At the outset, the reader should note that Acem Meditation cannot be learnt by studying this or any other text. Personal instruction and guidance in a group or in an individual setting is required. However, to learn Acem Meditation is simple
(for more information see appendix). After the initial instruction and practice, a person will need a few sessions of introductory guidance before he may continue on his own. Those who have meditated for some time and who want to explore the potentials of Acem Meditation beyond the beginner levels are recommended to attend follow-up courses and, most of all, enroll for retreats involving long meditation. On the following pages, the main elements of Acem Meditation will be outlined. How the four aspects denoted in the previous chapter apply to Acem Meditation will also briefly be touched upon.
Acem Meditation is done by sitting, either in a chair, on a sofa or in bed, always with good support for the lower back. The posture should be comfortable and not require much attention. Accordingly, sitting in the lotus position or any other advanced position with the fingers together pointing upwards or the like is not a part of this meditation. Acem Meditation is preferably carried out in places with limited sensory input, i.e., in places with little or no disturbance from external noise or movements, intense light, strong odours, etc. Acem Meditation is generally practised for 30 minutes twice daily, or in a single session of 45 minutes. Usually, the sittings are done in the morning and before dinner in the afternoon or early evening.
During Acem Meditation, the level of activity in the body and mind will decrease and move towards greater relaxation. After bigger meals, such as lunch and dinner, bodily activity increase due to digestion. In order to prevent these physiologically opposite activities coming into conflict, Acem Meditation is to be carried out either before or a couple of hours after heavy meals. Lighter meals will not interfere much.
Each sitting starts by closing the eyes, and the eyes are to remain closed during the session. During Acem Meditation, a given meditation sound is gently repeated internally. This is done effortlessly, without concentration, force or strain. At the same time, thoughts, impressions, images, body sensations, emotions, etc. are allowed to come and go spontaneously together with the repetition of the sound. The same applies to stimuli from outside; the meditator just lets them pass through the mind. Most of the time, the intensity of the spontaneous activity is low. During each sitting, however, when the body and mind are more relaxed, an aspect of the spontaneous activity may occasionally take over the focus of attention for a while; the mind becomes absorbed in some form of thoughts or images, internal dialogues, even drowsiness or sleep. When the meditator realizes that the meditation sound is gone, he or she is advised to return the attention towards the sound and start repeating it again with as little effort as possible. During a typical half-hour, loss of the meditation sound may happen a handful of times, sometimes less, other times more. Meditation continues like this until the time is up; losing the meditation sound is a part of the process, and it is not to be avoided.
The central elements of Acem Meditation will be discussed on the following pages. In addition to the spontaneous activity, they include the:
The meditation sound is a combination of sounds and rhythms without any semantic or symbolic meaning, yet with an effect on the mind and body that is not very different from music. The meditation sound is composed of vowels or diphthongs together with consonants forming one or more syllables in a rhythmic pattern that is suitable for meditation. The meditation sound is the object of meditation, an inner object, and as such, a necessary tool to initiate, maintain and further the processes characteristic of Acem Meditation. When the meditation sound is repeated in the mind with a free, open mental attitude, relaxation is elicited as a reflex in the central nervous system. Relaxation does not follow from an effort to obtain relaxation. The American physiologist Herbert Benson (1935-) has called this ‘the relaxation response’.
The meditation sound used in Acem serves two main purposes: it is harmonizing, but also provocative. The harmonizing part fosters relaxation, inner peace and the liberation of mental resources. The provocative part may gradually bring about cumbersome interference from deeper, unresolved issues of the psyche. At times, this will lead to resistance. The meditating person may recognize that he is deviating from the right use of the meditation sound. More often, he is completely unaware of what is happening, and he may project the reason for his difficulties onto something unrelated to the self. Furthermore, resistance may translate into the volitional part of meditation and make the meditator deviate from the free mental attitude, and it can also interfere with motivation; the meditator may interrupt the regularity of the practice, sometimes lose trust in the process, the teaching and its context.
