I’m no master meditator. How do I know this? I’m still trying to figure out “what I’m supposed to get out of it.” Experienced folks will likely tell you that mine is the wrong attitude. They are probably right. The quote below contrasts the mindful awareness approach against a less-known “centering prayer” method.
But there is one very significant difference. In classic awareness meditation, the watcher would stay keenly tuned to the passing parade overhead, watching each boat as it emerged into view, sent its wake rippling through the waters, and then passed out of sight. But in Centering Prayer the diver simply wakes up to discover that somehow he’s managed to sleepwalk into the hold of one of those boats; at which point he simply climbs off and swims back down to his rock. There is no requirement for sustained observing consciousness, merely for prompt action when one discovers oneself “caught out”.
Because in most schools mediation is seen as virtually synonymous with clarity of mind and a strong “I am here” presence, it is to the considerable horror of some practitioners on these more traditional paths that Centering Prayer seems to go sailing right past these core prerequisites for either single-pointed attention or a sustained witnessing presence. Christian Mediation’s founding father, John Main, echoes the traditional wisdom when he insists that it is absolutely essential to keep saying the mantra as a touchstone for attention. To fail to do so, he says, leads to a state that he calls “pernicious peace.” In attempting to describe this state, he, too, is drawn to the metaphor of boats on a river. As he sees it, meditation is something like rowing a boat across a river; the goal is to get to the other side. Partway across the river, the midday sun may feel warm and gentle, and the temptation is strong to pull in the oars and bask in the sun. While the consequent experience is pleasurable, the net result is that you simply float downstream. Getting to the other side requires that you keep pulling steadily on the oar, which for Main means the steady repetition of mantra.
Bourgeault, Cynthia. Centering prayer and Inner awakening, pp. 114-155. Cowley Publishing, 2004.