Meditation Always About Switching Off?

FairyFeller

Is meditation always about switching off? I always used to think it was about clearing my mind and keeping it clear but I learned better.

I used to need complete silence but now I find myself able to switch to an almost meditative state almost anywhere. I can be looking out of a window and my mind switches to a different type of focus. A thought can enter my head and whereas before it would pop in and out again now most thoughts come in and have serious consideration, I can think about all consequences and the source of the other thoughts that led to this thought.

Is it because I am becoming more practised or am I still getting the idea of what meditation is wrong?

how

Meditation is about letting go of the meditater.
Ideas of what meditation is, during formal meditation, are just more manic control issues to not fiddle with in meditation.
It's just allowing phenomena to come and go unimpeded by a habituated identity

Jason

FairyFeller said:

Is meditation always about switching off?

No. In my opinion, meditation is about developing positive skills and habits as much as it is learning to let go. In fact, I'd say that it's the former that ultimately helps to make the latter possible. What you're describing sounds a lot like part of this process to me, particularly having a more well-developed level of mindfulness and awareness of the mind/mental qualities (see esp. MN 10, MN 19, and MN 61).

how

The best way of dealing with ideas of what meditation is or isn't, is to remember that meditation is not an idea to be figured out, it's the letting go of that idea.

taiyaki

Fully detached and fully engaged. Letting go and total embrace.