meditation is meant to lead the ignorant to light

meditation is meant to lead the ignorant to light, previous experience not a requirement, even a child can [6 years up].

meditation is --taking a thought [meaning less one ] and gradually experiencing subtler and more subtler levels of it, reaching the subtlest and going beyond into nothing ness --called transcending.

it is not concentration, it is rather experiencing gradually the more subtler levels, you may call deep thinking, but is --going deep, deeper, deepest and beyond.

any animal/object /word with a form and meaning leads to contemplation ,does not allow to go beyond it --keeping the mind on surface., hence the need for meaning less thought, manthra.

you will come out after diving in--but cleansed.

being a subtle teaching, to be learnt from qualified teacher[i am not], to gain knowledge and the experience --with appropriate checks and follow ups initially, --all easy.