Meditating without attracting attention

[Snowdrop]

I've been thinking lately about doing meditations on various elements of my religion -- Gods, aspects of the cosmology, etc.  (I'm using the word meditation in the broadest possible sense, by the way; since they're not really something I've ever done, I'm pretty fuzzy on the exact distinctions between meditation, path-workings, etc.  What I actually mean is self-hypnosis, though.)  

However, I absolutely do not want this in any way to create any kind of contact with any entity I meditate on.  I want this to function as a purely internal exercise for me to get a more emotional, less intellectual understanding of these things.  I don't want to communicate with anyone.  

So the question is: how should I structure this / what precautions should I take so that I can meditate on, say, Juno endlessly while minimizing the chance that this will attract Juno's attention?

[Faemon]

I've been thinking lately about doing meditations on various elements of my religion -- Gods, aspects of the cosmology, etc.  (I'm using the word meditation in the broadest possible sense, by the way; since they're not really something I've ever done, I'm pretty fuzzy on the exact distinctions between meditation, path-workings, etc.  What I actually mean is self-hypnosis, though.)  

However, I absolutely do not want this in any way to create any kind of contact with any entity I meditate on.  I want this to function as a purely internal exercise for me to get a more emotional, less intellectual understanding of these things.  I don't want to communicate with anyone.  

So the question is: how should I structure this / what precautions should I take so that I can meditate on, say, Juno endlessly while minimizing the chance that this will attract Juno's attention?

1. You could set the intention that this will be a purely internal excise, without sending it (your desire to understand Juno) out to the actual goddess Juno.
2. Do send the intention to keep this purely internal...to the external, like a warding circle.
3. Make a mental safe place.

If it happens anyway, find a courteous way to say, "Sorry, I didn't mean to actually call and I thought I made that clear."

But even some numinous experiences can turn out to have been internal in nature.

[Catherine]

 
So the question is: how should I structure this / what precautions should I take so that I can meditate on, say, Juno endlessly while minimizing the chance that this will attract Juno's attention?

 
Hi there Snowdrop. Did you literally mean Juno, or were you just using Her as an example?

Also, could you clarify emotional understanding? IMO, It's like saying I want to have a more emotional understanding of Morag, but I don't want to talk with hir directly. I mean, I could read hir books and posts here, I could follow hir blog to get a feel for who zie is, but it seems to me that an emotion understanding comes from interacting with hir and building a relationship.

In any case, I think it would be tricky. I'm not saying it can't be done, but I'm not sure exactly how you'd go about doing it. I mostly agree with triple_entendre, but I'd also be prepared to get a response whether you want one or not.

[Snowdrop]

Hi there Snowdrop. Did you literally mean Juno, or were you just using Her as an example?

Also, could you clarify emotional understanding? IMO, It's like saying I want to have a more emotional understanding of Morag, but I don't want to talk with hir directly. I mean, I could read hir books and posts here, I could follow hir blog to get a feel for who zie is, but it seems to me that an emotion understanding comes from interacting with hir and building a relationship.

In any case, I think it would be tricky. I'm not saying it can't be done, but I'm not sure exactly how you'd go about doing it. I mostly agree with triple_entendre, but I'd also be prepared to get a response whether you want one or not.

 
Just using Juno as an example.  To be honest, I don't have anyone in particular in mind.  

I mean emotional understanding in this sense: I can read about Juno --- or whoever --- and get a basic understanding of Her.  I can learn about Her historical role, about how Her modern worshipers regard Her, etc.  But it's all purely intellectual.  I guess I want the experience of, "If I did worship Juno, what would be driving me to do that?  How would I feel about Her?" if that makes any sense.  I don't want to make contact because what I'm trying to understand is how I feel about things, not necessarily how they objectively are.    

In the case of Juno, it's not actually essential to avoid contact, but there are things I'm curious about but which I definitely want to avoid.  Dwarves, for instance.  They fascinate me but also completely terrify me.

