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It's called void meditation, and is actually part of the buddhist philosophy. There are many different methods for practicing meditation even in buddhism. The goal with meditation in general is to will oneself into any desired mental state. One "practices" meditation to the ends of being able to call that state wherever one happens to be. It is a future-oriented practice, even when doing meditation that immerses one in the "moment", it is about eventually being able to do it anytime and anywhere one needs it. Often it is about introspection, but void meditation is about self control, and creating a feeling of safety in a mind full of loose and anxious thoughts. Void helps in times of deep emotional stress, so that instead of causing trauma, one can simply ignore the thoughts until they can be processed more coherently.