Meditation, or in Hebrew, Hashkata, is an ancient and time-honored tradition with its roots in the world of contemplative practice. The meditative tradition in the history of Judaism, focuses in great detail in part on the Zohar and the more unusual practices for quieting the body and mind which are outlined therein. This is essential for some important background for understanding what Hashkata actually was, how it was related to the main body of Kabbalistic teachings and to Jewish mysticism more generally – what might be called ‘lived Kabbalah.’ This reveals the essentially experiential nature of the text and some of the ambitions that underwrote its creation,the Ari z”l in particular.

The search for more unusual and more highly transformed states of mind is as much a feature of mysticism as it is a modern preoccupation. The interest in transcending the limitations of the ordinary mind is something that can provide points of connection between the contemplative practices of Kabbalists and Buddhists and engage contemporary audiences in new spiritual practices. Sustained meditation can bring about extraordinary changes – that is why people keep going even when they find it distressing and newly confronting. It gives them insight into new ways of being, relating, and living in the world.