When it comes to mastering your spiritual energy and deep diving into the divine world, you might think there aren’t many forms of meditation or exercises that come close to Middle Pillar Meditation, but that is not the case.
While the middle pillar exercise can seem reasonably practical and easy to understand at first glance, some moral implications and alternatives should be considered before associating with this form of meditation.
That is why in this article, we’ll look into –
· What is middle pillar meditation?
· The origins of the exercise
· How does it work?
So check every portion of this article before you decide whether to practice middle pillar meditation.
What is the Middle Pillar Exercise?
This is a spiritual practice rooted in controversial Kabbalistic teachings. It is a form of visualization meditation that aims to balance and harmonize the energies of the body and mind in line with the tree of life.
The meditation practice involves visualizing a pillar of light that runs through the center of your body, connecting the crown of your head to the base of your spine. This pillar of light is imagined to be composed of different colours, representing the different energies and attributes of the Divine.
Origins & History of Middle Pillar Meditation
The practice was first popularized in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by occultists and ceremonial magicians who drew upon highly controversial Kabbalistic teachings in their work.
One of the key figures in the development of the Middle Pillar Meditation was Israel Regardie, who was a student of the renowned occultist Aleister Crowley, who was part of the infamous ceremonial magician group the Order of the Golden Dawn.
Dr. Regardie wrote extensively about the practice, the ceremonial magician group, and its applications in Western esoteric traditions. At first, it was seen as part of ceremonial magic & lesser banishing ritual.
Today, this meditation is practiced by individuals from a wide range of spiritual and religious backgrounds, including those who do not identify as being part of any particular tradition.
How Does Middle Pillar Meditation Work?
In this meditation, you visualize energy flowing through the tree of life, from the crown of your head down into your body, through the different energy centers (chakras), your feet and then back up the pillar to the crown.
This process is repeated several times, beginning with a focus on each energy center as you move down the body.
The goal of meditation is to balance and harmonize the energies of the body, promoting physical and emotional well-being, as well as spiritual growth and insight. However, the benefits of meditation is disputed and have no proof.
Why Many Discourage Middle Pillar Meditation
Meditation, in a sense, is an activity that promotes a healthier lifestyle and mental peace. That being said, in some cases, the construct and approach of middle pillar meditation can have a negative impact on many.
Here are some of the issues that you might encounter with this practice:
1. Ethical & Moral Standards: Probably the most significant issue of this method of meditation is its history, which puts many to question the moral and ethical standards of this practice.
The roots of this form of Meditation trace back to one of the most influential occult figures of all time, Alister Crowley. And Mr. Crowley wasn’t referred to as the most wicked man in the earth without any reason. But his other nickname, the ‘The Great Beast 666’, is what makes him an antagonist figure for people of every belief in the earth.
There have also been rumours of numerous inhumane rituals and practices that Mr. Crowley conducted to perfect his spiritual philosophy, the ‘Thelema,’ which also has great significance on the development of middle pillar exercise.
2. Religious Point of View: Middle pillar meditation and black magic, unsanctioned rituals, were once highly related to each other. While the practitioners of this form of meditation always denied these claims of black magic, there have been cases that seem to suggest otherwise.
And anyone with a religious affiliation would have trouble practicing the process as it directly promotes the existence of a higher being than god inside us and suggests certain incantations that could be considered blasphemy from the perspective of most religions.
3. Misuse of Power: The teachers or Gurus who show their students how to do the meditation method often hold a position of power over their students.
They can make unusual demands & the students will often have to follow them with complete obedience, otheriwise it would contradict the belief of the meditation. So, if you surrender to the gurus, you might not be able to protect yourself from harm.
4. No Scientifically Proven Results: While other alternate spiritual meditations have proven results, that is not the case with this method. The Qabalistic Cross or Descent of the Light methods that this practice follows didn’t leave any imprints on scientific tests or matches with any proven theories either.
