I think the issue is that media adaptations of meditation and other pop culture represtnations have really diluted what it means and added biases that you are or are not aware of.
Meditation is ultimately a focusing and calming technique; it's an intentional way that you can find a way to calm down and relax and destress. If you've ever sat outside and just stared off into nothing, feeling your mind slowly calming down and the thoughts that have been bugging you all day/week really not being that strong anymore, you've felt the result of meditation. Maybe you step out at the end of a long day to smoke, or you sat in a sauna or shower and no longer felt so bothered or focused on your troubles, you got the same result. Or maybe you just listened to music and felt your muscles relax and lose all tension.
There are many ways to get to this state and meditation is just a means to get thereike any other. Guided meditation can be pretty powerful too, but it's a different item for a different purpose. I've had guided meditative sessions that felt so surreal and powerful it was like a small acid trip, no exaggeration.
Mindful meditation is something I do a lot just for short bursts to calm down and focus a bit on my feelings since I deal with a lot of nonsense. Just thinking on it isn't great because I get too focused on trying to solve the issues instead of how I'm feeling and reacting. By focusing on this first and understanding what my feeling is trying to do for me and what is the outcome it wants I understand better why I'm angry or upset or feeling helpless. The feelings have a biological goal (fear of things that might hurt me, anger towards things that o don't like and cause me stress, etc) and focusing first on this helps the feelings be more comfortable. Once I get to this state, it's a lot easier for these feelings to lower and I'm able to act a lot better.
It's not magic and it's not hoodoo, it's just what you likely do already in many ways but with fewer external stimuli and a focus on reviewing your own thoughts and feelings. I'm not magically happy at the end of it, instead I'm feeling more in control.
Meditation is ultimately a focusing and calming technique; it's an intentional way that you can find a way to calm down and relax and destress. If you've ever sat outside and just stared off into nothing, feeling your mind slowly calming down and the thoughts that have been bugging you all day/week really not being that strong anymore, you've felt the result of meditation. Maybe you step out at the end of a long day to smoke, or you sat in a sauna or shower and no longer felt so bothered or focused on your troubles, you got the same result. Or maybe you just listened to music and felt your muscles relax and lose all tension.
There are many ways to get to this state and meditation is just a means to get thereike any other. Guided meditation can be pretty powerful too, but it's a different item for a different purpose. I've had guided meditative sessions that felt so surreal and powerful it was like a small acid trip, no exaggeration.
Mindful meditation is something I do a lot just for short bursts to calm down and focus a bit on my feelings since I deal with a lot of nonsense. Just thinking on it isn't great because I get too focused on trying to solve the issues instead of how I'm feeling and reacting. By focusing on this first and understanding what my feeling is trying to do for me and what is the outcome it wants I understand better why I'm angry or upset or feeling helpless. The feelings have a biological goal (fear of things that might hurt me, anger towards things that o don't like and cause me stress, etc) and focusing first on this helps the feelings be more comfortable. Once I get to this state, it's a lot easier for these feelings to lower and I'm able to act a lot better.
It's not magic and it's not hoodoo, it's just what you likely do already in many ways but with fewer external stimuli and a focus on reviewing your own thoughts and feelings. I'm not magically happy at the end of it, instead I'm feeling more in control.