I’ve been doing a lot of research and it seems like every major religion practiced meditation at some point; many have since pushed it aside as non-essential, but history says at some point it was integral to all faiths.
Having grown up in a very fundamental Christian home, the M word was a bad word. We didn’t mediate! We thought it was secular & evil! Both myself and my family have since come to the realization that even the extreme fundamentalist Christian worldview has historically acknowledged the need to meditate at some point. It’s been freeing to dig back into the biblical texts and go “Ahhhhh okay, so everyone agrees we should meditate, cool.”
I believe it says a lot that all faiths consider this practice to be important. The journey for me has shifted the question from “Should I meditate?” to “What should I meditate on?” — Being intentional about the what has helped me on this journey. On good days, meditation brings me clarity on major life decisions. On most days, it (at minimum) brings me a sense of peace.
Unsure if you’d consider that to fit under woo woo shit, but I think it’s worth looking into for every person regardless of what they believe / don’t believe.