Stressful events, sadness and anxiety are modern peoples' constant companions from early childhood to old age. However, modern man often does not know or cannot help himself and thus becomes a prisoner of his own pain and denial. Hence, the spiritual and healing procedures and methods of various Western and Eastern cultures, which were in use for thousands of years, have been recently emerging as an alternative to existing patterns and customs. Meditation and mindfulness were already known to the ancient peoples of the East and the West. Meditation is just one of many important and effective methods for managing and treating mental problems and nowadays it is more and more often used as a complementary method alongside already established therapeutic approaches in psychotherapy and clinical practice. In this master's thesis, we used the phenomenological method to explore experiences and coping with painful emotions in meditation. With the use of semi-structured interviews, we conducted research with five participants in order to explore their insight and their experiences. The results of the research are in accordance with the theoretical underpinnings relating to the method and effects of meditation, which assume that regular and appropriate practice of meditation, combined with a deep and non-judgmental attitude towards oneself, helps with liberation and abandonment of one's own inner struggles. It also helps with one’s outlook on their own life and personal circumstances from a different perspective in order to make sense of them and consciously direct their energy towards important personal goals.
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