There are many flavors of meditation. Some types of meditation are visual, while others are based on quietude of thought. Each has their place and mechanism to achieve the right antidote for a specific problem.

Without meditation the spiritual path is impossible. Some may claim to have a path without meditation, but in the end, the mind must be clear to find the silence necessary for growth.

Quietude of mind is where one follows the breath, or sound, until the mind is settled without the noise of conscious thought. In time the subconscious mind is also released from any disturbance. Such states of mind allow for illumination from the esoteric heart center.

Other types of meditation include visual. These are guided processes through visualization of specific elements in order to achieve awareness. Examples of this are the practices of scrying, or the guided meditation of Tibetan Buddhists.

Digging deep in the Western Mystery paths, there is a process called path working, wherein a Tarot trump aligned with the Kabbalistic tree of life is explored in visual meditation. Once entered, the Tarot Trump reveals details and points of spiritual access necessary for the personal path.

In Tibetan Buddhism there are visual meditations where the meditator walks through colored rooms of building, each room correlating to a need of the pupil. This is evident in Lam Rim meditations.

In Sufism, visual meditations are also used. And sample is the breath work of drawing in the elements symbolically identified by color (Gold, Green, Red, Blue).

Techniques of Yoga include listening to sounds as a meditative practice. This type of mindfulness focuses on every moment of a sound and its evolution. A dark barking, a person talking, birds cawing… all become the objects of mental fixation, until a peace of silence is found within.