To enable the inner processes, a proper meditation sound is needed. A person cannot just make or create his own meditation sound and expect the processes of relaxation and personal development to happen. To find a suitable meditation sound is not only to concoct a pleasant combination of syllables or rhythms, or merely to choose a sound with aesthetic qualities. The meditation sound should have both harmonizing and provocative characteristics that can elicit deeper meditative processes. Scientific studies have demonstrated that sound differences play a role in what happens in the body, nervous system and mind during meditation; some sounds are quite unsuitable for meditation. Just to repeat mentally any ‘nice’ sound may be pleasant and result in some relaxation, but it is hard to find any person who has continued to meditate regularly over time by using a self-generated sound. In most cases, such sounds are devoid of the required qualities for meditation processes. Sometimes it happens that a person unknowingly jumbles up the meditation sound, and the positive effects of meditation decrease. This suggests that using the correct sound is important.
In Acem, meditation sounds are given at the beginner’s course in two different ways – either the beginner is given a group sound or an individual sound. The option is decided not by the beginner, but by the format and the amount of time available at that particular location for the course. The group meditation sounds are usually given by a trained instructor, while individual sounds are given by a fully qualified meditation teacher, the latter also being called an initiator. Most frequently, group sounds are used at the beginner’s courses; at the outset, everyone in that group uses the same meditation sound. Later on, after approximately six months or more of regular meditation, an individual sound can be given and then, only from an initiator.
Even though every person is unique, there is not one individual sound for every person on the planet. The meditation sounds are organized into categories and given in accordance with a person’s life phase, age, gender and emotional and cognitive orientation. When a person has been meditating regularly for two to three years, an enhanced meditation sound may be provided. Further enhancements in the meditation sound may be given at different intervals later on, usually with 2-5 years in between. The repetition of enhanced sounds poses slightly greater challenges in maintaining the free mental attitude. However, when the meditator can cope with ease with the challenges posed by the sound, the meditation process will speed up a bit. If introduced too early, enhanced meditation sounds may be counterproductive and impede further process. In terms of relaxation, the effects of enhanced meditation sounds are approximately the same as the beginner sounds, but the provocative aspect that activates unresolved existential issues is stronger. Most regular meditators find that enhanced sounds enrich their daily meditations.
The meditation sound is to be used for meditation only. It should be kept within as something personal. It is not to be written down, not to be said aloud, and not to be shared with others. This is necessary to keep it from establishing associations with episodic memories, objects, emotions, social situations or other phenomena, as that would weaken its processing capacity. The meditation sound should remain highly non-associative to retain its optimal effects. People who practise meditation are recommended not to exchange meditation sounds. Keeping the sound as a secret is not the issue in and of itself. This becomes evident when it comes to the group sounds. Even though everyone in the group knows that they share the same meditation sound, the recommendation remains the same: the meditation sound is not to be spoken aloud or shared. At a time when society is emphasizing transparency, this principle may be difficult for some to accept, understand and respect. It should come as no surprise that the principle of keeping the meditation sound personal has, from time to time, been subject to suspicion, criticism and even attack.
Over time, the act of meditating will be connected also with layers of the psyche that contain unresolved and sensitive psychological issues. This connection will evoke an unclear need for privacy as the sound will be linked to these issues unconsciously, and the long-term meditator tends to feel ill at ease regarding the exposure of the meditation sound, whether this is done by him or others. Many have reported that it feels like an intrusion or violation of something rather private when someone exposes a meditation sound.
During meditation, the sound is to be repeated mentally without any strain or force. Usually, the frequency will be about once per two to four seconds, but that may vary, both from person to person and from time to time for the same person. The repetition should not be mechanical, but carried out with sensitivity and a gentle inner awareness. Preferably, the tongue, lips or throat should be as little involved as possible in the mental repetition of the sound. Best of all is if the body is not involved at all in the repetition; that would be the optimal way of repeating the sound, but no meditator would always repeat the sound like that. In keeping with the free mental attitude, it is important to accept that bodily involvements in repeating the sound will vary, even for the most advanced meditator.
