i have heard people say that meditation is only possible with complete silence so you totally concentrate on… well, nothing
but i find it is much easier for me meditate with a chilling Radiohead song on. so is it still real meditating if im doing it to tunes? sorry im new haha
I think people often mistake what meditating really is. That’s the problem with words… the true meaning can get lost! Meditating to the average Joe, sounds like something that only a person who is spiritual and into the techniques can do… You can picture in your head, a person sitting indian style, eye’s closed, in some particular stance or form… That IS a form of meditating… but let me start by defining it… Meditating is just a state of complete focus… You can be meditating whilst playing guitar, or snowboarding, or drawing, or dancing… In sports, when a person get’s in the “zone”, that’s meditating! So to answer your question, yes you can meditate with music on, if it helps you get focused. Don’t let the word meditate scare you into thinking it’s some elaborate thing… anyone and everyone can meditate… on different levels.
DeyBwah
I agree with DeyBwah. Don’t let that word, “meditation” making you think that it’s only for Buddhaists or someone who are very expert in that area.
Everyone, including YOU, can do it… it doesn’t matter if you meditate with music or not. As long as you are focusing, then you’re doing right. 
There are many forms of meditation. One is definately pure focus on anything at all.
I have taken courses in Buddhism where we had to think about “nothing”. Now that is weird. Very hard to hear …say a bird chirp and try to not let it register…or…lol…you end up thinking your thinking about nothing- so is that nothing or is the thought still something…lol…anyway. I think this one is hardest.
Another form is to let your mind run free and just observe your thoughts yet not focuson on any.
Tripper, by letting your thougts run free, as you said, you will attain this mind that is “thinking nothing”. It is very hard just to go into that state of mind where youre not thinking if you haven’t practised the other form before.
Rather than saying that listening to music while meditating isn’t real meditating, I’d go as far as to say that it is actually good to have music while you’re meditating. I guess its different for different people and it depends on what sort of meditation you’re doing, but just go with what works best for you.
I remember one time I meditated on nothing and my head started vibrating and I kept going for another half hour and I was suddenly dreaming, hahah! It was strange because I’m not one of those people who falls asleep while doing things and as far as I know I didn’t lose focus but then again I guess you don’t lose focus when you do WILD either… Sometimes when I meditate I also feel like I’m getting a bad chemical burn on the top of my head, (I’ve had them on my scalp before in other spots and it felt like that). I don’t know what causes this but it stops when I’m done.