Meditation is great — most of us can agree on that. But like exercise, it’s been overcomplicated. There are just so many forms of it: guided, silent, body scans, vipassana, kriyas. There are apps, videos, retreats, books, and self-proclaimed gurus. Everyone’s selling their version of meditation.
I also think its benefits have been oversold. Only a few years back, I was convinced that it was a path to everlasting bliss. An intense form of meditation called Vipassana is often touted as a tool to permanently transform your mind.
I don’t believe all that these days. And honestly, the whole “leave the material world behind” thing gives me cult-ish vibes that I’m not comfortable with.
Meditation, to me, is just a tool to denoise the brain—and that’s become crucial in an age of constant overstimulation. Denoising helps you tune into the present, improves your focus, and helps soften the grip of negative thoughts.
Transcendental Meditation
Once I reframed what meditation is—a tool to denoise the brain—I had much more realistic expectations. After experimenting with various techniques, I found one that fits perfectly: Transcendental Meditation.
Don’t worry, the name makes it sound advanced, but it’s actually the simplest one I’ve tried.
That said, it’s promoted by an organization that is borderline scammy (trying too hard to sell something), so good information is weirdly hard to find without paying. But the technique itself is surprisingly easy and effective.
Here’s how to do it:
Just close your eyes and repeat a simple word or mantra in your mind (like, om, shrim, or namah). It should be pleasant sounding and ideally meaningless. Don’t try to control your thoughts. If your mind drifts, gently return to repeating the mantra.
That’s it. Sit on a chair, sit cross-legged, or lie down, doesn’t matter. Set a timer for 15–20 minutes, or go by feel. Do it in a park, or at home; in the morning, evening, or at night.
Everything is up to you.
Why it works?
Like I said earlier, meditation is just a way to denoise your brain. Whether you focus on your breath, your body, or a mantra, it’s all aiming for the same outcome.
Repeating a word in your head is especially effective because, oddly enough, the mind can only think of on one thing at a time. When you repeat the word, it gently cuts off wandering thoughts. Over time, this starts to clear the mental clutter. The mind calms down, and you become more in tune with the present and your own thought patterns.
When I practice it, I feel less overwhelmed, more focused, and the urge to doomscroll quiets down. At night, something similar happens, and it’s quite helpful in helping me fall asleep. I like this analogy: mental clutter is like having too many tabs open in your mind, and meditation is a tool to press “Close All.”
People who espouse transcendental meditation often make much bigger, more spiritual claims about it. But as I have said, my idea of mediation is modest.
Maybe those deeper effects show up with long-term practice, and if they do, great. But I am okay not having that expectation.