As we approach the end of the century we are seeing a huge increase in interest in all things esoteric. The 'New Age' movement is gathering tremendous momentum as thousands of people buy books, tapes and videos which urge us to take responsibility for ourselves and our health. Many, many authors are urging us to take up meditation as a way into this. Meditation is definitely a spiritual path as well. It was meditation that led Buddha to become enlightened as he sat beneath the Bodhi tree.
Prayer is a form of meditation too.
Of course, as with taking up any new practice, there is the motivation problem. One of the most difficult aspects of learning to meditate is perseverance. You do not just sit down and meditate at the first attempt, unless you are extremely lucky. Many of the books on meditation instruct you to sit down and to 'empty your mind'. This is not something that comes easily to Westerners, as we are trained to use our minds and cultivate an active and incisive mode of thinking.