Meditation and the Collective Consciousness

Let’s all get on the same page

“I was just thinking” — Raj Hayer, New York 2016

Is it possible if everyone had started meditating and creating calm during the pandemic, we could have shifted the collective consciousness around the world?

I’m not sure, but it would have been worth a shot, right?

. . .

In 2016, I was in New York visiting my sister, and had to get to the airport for my flight back to Europe. I called an UberPOOL, to reduce the cost and environmental impact of my ride, and in the car with me was an actor, Beejan Land, who was working between New York and Los Angeles at the time. Of course we got stuck in traffic, so we struck up a conversation…commencing with the requisite name drop of course!

Beejan had recently worked with Bill Murray. I’m a huge fan of Bill Murray, who arrived at the Toronto International Film Festival premiere in a regular car — no limo — and strolled past all the cameras, smiling at fans and slinking into the movie theatre. Huge fan.

Meditation in LA

We continued chatting, and after some time, I finally confessed that I was not a huge fan of Los Angeles. I had visited the city with a friend for her 30th birthday, and overall, I felt it was rather underwhelming.

He said that after spending a significant amount of time there, he was a huge fan, and I asked him what the draw was, and his response surprised me.

“It’s the collective consciousness. I can feel it when I’m there. Most people in LA meditate or practice some form of spirituality in their lives. You can’t have that many people meditating in proximity to each other and not change the energy and vibration of the city. You feel drawn to it.”

There was a time when I would have discounted this concept outright, but after practising meditation, I think he had a valid point.

. . .

Increasing collective consciousness

Collective consciousness can be described as a unifying force within society, a set of common ideas, beliefs and morality, a shared understanding of how people want to live.

Now is a great time for us to take stock. How do we want to live? What kind of common belief system or society do we want to encourage?

In the case of LA, if everyone meditates within that region, surely there is power in numbers, and they can shift the energy around them? They are changing their own consciousness, creating balance and peace in their own lives, and in turn, they are likely reacting more kindly to others they encounter within the city right?

Sharing energy and space with others elevates learning and holds people accountable for their practice. My time at an ashram helped me succeed partially because I was in the same room with others whilst meditating.

“Meditation is painful in the beginning, but it bestows immortal bliss and supreme joy in the end.” — Swami Sivananda

Living in a time of immediate gratification, we want to give up if we find the process painful or don’t see results immediately. But don’t give up. Find someone to practice with and hold each other accountable.

. . .

Individual benefits of meditation

The changes experienced from meditation are different for everyone, and they span a wide range of aspects of health (covered in a future article). My health and well-being remain a testament to the results achievable through a commitment to meditation.

“It feels good. Kinda like when you have to shut your computer down, just sometimes, when it goes crazy, you just shut it down, and when you turn it on, it’s okay again. That’s what meditation is to me.” — Ellen DeGeneres.

Meditation is the ultimate reset for the brain and brings balance to our lives. And maybe if we can change our own vibration, we can eventually change the world.

The “Daily Calm” program by CALM guides you through 10 minutes of meditation a day. This can be a good place to start.

Mediation is a huge and relevant topic in many aspects, so I share other articles about it on the GetCalmStayCalm publication.