The Book of Meditation [Paperback]

Patricia Carnington (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 7, 1998

An internationally acclaimed psychologist and psychotherapist, Dr. Patricia Carrington combines pioneering scientific research with sound psychological theory to debunk the myths and show how individuals can make meditation an integral part of their everyday life.

Product Details

• Paperback: 337 pages
• Publisher: Element Books Ltd.; Revised edition (May 7, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1862042365
• ISBN-13: 978-1862042360
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,118,224 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A balanced look at meditation., October 21, 2003

By 

Adam Khan (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Book of Meditation (Paperback)

In this book, Carrington answered most of the unanswered questions I had about meditation. I've been reading about and practicing meditation for 25 years now, and I had some questions lurking in the back of my mind like: Are some mantras really better than others? Is it possible to meditate too much? (And if so, how much is too much?) Is there any scientific evidence that meditation makes you more creative? Can it make you less productive? Carrington answers these questions and many more in The Book of Meditation. And her answers are not derived from tradition or what her teachers told her, but from compelling evidence and controlled experiments.

And yet she doesn't dismiss tradition as long as it hasn't been proven wrong in experiments. For example, in some traditions, certain mantras are considered dangerous for beginners. There have been no experiments to find out if this is true or not, so she removed those from her list of recommended mantras in her How To Meditate Kit. Her approach is balanced and reasonable.

Carrington is not only a researcher but also a psychotherapist and many of her illustrations are patients she has treated, giving a real-live feel to the points she's making. Her examples are interesting and illustrate her points well.

Half a chapter was devoted to one excellent example: The New York Telephone Company. Gilbeart Collings, the NYTC medical director, asked Carrington to find out if meditation would reduce employee stress. The first test was on 160 employees and lasted five and a half months. Stress-related physical symptoms dropped dramatically. That's why the company offered the program to the whole company.

They eventually taught almost 5000 employees of the NYTC to meditate. Thousands of these meditators were interviewed about the changes taking place in their lives. They felt less tension. Their irritability and hostility dropped dramatically, and so did feelings of anxiety. People reported feeling more tolerant and patient and less distressed by everyday frustrations. The meditators said they were listening better, feeling more open, acting and feeling kinder toward others, and in general being more like the person they've always wanted to be, at work and at home. This matches what I have found to be true in my own life, but it's great to hear it verified by others.

I really liked her chapter, Why Does Meditation Work? That is the exact wording of a question I typed into Google, which is how I found her book. The chapter looks at several explanations of how the various effects of meditation converge to produce such powerful benefits.

I'm the author of the book, Self-Help Stuff That Works, which is not about meditation, but I can tell you that meditation (taught the way Carrington teaches it) may be the most important self-help stuff you can practice. It works. And this is the best book on meditation I've ever read.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not quite what I was looking for., June 29, 2002

By 

N. McGrath "sophist" (MA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Book of Meditation (Paperback)

This was actually the first meditation book that I bought. At that time I was searching for a spiritual path to help me with difficult life changes. I knew meditation was the path for me, but didn't know where to begin. The scope of Carrington's book tended to be too broad and clinical. The book's scientific mode may be useful to those who are interested in medical and psychological applications. Perfect for those who shy away from spirit. So, it's too cold for my purposes. For those with a similar purpose in mind I highly recommend Sogyal Rinpoche's Meditation booklet. My practice is grounded in the spiritual path, but I'm willing to give the book a chance for its scientific point of view. Not for me.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A lot of scientific research, July 28, 2001

By 

K. Stewart (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Book of Meditation (Paperback)

The Book of Meditation, The Complete Guide to Modern Meditation is full of scientific research and results. The book held my attention pretty strongly in the beginning, but it seemed to weaken quite drastically toward the end (In fact, I skipped a few chapters to the end.)

I really honestly don't mean to criticize the book. I just think that it depends on what a reader is looking for. If you are a little skeptical and some scientific research would be important, by all means, I strongly recommend this book. But if you are like me and are just looking for some helpful instruction on meditation, you might find yourself skipping around a lot. (I, personally prefer to read an entire book before I claim that I have read the book, but this is one exception)

As for the rest of the book, it is a good introduction to many different techniques and styles of "reaching the meditative state." I think that some of the most important advice someone could give on the subject is that "Not all techniques work for everyone and everyone's experiences are generally different."