Do you find guided or silent meditation more effective?

Gabriella U.
It depends on my surrounding. When I’m at home and it is quiet I prefer silent meditation. When I’m just trying to breathe for a moment during a hectic day, I like the guided meditation, because it is easier to focus on it. When I jump around all day because my schedule sends me all over town, I definitely prefer the guided meditation. After a long day, when I can finally settle down, I prefer the silent meditation. I enjoy having some time of silence. If I don’t have it, I feel like I’m not rested the next day.
In short: what is your body/mind asking for? A break from the day or a moment alone with no distraction?
Johnni S.
I like guided. I have been using Peloton meditation and it is guided. I find my meditation lasts longer and is better when it is guided. My mind wanders less.
Isaiah Z.
Each person has their preference. I started with guided until I got the hang of it; now I meditate while listening to binaural beats. 🙂
Levi E.
I find that guided meditation keeps my mind from wandering. I like that it takes me places I didn’t know I needed to go. I find comfort in the voice of another person. I find that silent meditation is still a place where my least productive thoughts live.
Olivia C.
More recently I have been doing well with guided meditations but in the past I have been successful with even up to 20 minute silent meditations.
Simon Z.
I absolutely find guided meditation way more effective because it helps you keep coming back when things are tough or you're too busy and it also gives you some clarity and takes the pressure off of yourself to come up with a session. If you don't know where to start, download the headspace app, which is brilliant.
Linda J.
Silent meditation is my preference. I get in touch with my own mind more quickly that way. I use a technique from Ki-Aikido.
“Ki-breathing” is very centering. Start with 2-5 minutes daily and work up to half an hour or an hour daily. Continuity is more important than achieving a longer time. This practice effectively creates calmness in one’s life.
Here’s a video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz_IcnkBfEkextremely centering.
Here’s a video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz_IcnkBfEk
Zachary C.
I personally like guided meditation much better. My concentration is very bad, so when I try to meditate myself, I just lose interest and have a hard time keeping on track. Guided meditation is much better for me. It’s also kind of fun, and there’s so many different meditations to listen to
Leonard S.
I prefer guided. I have a very short attention span and thus guided meditation tends to bring my concentration back a lot faster. Guided meditation teaches you many new techniques and thus allows you to find techniques that work for you. Which can work for different circumstances, such as sleep, stress, anxiety, anger and many more.
Lea F.
Silent. My whole point is to try to limit my thoughts, period. Guided, while focused, is still putting thoughts into my mind. That’s how I view it.
Heiderose X.
Generally guided for me. Having only started meditating a few months ago, I find it more helpful to use guided meditations to keep me focused – I still find it difficult sometimes to stop my mind wandering.
However, at night in bed, I do silent meditation after journaling to help me relax at the end of the day and properly prepare for a good night’s sleep.
Evelyn P.
For me, definitely guided. With ADD and my always-on-the-go mind and body, I doubt I’d ever be able to sit still long enough to make it through a session by myself! :)-
Gla Cia Z.
For now, guided meditation is more effective for me as long as the voice is soothing enough. However, I found that with great music, unguided meditation can allow me more freedom to explore my inner world
Terry C.
Guided meditation that teaches you the habits if meditation so that you can do unguided later on with less distraction and more confidence.
Norman F.
I find both guided and silent meditation effective. I choose what I use depending on what I need that particular day. They are both useful and powerful in their own way.
Mae P.
I prefer guided even if it is minimal just to remind me my mind has wandered if it does, this calmly brings me back to what I was doing.
Dinarte Y.
Guided meditation seems to be more effective for me, especially because I am generally new to the whole practice. With guided meditations, it doesn’t give your mind too much of a chance to wander and get distracted. For beginners or people just beginning the habit, I would strongly recommend guided, and when you are more comfortable with the practice you can branch out to see how silent meditation feels.
Maren W.
I think for me I would benefit more from silent meditation but I always find myself doing guided. It is a goal to do both daily.
Anthony P.
I find guided meditation more effective, because the verbal guidance keeps me focused on the goal of meditation. Perhaps with time, practice, and some self discipline, I will no longer require outside guidance, and will be content to mediate under my own direction.
Victor T.
I use guided meditation to sleep at night for an average of 20minutes and guided meditation in the morning approximately. For 10 minutes through out the day I listen to meditative music. I plan to practice unguided meditation
Est Ban T.
I find guided meditation more effective. It helps to bring me back when my mind starts wandering. It gives me a focal point. I am able to meditate longer
Anton U.
I find guided meditation more effective cause I tend to think a lot so it helps me focus on what they're saying but I hope to be able to meditate silently someday
Storm C.
I found that silent is better for me.
And sometimes before falling asleep I used to listen binaural or forest sounds, and I want to ask- why you add bell sound in the end of it? It’s too annoying…because I feel relaxed and dreaming and that sound awakening me!
Marilou C.
I find silent meditation more effective and love zen sitting meditation (zazen), which is usually 40 minutes long. But right now I am out of practice and am starting with 10-minute guided meditation using the Calm app. Without guidance, it's hard for me to keep focused. I think as you get more advanced, you are supposed to switch to less or no guidance, which is what I plan to do.
Patrick P.
Both are great, but I prefer guided meditation. It is much easier for me to listen to someone else tell me what to do than try to focus myself. I have quite bad ADD, so it's easy for me to get distracted. The sound of someone's voice with guided meditation is very helpful
Timmothy Z.
Meditation is practiced to better observe your mind. Your sudconscious dictates your present reality and with you taking the time everyday, thanks to cerebral neuroplasticity, you will be better able observe what it is giving you to say and do and instead step back and choose different. I’ve meditated for several years now, used a few different methods, and the only one I strongly suggest is Sam Harris’s meditation app:

https://wakingup.com

I wish you could follow up with questions but I can promise you this, use this app everyday and do your research to better understand your mind and you will be able to create the present reality that you’d rather enjoy:)