In the same vein, the repetition should not deliberately follow any particular bodily rhythm; it should not be attached to any particular sensation or movement in the body, e.g., breathing, the heart beat or the like. Even so, for some, the repetition of the sound will naturally follow the breath or the heartbeat, which is fine as long as it is not something the meditator is actively trying to do.
Mental repetition of any meditation object, be it auditory, tactile or kinesthetic, may provide a degree of relaxation, although the extent will vary. Rhythmical, monotonous stimulation may result in what physiologists call habituation, as well as in the relaxation response. For this purpose, some objects are more powerful than others. During Acem Meditation, habituation related to the repetition works partially as a shield against external interference; the relaxation response makes the body relax and the inner level of stress or tension eases. Simultaneously, the accessibility of inner, deeper material tends to increase, making it more available for modification and structural changes that enable the release of deeper tensions and the resolution of inner limitations. Contrary to expectation, a scientific study indicated that the repetition of the sound during Acem Meditation may not be subject to habituation; on the contrary, brain activity increases with the length of sitting in meditation.
The repetition per se may at first glance appear as a relatively simple and mechanical component of the meditative act. Rarely, it causes problems. However, problems may arise about how or in what way the meditation sound is to be repeated, i.e., with what attitude or kind of attention. This most significant aspect of Acem Meditation will be discussed in the next section.
The meditation sound is a fundamental requirement in Acem Meditation. Even so, it is important to note that the benefits from this meditation are determined to a far greater extent by the quality of the free mental attitude in the repetition of the sound in relation to the spontaneous activity. In short: it is more important how the meditator repeats the sound than what he repeats – as long as a proper meditation sound is used.
The attention inherent in the free mental attitude is the opposite of concentration, and therefore, different from most kinds of mindfulness practices. Concentration may be characterized as a way of directing attention toward what is seen as ‘desirable’ or away from something that is seen as ‘undesirable’. In Acem Meditation, the meditator should not be trying to relax, not trying to avoid certain thoughts or feelings, not trying to remain undisturbed by internal or external stimuli, and not be trying to empty the mind of thoughts and the like. Such efforts are part of the directive or concentrative types of meditation. Trying to make the mind empty of thoughts is frequently advocated by many schools of meditation. In this regard, Acem Meditation is highly different. Any effort to direct or concentrate the attention or content of the mind is not recommended; rather, it is considered unhelpful and will result in reducing the effectiveness and quality both of the relaxation and the psychological processing.
When looking at the grammatical structure of languages, behaviours and activities are usually represented by verbs. They reveal movement, changes or processes, for example to walk, to talk, to think, to read, to repeat. Certain additional words categorize the verbs in more detail; they reveal something about the character of the action, for example to walk quickly, to think slowly, to read eagerly, to talk loudly, to repeat patiently. Such words are called adverbs; in a psychological sense, they often indicate an ‘attitude’. The attitude related to the verbs conveys how the behaviour is done; it may even indicate something about a person’s mood, state of mind or personality. In psychological matters, an attitude often involves the use of attention: it may be focused, concentrated or unfocused, dominated by laxity or indifference.
The sound is to be repeated gently, effortlessly, without force or concentration, without strain or pressure, and without trying to direct or affect the spontaneous content of meditation in any ‘desired’ direction. Only this kind of free and open attitude in the repetition can allow deeper processing to take place; the beliefs and attention of the mind shall not restrict the processing of what comes up mentally.
Spontaneous activity in the mind should not be met with a mental repetition of the sound that is dominated by focusing or concentration. Also, it should not be met with strong beliefs about what would be right and wrong, or ideals and expectations. Strong beliefs restrict the attention and limit spontaneous activity from passing freely and non-judgmentally through the mind. On the other hand, the meditation sound is not to be repeated with an exaggerated ease, with an attitude characterized by being lax or associated with laxity.
