What is meditation in the Big Book?
Have a look at pages 86 to 88 of the Big Book, do what it says, and you're meditating. You're welcome!
Meditation, for the purposes of Step Eleven is precisely that. If you want to add on religious or spiritual practices from particular religions or movements, fine. I certainly do.
'Don't have coffee or you can't meditate properly.'
You might not be able to do meditation from a particular tradition that prohibits caffeine (or nicotine), but you can certainly follow the instructions on pages 86 to 88 and be a perfectly good AA.
'Take these [micro-dosed] psychedelics and you can have a spiritual experience. By the way, the ceremony is in Costa Rica / Brazil / Guatemala. Here's the brochure for the hotel. We take all major credit cards'
It's never in Hoboken, Schenectady, or Crewe. Have you noticed that?
No, you don't have to whack yourself out on drugs to have a spiritual experience.
In fact, what you have won't be a spiritual experience.
It will be a drug-induced hallucination.
If an external agent is required to see right, your sight has not been changed.
A change in vision must come from within to be sustained.
Spectacles improve eyesight only for as long as they are worn.
Corrective surgery changes eyesight forever.
We could increase the list ad infinitum, but the point is now made.
Step Eleven meditation is easy, free, and can start now, in Hoboken, Schenectady, or Crewe. No need for experts. No need for whack-jobs. No need to go anywhere, pay a penny, or subscribe to any particular belief system.
When included as part of a system of personal inventory and a life devoted to destruction of self and constructive action, it produces incremental change.
There are no tricks and there are no shortcuts.