[MadZealot]

I mean emotional understanding in this sense: I can read about Juno --- or whoever --- and get a basic understanding of Her.  I can learn about Her historical role, about how Her modern worshipers regard Her, etc.  But it's all purely intellectual.  I guess I want the experience of, "If I did worship Juno, what would be driving me to do that?  How would I feel about Her?" if that makes any sense.  I don't want to make contact because what I'm trying to understand is how I feel about things, not necessarily how they objectively are.  

 
Hm, what do you intend to accomplish with this long-distance meditation?  
It sounds like you want a-- I dunno-- experiential experience, but without the experiential part.  That's like saying you want to get to know someone better, but you don't want to invite them out for coffee.  In other words, it doesn't sound very realistic.

[Snowdrop]

Hm, what do you intend to accomplish with this long-distance meditation?  
It sounds like you want a-- I dunno-- experiential experience, but without the experiential part.  That's like saying you want to get to know someone better, but you don't want to invite them out for coffee.  In other words, it doesn't sound very realistic.

 
It's a matter of understanding what my feelings about things are.  I'm thinking about it like this: say you're intrigued by the thought of becoming a lawyer.  So you might gather information about law schools, talk to people who are lawyers, etc.  You find a way to start getting experiences about what it's like.  But that's likely something you'd only do if you actually have some degree of sincere intention of at least possibly becoming a lawyer.  (Or you just enjoy hanging out with lawyers, I guess.)  

On the other hand, maybe I'm not actually interested in becoming a lawyer, but lawyers fascinate me, so I like to daydream about being one.  No amount of daydreaming will make me a lawyer, but maybe it helps me develop myself in other ways: I'll experience what I imagine it to be like, and from this I'll learn something about what lawyers symbolize to me and why they're interesting to me.  

I mean, I guess you're right about it being a non-experiential experience, but I don't  think that's an uncommon thing.  Like, for me at least that's a big part of what fiction is about: you identify with the characters and "experience" what it's like to live their lives, except that of course you haven't experienced anything at all --- but hopefully you've broadened your horizons, or learned something about yourself, or both.

[Emma Eldritch]

I mean, I guess you're right about it being a non-experiential experience, but I don't  think that's an uncommon thing.  Like, for me at least that's a big part of what fiction is about: you identify with the characters and "experience" what it's like to live their lives, except that of course you haven't experienced anything at all --- but hopefully you've broadened your horizons, or learned something about yourself, or both.

 
Fiction's fiction, though. This is (presumably) spiritual practice, yeah? I dunno. I think triple_entendre's suggestions are good ones, but I too confess to being pretty puzzled by your goal. But I'm one of those idiots who is more likely to just try stuff, so my opinion is perhaps not entirely valid.

[MadZealot]

It's a matter of understanding what my feelings about things are.  I'm thinking about it like this: say you're intrigued by the thought of becoming a lawyer.  So you might gather information about law schools, talk to people who are lawyers, etc.  You find a way to start getting experiences about what it's like.  But that's likely something you'd only do if you actually have some degree of sincere intention of at least possibly becoming a lawyer.  (Or you just enjoy hanging out with lawyers, I guess.)  

Nothing wrong with that, but it sounds like research stuffs to me.  Also, on the intellectual side of things.
You could say that when you study something enough, you do begin to internalize various bits and know them more intuitively.  I'd call that a part of learning, but you really don't need to meditate to make it happen.

On the other hand, maybe I'm not actually interested in becoming a lawyer, but lawyers fascinate me, so I like to daydream about being one.  No amount of daydreaming will make me a lawyer, but maybe it helps me develop myself in other ways: I'll experience what I imagine it to be like, and from this I'll learn something about what lawyers symbolize to me and why they're interesting to me.  

