Three Minutes a Day is one of the best meditation books to come along in years. Author Richard Dixey has written a real how-to manual for anyone who wants to start meditating. Not only that, he outlines in clear, simple terms how the reader can gain all the wisdom and benefits of a meditative practice with just a few minutes daily investment of time. Repeat that three minutes every day for several weeks, and before you know it you are a meditator, capable of achieving clarity, growth, and insight.

Science is all about precision, controlled studies, and measurable, repeatable results. So for years researchers resisted working on alternative practices such as meditation, dismissing the few studies done as “fuzzy science,” “subjective,” or “impossible to duplicate.” But as research methods have advanced, so has the accuracy of the latest research. There is ample evidence now that stress leads to increased risk of health problems and that meditation reduces stress. What’s new are the studies showing how stress is related to aging and telomere length.

What happens when we begin to make meditation practice a part of our everyday lives? There are an endless number of books written on meditation techniques. What is rarely discussed or included with those instructions is what happens when a meditation practice is undertaken—when a person is truly dedicated to making meditation a part of their life.

I recently finished reading “Anathem” by Neal Stephenson, for the second time, (not something I usually do) and I was struck by an offhand observation that the young main character makes about another man who may be hundreds of years old. At one point, the old man is chanting and holds the same note for hours, (clearly some kind of re-breathing technique), and the young man ponders what it’s like to have such a different notion of time that you would want to chant the same note for hours. Then he has the insight that a mind that has done that probably has very different thoughts from a mind that hasn’t.

Spiritual symbols are images of hidden spiritual processes, conditions and forces that relate to spiritual beings such as elementary beings, hierarchies of angels or even the being of Christ. When we connect with these symbols through meditation, we effectively open ourselves and merge with those spiritual forces associated with these spiritual beings.

Using magical symbols for the achievement of goals and success is not only empowering but also fraught with risks. It should therefore be practiced with caution. A magical mastery of life needs to go hand in hand with mastery over oneself as well, including personal moral development. Exerting power without enlightened moral development can easily lead to an abyss of abuse and destruction. However, these risks should not hold us back from seeking to master ourselves and life, in close connection with those spirits that serve the ascendance of humanity.

You learned in grade school science class that energy can appear in either the potential or kinetic form. The electricity in the wiring of your home is available for any use you choose. When you turn a light switch to the “on” position, energy appears in the form of light. This is the kinetic state because the energy is being used or expended. However, when you turn the light switch to the “off” position, the energy remains in the potential state–ready to be used at the flick of a switch.

Most of the world’s spiritual traditions encourage letting go in one form or another. Non-attachment to outcomes, surrendering desires, accepting the present, opening to a higher power, relinquishing the ego, forgiveness—they all entail a letting go. Letting go, it is claimed leads to greater happiness, open-heartedness, and inner freedom.

It’s common to meditate while listening to beautiful music, but I’ve found that meditating to ambient sounds—whatever sounds are present at this very moment—is not only a wonderful meditation, it provides a deep insight into where we can find joy in our lives. I lead weekly meditations at the Humanist Community at Harvard, and one of our mainstays is the ambient sound meditation. I first learned it myself when I attended a workshop by the Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield. The idea is to pay attention to all the sounds around you with a friendly welcoming spirit. This includes the sounds of trucks and buses going by, sirens, coughing, rustling and other sounds that we typically label as “noise.”