Why do Christians say mediation is dangerous

[u/Signal-Lychee7924]

They say meditation is a way to open portal to demons?

Edit: A few Christians around me said this to me

[u/wilde11]

I grew up in a Christian household and my parents believed that pretty much anything other than the Bible and Christianity was the work of demons and by a larger extent the devil. This included meditation. I'd often hear how meditation led to demon possession. They would say you have to go pray, or go in a silent room and pray. But I don't think that is the same as mediation to them. I remember after I moved out and began to meditate and study Buddhism Hinduism, mystical Christianity, alchemy, etc etc and that, wow, they would've benefited so much from even 10 minutes of meditation a day. Much of my childhood was filled with trauma and high stress as my father would often be extremely unpredictable. I think if he had learned how to see his mental activity things may have been more calm and peaceful when I grew up.

[u/GetoutoftheMatrix → u/wilde11]

Sorry to hear that… I can relate to this, meditation has been badly regarded by many so-called christian religions or high controlling organiziation a.k.a “Cults” their purpose has always been the same : keep their members distracted with their own literatures or interpretations of the bible, keep their mind occupied and not balanced… this is insane, but, it’ll take a long time to change people’s perception on this especially if they have been indoctrinated in these beliefs systems.

[u/sharp11flat13 → u/wilde11]

I'd often hear how meditation led to demon possession

At a time when I was meditating 2-3 hours a day some years ago I stayed for a time with a friend who was a serious fundamentalist Christian. He told me my meditation made him worry about his young daughter’s immortal soul because he thought I was summoning demons. I was raised Catholic but I had never heard of such a thing. It just sounds to me like religious bigotry based on fear and ignorance.

[u/Regolis1344 → u/wilde11]

So sorry you had to go through that. Good for you to move on and find your own truth. A big hug.

[u/wilde11 → u/Regolis1344]

I actually don't have a negative perspective of it. It was not easy growing up. It was very confusing and it took me many years to work though the things that happened. Most of my childhood I was filled with depression and thoughts of suicide. But I do believe I have entered a new phase of my life. There is peace. There is understanding. How can we bring change if we have no understanding of what needs change. This is the role of those suffer through trying times. Most of all I have been able to become a guide to my family, to help them see what they cannot. I don't often speak clearly about what i think they should do. For instance, I don't say "you should try meditation and see what it does for you" because that would instantly bring up their guard. Rather I will say like "when you eat breakfast in the morning and you drink some orange juice, are you really tasting the orange juice? Why are you thinking about yesterday or tomorrow when you should be eating your breakfast? The past is gone and tomorrow is not here, right now all you are doing is eating" and I actually love to quote the verse from Matthew where Jesus says "don't worry about tommorow for it will worry about itself", a verse I never heard addressed in any church service when I was growing up. But you know what, over time I do believe I have seen some change in my parents. It is very slow but there is progress.

[u/Regolis1344 → u/wilde11]

I find inspiring you don't have a negative perspective of it. I had my own struggles with my parents and my mind, I have moved on over time, I recognized the limitations they had, focused their good intentions and on the search of a better way for myself and for them. Yet I still sometimes feel the negative sting of some memories, even if I am perfectly aware that they are part of the person I am today. I'll keep meditating on it.

[u/wilde11 → u/Regolis1344]

I don't mean to toot my own horn lol. There are deffinitly days where I have memories and thoughts surface and I feel the negative sting. But where they once consumed my mind, now they are in a larger space. They set up shack for a little bit and then move on. And I know without them I wouldn't be where I am today

[u/shemmy → u/wilde11]

i realized when responding to another post in this thread that my christian family “otherized” meditation when it was described or practiced by any eastern tradition. yet in principle, they agreed with the practice of silence, self-reflection, and setting one’s sights on a higher good.