free mental attitude of Acem Meditation will prevail and gradually restructure underlying issues of the personality.
The practice of Acem Meditation involves deeper aspects of our existence. Working with the practice expands our inner freedom. Progress starts whilst we meditate and subsequently spreads to our everyday lives. Regular meditation and the readiness to work with one's practice are essential to support the process of transition.
During Acem Meditation, the contents of our spontaneous mental activities often appear disjointed. There are, however, emotional and cognitive patterns in the "chaos". In due course, thoughts and feelings tend to converge towards basic themes in our existence.
If we continue to meditate regularly and work with our practice, pockets of hidden anxiety, anger, sorrow, restlessness or depression may surface and be resolved. Occasionally, images and fragments from the past may appear. Frequently, however, the meditator may become judgmental towards his own meditation: "I am no good. I should pull myself more together!" The superego is activated, often in reproachful and derogatory ways, re-enacting forgotten and implicit child-parent conflicts still lingering in the mind.
Change may result from our daily half-hours at home, but is intensified considerably if supplemented by retreats with time for long meditations and guidance. Psychological structures of the past are activated, as mentioned above, not as episodic, emotional memories, but rather within the practice itself through a tendency to concentrate, or by not meditating regularly. Concentration and/or irregular practice weaken the push and pull towards change. Note that few people experience phases of change as clearly as indicated here without clarification, guidance and long meditations.
One of Acem's important contributions has been to develop a systematic psychology of meditation, which includes principles of guidance that help meditators further their own growth processes.
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Article by Are Holen MD PhD
First published in Acem International Newsletter no 1 2004