Let’s talk about meditation for a moment.

There are numerous claims about the health benefits (mental and physical) of participating in such a practice, while also sporting hundreds of different claims about the “proper” way to do it. Most of that is marketing as all meditation really needs is a slight image adjustment so it’s not relegated, and associated, to a practice of the whacked out hippies of the 70s.

Or some esoteric practice of monks in the “east.”

Anyway, at its heart, it’s a spiritual practice.

One of many.

And like any spiritual practice that requires both commitment and discipline, it can produce positive results. Which is where the problem of spirituality resides.

The expectation is these practices will physically alter the landscape of reality. Somehow, through enough dedication, you will be able to read minds, walk through walls or heal people instantly with your touch. I cannot remark on the claims of those who say this is true (the story always seems to be about someone else’s eyewitness instead of a firsthand one), but it is a bad expectation to set.

Spirituality alters the way you perceive the world, getting you more comfortable with the vastness of the universe in relation to the minuscule viewpoint of our brief moment of existence. In other words, it puts the world (and you) in a much different perspective.

It doesn’t solve the issues you have, the problems you face or reaction to things that set you off. It can help, but nothing really changes on the outside. It’s all interior and therefore, very personal.

Each person’s mileage will vary.

This is why the mystics of religious traditions veer away from any literal explanation of their experiences and provide poetic metaphors instead.

Spirituality is an invitation for a shared perspective of reality, but it will be experienced in many different ways. It’s worth diving into, as long as you really know what to expect.