India, Aug. 19 -- Meditation is often presented today as a way to slow down, manage stress or create a few quiet minutes in a busy day. But the practice did not begin as a wellness trend. For thousands of years, people have used meditation within religious and philosophical traditions to focus the mind, deepen reflection and explore their inner lives.

A recent Cleveland Clinic article, updated on March 23, 2026, places Sufi meditation alongside Buddhist, Christian, Taoist, yoga and transcendental meditation. The medical centre describes meditation as a complementary practice and notes that it has been studied for possible effects on stress, mood, focus, emotional regulation and sleep.

That raises a more interesting question for spiritua...