Response: Westernization of Ideas

In response to Ryan Walters' post "Meditation" (February 6, 2012):
I think this may be a case less of the concept of meditation changing over time, and more one of the concept becoming muddled through the process of Westernization.  While many Eastern civilizations practiced (and practice) meditation, few if any ancient Western societies did the same.  Meditation mainly appeared much later in the west, as an imported idea from Eastern societies such as India and China.  I am not entirely sure what the modern conception of meditation is in more Eastern countries, but I'd guess that it is at least closer to the concept expressed in the Gita than is the currently common Western conception.