Inner Peace in Troubled Times – The Meditation Blog

The fact that the world is changing may help us see more clearly what meditation has to offer.

Times Change
It is easy to become short-sighted about our own era. Yet some may be right in saying that we are now living through a time of transition. The post-war decades brought plenty to worry about—the Cold War, the nuclear threat, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and more. Still, in the West, and particularly in Northern Europe, life was marked by a rare degree of outward calm and stability. If something went wrong in your personal life, you could find some reassurance simply by looking outward at a world that felt relatively safe, governed by leaders you might disagree with, but could more or less trust.

That picture has changed. Today, you can no longer count on finding peace “out there.” Increasingly, you are left to seek it within yourself, in your immediate surroundings, your family, or your own inner resources.

Everything Has Its Price
Meditation offers relaxation and relief from stress. But especially in unsettled times, its value goes much deeper than that.

In a world that feels more aggressive and unpredictable, Acem Meditation provides a way to access one’s own inner resources. Still, everything has its price. Although meditation often feels good, it can also bring periods of restlessness, resistance, boredom, anxiety, or physical discomfort. To reach the deeper benefits of meditation, you must be willing to stay with what is less pleasant in the moment. In a culture that places so much emphasis on “feeling good,” this is not something to take for granted.

Consider the example of two young people in their early twenties—outgoing, active, and lively, with minor issues such as stress and sleep problems that meditation often helps with. In the beginning, they meditated with ease and were delighted with the results. Yet within two weeks they quit. Because they meditated so well, the deeper and paradoxical effects surfaced quickly, along with an uneasiness they did not want to face. In a time so focused on the pursuit of happiness, they saw little reason to tolerate short-term discomfort, even if it might have led to something more lasting.

Existential Anchoring

In a world out of order, the benefits of meditation extend far beyond relaxation and escape. The need today is not simply to recover from overwork or personal stress. What we face is not only physical tension, but a deeper existential unrest. In such times, the existential dimensions of meditation become more essential: a living silence, an inner connection with fundamental aspects of existence, a counterweight to the narcissistic and self-absorbed noise of the age.

This is not about indifference or withdrawing from the troubled world around us. Rather, it is about finding contact with deeper dimensions of life. Relaxation is important, but existential calm and clarity are now even more central. Reflecting on the timeless questions of human existence can bring a sense of perspective and distance from the noise and turbulence of the moment. Meditation opens a space where it is peaceful simply to be, and where even contemplating fundamental themes—such as memento mori (remember that you will die)—can put the urgencies of the present into perspective.

Not Alone

One of the most frightening aspects of a world dominated by narcissistic leaders is the loneliness it breeds. For the narcissist, you are not valued for who you are, but only for how you feed their ego, self-esteem, or power. Allies can be discarded overnight, leaving only the roles of hated enemy or unworthy follower.

When we close our eyes in meditation, however, we are not alone. Meditation is about building a relationship—an inner connection with resources no one can take away. Troubled times make it clearer that regular, and especially long, meditations open a channel to the rich inner world of the human being.

This is not about forcing “positive thinking” or trying to shut out the negative. Positive thinking alone rests on fragile ground: it depends on one’s own effort, one’s own faith in personal strength. When the turmoil of the world outweighs what we can balance on our own, such optimism easily collapses. In contrast, meditation can open us to something universal and transcendent, deeper than ourselves. The inner silence we touch is stronger than the outer noise.

Cannot Be Destroyed

The resources we access in meditation are, in a deeper sense, not something we own. We cannot conquer them or take possession of them as our personal property. They simply are. What we can do is tune in, open ourselves, and allow a relationship with them to grow.

This inner anchoring is a support in difficult times. We may fear what destructive leaders and their mass of digital followers can break, but the fundamental dimensions we reach in meditation cannot be destroyed. Others may disturb or block our access to them, but no human power can eliminate what simply is.

Meditation is not prayer, yet it deserves respect. By giving it space and treating it as something essential, we strengthen our relationship with these inner dimensions. Even small rituals—a change of clothes before sitting down, or a quiet moment afterward to absorb what has surfaced—can remind us of the “window to the light” that meditation offers. And for those with the time, meditating a little longer can deepen this relationship.

Where We Are Not Competitors

Much of today’s unrest stems from a cult of indifference and un-empathy. Consideration is dismissed as weakness; greatness is defined as needing no one.

Meditation carries a very different message. To connect with what is truly strong, lasting, and invulnerable requires sensitivity, empathy, and refinement. In meditation, we draw closer to what all human beings share at the deepest level. Building a relationship with this inner common ground is a corrective to the cult of egocentrism and the false belief that strength lies in putting oneself first.

Human history shows that we survived not because we were the strongest, but because we cooperated and built communities of culture and knowledge. Yet humanity is also capable of aggression and cruelty toward those who think differently. Meditation, however, orients us toward community. What we open ourselves to inside is universal—an essence available to everyone. From this perspective, divisiveness is revealed as false.

Meditation thus offers more than personal peace in troubled times. It challenges the illusion that narcissism, hostility, and disengagement make us stronger. Instead, it points to an inner resource where strength is shared, inexhaustible, and beyond rivalry.

— Ole Gjems Onstad