Through the centuries meditation has used gongs, chimes, bells, chanting, music and rhythm as aids during meditation. Om is the underlying hum of the universe. Mp3 meditation is a twenty first century adaptation of these principles. Sound is a crucial element of meditation healing and the various meditation techniques. The idea of mp3s is to assist in guided meditation. To settle the incessant, inner chatter that we all have. This is especially true for beginners meditation.

My problem with meditation is quieting my mind. I sit in a darkened room, sometimes with a candle for company, and think about not thinking. Although I have meditated on and off for years, I must admit that often meditation can be a chore. My mind wanders to what I am having for dinner. Have I fed the dog. What do I have to do at work tomorrow. Occasionally, I will realize that I have been elsewhere for a time. But not very often.
Mp3 meditation downloads use Binaural, Monaural and Isochronic tones to induce a deep meditative state. In a later article I will discuss the differences between these tones. For now, if you are interested, I suggest you google them. They are a repetitive tone, somewhat like the soft whoomp! of a ceiling fan, which pulses in the background to a soundtrack of music, water and wind. The effect is both soothing and hypnotic.
What I notice is that one of two things happens while I listen to the download. Either, before I know it, the download has finished and I realize that my mind has been somewhere else for the previous 30 minutes. Or, the sounds seem to go on for hours and I return to them occasionally and think, “Still going.”
The interesting thing about using meditation downloads to assist my meditation, is that now I really look forward to settling away and meditating. It is no longer a chore. I seriously enjoy the colors behind my eyes, the waves of energy which gently wash across me and my vision. The entire meditation experience has been deepened and made enticing to me.
Without a doubt, I can say that the mp3 meditation downloads are a very useful aide to both beginners meditation and for the more experienced.