The attitude reflected in the repetition of the sound is usually denoted as the free mental attitude or sometimes even as the free, open mental attitude, emphasizing the inclusive nature of the mode of attention. The free mental attitude is a fairly neutral, no-nonsense, sensitive and softly attentive, as well as including and accepting, mindset. It is a non-judgmental approach towards whatever is going on in the mind during meditation, as well as towards what the meditator is experiencing when adhering to basic instructions. The meditator may be aware of the ideals, hopes and wishes, but he is not to be dissatisfied with him- or herself or the meditation if the experience deviates from those ideals or from perfection – as long as the meditator is doing what he is naturally capable of within the frame of the free mental attitude.
For the reader, emphasis on the free mental attitude in the repetition may perhaps seem like a simple and trivial point that appears rather easy. At the same time, it may appear strange that the attitude in the repetition can have so far-reaching consequences for the body, mind and personality. Often questions like these come up: ‘could not the same results be achieved by adopting a free mental attitude without using any meditation sound, or even, by using concentration instead?’ The answer is no.
Even if the repetition of the meditation sound per se is simple and at first glance may seem like a mechanical act, to maintain the free mental attitude is at times anything but simple and straightforward. With soft and effortless repetition, a spontaneous muscular, vegetative and mental relaxation ensues. The accompanying relaxation goes deeper than what can be achieved by just trying to relax by will. The relaxation in Acem Meditation involves the body, central nervous system and mind. It happens spontaneously and does not come as a result of goal-directed self-instructions: the meditator does not experience relaxation because he is trying to. Relaxation happens spontaneously to varying degrees during Acem Meditation. As already mentioned, in neuroscience, this kind of change is referred to as the relaxation response. It cannot be initiated directly; rather, it has to be released like a reflex.
The free mental attitude allows thoughts to flow rather unrestricted, similar to what is encouraged in psychoanalysis or in psychodynamic therapy by the principle coined as ‘free association’. In therapy, however, the content of the thought is the primary focus of attention; it is subject to scrutiny and interpretation, in particular, its emotional aspects. Moreover, an important part of such therapy is to trace aspects of the content back to their historical origins, usually from the early formative years of life. In Acem Meditation, as in psychoanalysis, spontaneous activity should be allowed to pass freely through the mind irrespective of the content – be it trivial, stupid, immoral, commonplace, interesting or fascinating.
A major difference is that, during Acem Meditation, the emerging content is generally seen as being less important. The challenge is to uphold the free mental attitude by the sound repetition regardless of what enters awareness. Thus, the primary emphasis is not on understanding or on insight, but on doing or making the inner meditative act freer in relation to whatever enters the mind. Thereby, the patterns of psychological processing are more likely to change. In Acem Meditation, changes in life hardly come from remembering formative events that have shaped problematic response patterns and propensities; it is not essential which thoughts are passing through the mind, but that they have a chance to pass freely.
How the attention is directed is one of the most essential elements distinguishing Acem Meditation from most other kinds of meditation. The crucial point is reflected in the instructions about how to deal with the wandering mind, i.e., the relationship between the volitional and the spontaneous activity. In Acem Meditation, spontaneous activity is to be included and embraced by the repetition of the meditation sound. From this perspective, the wandering mind is not regarded as a disturbance but rather as an asset of major importance.
Above, the three basic elements of Acem Meditation have been reviewed: (1) the meditation sound, which contributes to spontaneous relaxation and actualization, (2) the repetition, the reiterated inner stimulus that shields the mind from external stimuli and that increases sensitivity towards inner unresolved issues, and (3) the free mental attitude, which is the prerequisite for the release and resolution of unfinished psychological issues. It is time to get an overview of the results of Acem Meditation.