Is it still meditation when you direct your thoughts to what you want the future to look like, or is that just day-dreaming?

Debbie E.
I think it is yes. If you are thinking about the future while meditating you are not focusing on the present and bringing your thoughts to how you feel now.
Corina E.
I believe thinking about something you pick and of interest to you would not count as meditation. This is because, meditation requires you to be in the present moment and experience all your sensations with utmost relaxation. When you start contemplating what the future will be like gives only something to think about but you will not experience the present moment.
Jonathan P.
It is meditation if it’s done with intention and the feelings are brought back to the present, so that we can improve our present self to achieve our desired future self
Dawn N.
Although there are many approaches to meditation, to me in essence meditating has to do with going beneath the thinking mind. The thinking mind, our intellect, is useful to deal with the outside world, we need it and it's a great tool for us humans, but it's not appropriate to approach Spirit. Picture your thinking mind like the surface of a body of water, where the winds (your thoughts) restlessly blow. The purpose of my meditation practice is diving below the surface, into stillness, into the depth of myself, where Spirit is. So to me, meditation is practicing stillness, and isn't compatible with thinking. Thinking has other purposes, planning the future for example, but I don't think it should be considered meditation.
Noham T.
I think that meditation means different things to different people, but in my opinion, no, thinking about your future isn't meditation. Sure, it can be meditative, have some of the same focusing and calming effects of meditation, but it is not necessarily meditation itself. Meditation to me is not thinking. It's learning how to quiet the mind and learning how to control it.
Elizabeth J.
No, in my eyes that is not meditation. Meditation is about self awareness and having a real sense of self. Meditation is the 'Art of doing nothing'. By which I mean, if meditation is used correctly, many things can be accomplished at once just by simply learning to be and letting go of the things that cannot be controlled, whilst identifying the things that we can have an affect on, I.e. ourselves, our thoughts, feelings, behaviours etc…
Guterre W.
I would say that is more like visualization. It is important to reflect on what you want your life to look like. experience it and feel as it has already happened. Get all of your senses involved and get as detailed as possible. This is visualization. This and meditation are very important. I would meditate after visualization to sort of solidify what it is you have seen for yourself and for your life.
Lya E.
I think some people would call that visualization and affirmation, and while it is a useful exercise when you're setting your goals, it isn't helping your focus and mindfulness and inner peace, so it's not really meditation.
Julia R.
Yes, but mediation is about concentration, peace and calm.., so make you focus and concentrate on what you wanted to became to make dream, true……..
Alma Y.
Depends, are you doing it with thoughtfulness and intent? There are visualisation types of meditation, but they should be done with an awareness of the thoughts and what they mean in the big picture.
Lya O.
Day dreaming isn't such a bad thing; at the very least, it can offer an respite from the noise and froth of the present. Whilst the may be meditative benefits from focusing on what one wants from the future I suggest that is better thought of as visualisation, the benefits of which have been proven by many elite athletes. Meditation 'proper' is the freeing of the mind from detail, wants and desires hence why so many focus on the autonomic function of breathing.
Ondino C.
I believe the thoughts that pop in our head while meditating should be acknowledged. Sometimes seeing what your life should be like can help manifest that in reality. As long as you're focused on your breathing during those visions
Magela Q.
I believe in the law of attraction, and so I believe that any contemplation of the future is shaping that future, depending on the intensity of concentration and the emotions attached. In this way, meditating on and visualizing the future is an excellent process because it allows your own will to flow and influences the situations you envision. However, I would personally find it counter-productive if I were, say, trying to de-stress after a particularly rough day. I find that after being immersed in the prolonged stress of modern life, thoughts of my future, no matter how positive, tend to fill me with self-doubt and anxiety, when the goal of meditation is personal peace and inner harmony. I find it much easier and a more positive experience to perform 'future thinking' and meditate on things to come only when in a relaxed, positive state to begin with.
Alessandra I.
I'm afraid that's just daydreaming. Meditation should keep you in the present moment.
Astrid A.
No I don't think it's daydreaming necessarily either. You can direct your thoughts to thinking about the future when you use visualization
Heinz Georg X.
As I understand it, meditation is about focusing your mind on one thing and resting your attention there (the breath for example). The key is to notice when your mind starts thinking about other things, planning or worrying and gently refocus — training your ability to be aware of thoughts and emotions. So I would say sitting down to think about the future does not count as meditation. It’s what you should try to stop your mind from doing while staying present in the moment.
Amelia Q.
Yes, that's a form of meditation! That practice/train of thought is called manifestation and it's one of the best things you can do for yourself.
Alexandra W.
I don't think there is a right and wrong way to meditate. Early on though it seems to be about control, are you thinking about the future because you choose to or simply because it's what came to mind whilst trying to clear your mind. The former is okay the matter probably not. Once you've established that control then arguably it's about whether you're envisaging a possible future on which you may build tangible plans or imaging what
Marilou F.
For me, meditation is used to center myself in the moment and clear my head of all thoughts. I use it to align myself mentally and spiritually in the here and now. Sometimes following meditation, I'll think about my future. It allows me to think clearly about it without the interference of clunky emotions. The actual act of meditation for me, though, is used to be in the moment, free of the past and the future.
Martin I.
That is still meditation. I like to think that it’s an intentional meditation using the laws of attraction to manifest what you want. Meditation is really taking the time to be with yourself and improve how you’re feeling. I think you should take the time to reflect and look forward.
Jakob O.
It depends on my feeling someday i am happy or alot work to do then i think my future my day,some day i have not any work and feeling bad and i think about dreams.you should see which them is better for you to calm your soul.
Sacha Y.
It is still meditation. It is creating the I am statements that make the difference. It is allowing for the positive to manifest itself in you.
Raul Z.
That would be day-dreaming because your mind is actively working, having jumped on the long train of thoughts. Thus, you're still being moved here and there, like a ping-pong ball on a foamy ocean wave.
Emily Y.
What is meditation anyway? Some would say that it's a practice that involves actively not thinking, giving your mind the opportunity to rest and take a break from thoughts in order to become aware of what there is in the realm of no-thought. In that case, if you're directing your thoughts to anything, your future included, you can't be meditating. But I think you can set an intention for a meditation session — "I intend this meditation to be about my future" or "I dedicate this meditation to my future" — then focus on your breathing or your mantra or whatever else allows you to arrive at the place of no-thought. Without thinking, without daydreaming, there may still be insight or illumination about your future that arises out of that place of no-thought. Within that restful place there can be many surprises that arrive effortlessly.