So, it is almost like taking a leap of faith in the dark.
Are There Alternatives to Middle Pillar Meditation?
Yes, there are multiple alternatives to middle-pillar meditation that doesn’t have any of the drawbacks that it seems to have. Here are some meditations procedures with details that you can look into instead of this method:
Yoga Meditation
If you are looking for a complete spiritual meditation towards true healing, then Yoga Meditation is a far better alternative. It doesn’t rely on inclusivity or lack of diversity like the Middle Pillar Meditation and instead follows the primary forms of exercise and deep breathing techniques. All you have to do is breath deeply and let your mind relax.
There aren’t any symbols, knowledge or languages that you need to follow or learn in order to incorporate this form of meditation into the list of your daily activities. You don’t even need to visit any experts to learn about the method.
Active Meditation
Now, there are many reasons why people pick up meditation. And if your goal is to understand yourself more, then going with active meditation is far better than the Middle Pillar method.
In active meditation, you meditate as you work. Sounds confusing? Well, it is actually quite simple and doesn’t require you to go into details. When doing any regular day-to-day task or other exercises, or even just standing, allow your mind to feel everything around you while doing your stuff. Just use all of your senses and feel everything around you to understand yourself better.
That’s it. This is the main requirement for active meditation, no specific posing or position maintaining is required, nor do you have to perform any symbolistic gestures, or make a forever pledge to anyone. You can also do a guided meditation with the help of podcasts and youtube videos on the art of active meditation.
Due to this optimum approach, active meditation is beloved by almost every meditation practitioner out there.
Warrior Meditation
For better self-improvement and mental fortitude, warrior meditation is one of the best options out there for anyone. Originating from the bushido code of samurais of the Edo period of Japan, this meditation can help the practitioner to gain mental clarity and calmness with simple practices that include no complexity at all.
Is Middle Pillar Meditation Better than Other Meditations?
You might think there is quite a complexity and symbolism included in Middle Pillar Meditation. Then it must be better than other forms of meditation if you truly master it, right? No, in most cases, it is actually worse.
Even if the moral & religious implications don’t bother you, Middle Pillar Meditation is a Kabbalistic-based visualization practice that involves visualizing a pillar or beam of light running through the center of the body and focusing on different aspects of the Divine associated with psychic centers.
The approach is not unorthodox and, in most studies, didn’t show any significant results; instead, it just requires more time and focuses while the generated results are the same or lower than other meditations.
Take chakra meditation, for instance, and it is also a form of spiritual meditation focusing on chakras or energy centers in the body. Its goal is to activate, balance, and purify these energy centers, promoting emotional and physical, emotional well-being, and it doesn’t involve any extra work that middle pillar meditation brings.
And this is only chakra meditation, and there are a plethora of meditations that are easier and less controversial than middle pillar meditation that offers far better results as well.
Mixing Middle Pillar Exercise with Traditional forms of meditation?
Yes, it is possible to incorporate the Middle Pillar Exercise with traditional forms of meditation, such as mindfulness or active meditation. But the results are pretty disastrous as middle pillar meditation doesn’t really align with the approach of most forms of meditation.
Thus, while you can try to mix it with other forms of meditation, we highly recommend against it.
Do keep in mind that there is no one “right” way to meditate, and if you can get the results that you want, then you should always opt for that.
Now, while that is true if you are considering learning middle pillar meditation just so you can add it to other traditional forms of meditation.
Then our suggestion would be not to opt for middle pillar meditation in the first place and instead pick up other forms of meditation. This will provide you with better results.
Final Thoughts
Middle pillar meditation can have an impact on practitioner’s lifestyle, and it might not be always positive.
And there are far better alternatives out there which should be explored before picking this specific meditation.
While it is down to the personal preferences of the practitioner, the background & history of Middle pillar meditation are discouraging for most from a moral point of view.
Therefore, it might be better to look for other alternatives that are known to provide better results & a rich positive history.