Well, I have a black belt in woolgathering, so I'm not going to fault you here.  Get into your meditative state and let your brain do its thing.  Ponder what you want to ponder: Gods, the Powerball, or navel lint.  Count the nostril hairs of G-d if you like.  Whenever your focus starts to wander, and it will (the brain does love to chatter) just gently guide yourself back on track.  Like triple_e says, as long as you're not actively reaching out, you shouldn't expect any undue attention.  It also wouldn't hurt to practice your cleansing and sacred space-making, if that's your thing.
But there'll probably come a time when this method no longer works for you.  To really get an understanding of another-- divine or not-- you're gonna need to reach out and interact.  When you're ready.

[Materialist]

 
So the question is: how should I structure this / what precautions should I take so that I can meditate on, say, Juno endlessly while minimizing the chance that this will attract Juno's attention?

After thirteen years of meditating on all sorts of things, I've never been contacted by anything. Nothing remotely unexpected ever happened. I don't think you need to worry.

[Catherine]

I mean emotional understanding in this sense: I can read about Juno --- or whoever --- and get a basic understanding of Her.  I can learn about Her historical role, about how Her modern worshipers regard Her, etc.  But it's all purely intellectual.  I guess I want the experience of, "If I did worship Juno, what would be driving me to do that?  How would I feel about Her?" if that makes any sense.  I don't want to make contact because what I'm trying to understand is how I feel about things, not necessarily how they objectively are.    

 
OK. I think I understand what you want to do. I guess if it were me, I'd focus on the things I've read, images I've seen, etc. and try to figure out how I feel about those things without sending any energy out there. Also, I'd avoid using anything that could be mistaken for an offering.

I think it's easier to NOT make contact. IMO, it takes a bit of work to get, and keep, a deity's attention. It's just that, for me, having some kind of emotional connection requires interaction. But, you're not me. You might be able to get what you want out of it.

I'd say give it a go. If someone does show up, be polite and apologize for the misunderstanding.

[Jack]

I think it's easier to NOT make contact. IMO, it takes a bit of work to get, and keep, a deity's attention. It's just that, for me, having some kind of emotional connection requires interaction. But, you're not me. You might be able to get what you want out of it.

I'd say give it a go. If someone does show up, be polite and apologize for the misunderstanding.

This. Is there a reason that you couldn't just say "thanks but sorry" with a small offering if you did get attention? I know some people are specifically forbidden from working with certain gods or pantheons for example. Is that a concern?

If you're worried about putting your intention out there in the universe, some very tight mental shielding and a circle designed to keep everything out and all of your thoughts in might help. But like Catherine said, most people's interaction with gods is not, like, the kind of thing some Lokeans report where "I thought about Loki once and now he's here with a uhaul rearranging my furniture what do I do". There usually has to be intent and effort to create and maintain that connection.

[Aspirer]

I mean emotional understanding in this sense: I can read about Juno --- or whoever --- and get a basic understanding of Her.  I can learn about Her historical role, about how Her modern worshipers regard Her, etc.  But it's all purely intellectual. I guess I want the experience of, "If I did worship Juno, what would be driving me to do that?  How would I feel about Her?" if that makes any sense.  I don't want to make contact because what I'm trying to understand is how I feel about things, not necessarily how they objectively are.

 

Perhaps I'm missing your point, too, but it seems like you're wanting a better understanding of yourself, rather than her.  I say this because, you don't want to know how she feels about your worship, but how you would feel.

Also, considering you gave a hypothetical condition ("what if I..."), maybe you don't need to focus so much on the specific entities/dieties, but what they represent?  By worshipping[enter name here], I believe you've tied yourself and now represent the same thing.  Odin represents knowledge, wisdom, magic, etc.; rather than meditate on HIM, I would meditate on how I would feel, imbued and representing those traits on an extreme level.  Rather than meditating on Ceres, I would meditate on myself growing and harvesting vast amounts of crop, protecting and raising livestock, parenting and teaching innocent children.

By doing that, I would hope to understand how those values and being one with those traits makes me feel.  Some of Ares' values is destruction and violence; if meditation on war, destruction and violence leaves me feeling uneasy, then worshipping Ares would probably not be a good option for me.