Religion, SF, and Other Speculative Fictions.


Mind on Fire random header image
← →

Nine Inch Nails for Meditation.

Posted by John on January 16th, 2009 at 10:36 am · 5 Comments

One of the cool things about unfettering myself from organized religion is that I feel more able to think outside of the box when it comes to my spiritual practice. Take my meditation, for example. Usually I focus on my breath or on a recording of Buddhist monks chanting and ringing bells. Even as an atheist, I may chant an esoteric Japanese mantra to Jizo Bodhisattva, mala in hand, or recite Hail Mary with a rosary. They all have the same results of inducing a sort of mild alpha state, reducing stress, and making me feel a little more connected to others.

Biking with my iPod tunes unsafely blasting away yesterday, I realized that the rhythm of pedaling and certain songs did almost the same thing. But they weren’t the calming songs I would’ve expected (clicking the links takes you to some version of the song on YouTube):

Amanda Palmer Runs in the Family
Bad Religion Sinister Rouge
Dave Matthews Stay or Leave
Depeche Mode Personal Jesus
Eminem Mosh
Flobots Handlebars
Nine Inch Nails Closer

Each one of these songs transports me, with slightly different nuances–some make me want to be more politically active, others take me to the same place I am when I’m on a creative high. But they all put me into some variant of a zen state, and they all bring me a little closer to my better self. I’m going to experiment with creating a meditation playlist, and get back to you.

Do you have any out of the ordinary practices that do the same sort of thing for you?

Tags: Uncategorized

5 responses so far ↓

  • 1 John // Jan 18, 2009 at 10:55 pm

    Update: tried this for meditation, and couldn’t calm down. :P Not sure if it’s because I’ve been sitting all weekend, or if this mix is more effective when I’m in motion.

  • 2 xJane // Jan 21, 2009 at 2:03 pm

    I think it’s intimately entwined with motion. There’s a zone that’s really hard (at least for me) to get to in meditation but that’s almost immediate when I’m biking, judoing, or swimming.

  • 3 John // Jan 21, 2009 at 8:58 pm

    Interesting. Also works when I’m sitting and driving, but not when I’m just sitting still.

  • 4 xJane // Jan 21, 2009 at 9:57 pm

    hmm, I don’t think I’ve ever gotten into the zone while driving—although I have zoned out while driving…I tend to think that’s probably not a great idea…

  • 5 Chandelle // Jan 28, 2009 at 7:01 pm

    Great mix…some of my favorites in there. I’m not sure why, since it’s not even remotely related, but “Stay or Leave” (and that entire album) was something I was listening to a lot while I was in the process of leaving the Church, so that’s the emotion that it conjures in me, i.e. pissed off and also wanting to cry. NIN has a very special place in my heart, but I can’t say that “Closer” could work for me for meditation – I don’t think lust is very conducive to zen.

Leave a Comment