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 nothingness –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 meaningless 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.