Any object or gesture that has been used ever before in any type of connection with avodah zarah/idolatry, at any level whatsoever (i.e., even avak/the dust of idolatry, the minimum level), is forbidden to a Jew to use. This is so because even in the case that the particular idolatry is no longer practiced today, the object or gesture once used remains a portal to the spiritual level of that idolatry. And when a person uses it in any fashion or imitates the gesture once used, the nefarious force is then strengthened, G-d forbid.
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I would like to clarify an important point here: Better than "Any object or gesture", it should read "Any object with a gesture". The matter is this. The receptive nature of the lower dimensional plane (i.e. ha-aretz) we understand and live makes its attraction toward the higher plane (i.e. ha-shamayim) magnetic, which entails an immediate connection under the right conditions. Therefore, let us take the example of an avodah zarah mentioned by the master, R' Moshe David Valle (1697-1777), al HaTorah, the talmid muvak of the Ramchal, when a person would tip his hat towards an idol as a form of worshiping it. Now, in our contemporary world, tipping of the hat is a conventional gesture of politeness. This custom has the same origin as a military salute. To tip, barely lift the hat, or respectfully touching of the brim with a nod of the head. Although this is no longer a form of avodah zarah, and the precise form of hat tipping may not even be documented anywhere, if a person tips his hat in the precise and exact form that this "object and gesture" were once used in ancient days for idolatry, due to the spiritual law of magnetic attraction, he would form a "link" (i.e., open a spiritual fissure) to the negative force that once used these material object with the gesture to be strengthened, chaz v'shalom. This is so even though the event occurred inadvertently. Know that this is also true for positive attractions. For instance, the Ari"zal explaining the second condition for a gilui maggid says: או אם יהיה שעשה האיש הזה איזו מצוה, כפי גדר הצדיק ההוא. וע״י אהד משני תנאים אלו, יבא וישרה עליו ע׳יד הנזכר "Or it might be if this man observed some precepts that are comparable to the height of that righteous. Through one of these two conditions, he will come and rule on him, as we have explained" (Sha'ar Ruach HaKodesh, daf 10). That is, the person can (magnetically) attract b'sod ibbur a tzadik's ruach by performing in the precise and exact form that this "object and gesture" were once used in ancient days for a mitzvah. This matter is long and I cannot explore all of its facets here, but I think now it becomes clearer the danger of using certain objects, especially for spiritual matters such as meditation. For it is in that frame of mind, so to speak, that potentially damaging forces can be attracted to individuals by the law of magnetic resonance. If someone opens their mind to being influenced, then no matter where they are, a shed can be drawn to them instantaneously, and so on. See, while Hovat Mitzvat HaDevekut is perhaps the greatest of the mitzvot (since שויתי ה' לנגדי תמיד), unfortunately nowadays, most Jews have no idea whatsoever what this really means and how to perform it in the correct Torah way. That being so, there is great danger in practicing meditation and even doing so through the means of an "alien to Torah" object that has been used (and continues to do so in our contemporary reality) for avodah zarah. Opportunistic forces can easily be drawn to the person doing so upon the inadvertent error of using this object while attempting, ignorantly so, to "meditate", that is, to connect to the higher plane. Thus, even through any cat or any tree (as our colleagues here have suggested), such a link to a nefarious force can be established upon the right condition, as it has been explained briefly here. Now, going to the level of halacha, we also learn something else very important I mentioned in my comments. According to halacha, an item does not acquire any form of sanctity or prominence simply by virtue of it being designated for a particular use. For example, if one were to designate an item to be used for a mitzvah, such as a myrtle or willow branch to be used as part of the Lulav bundle, it would not acquire any sanctity until it is actually used for that purpose. One may also retract and redesignate an item for any purpose, as long as it was not yet used. This concept is referred to as "hazmana lav milta" in halachic literature, which means that one’s designation of something for a ritual purpose is halachically meaningless and inconsequential (see Talmud, Sanhedrin 47b). In fact, the Talmud teaches that an animal that was designated for idolatry may later be used as a sacrifice in the Beit Hamikdash if it was not actually used for an idolatrous purpose (see Talmud, Temura 29a; Rambam, Hilchot Isurei Mizbei’ach 4:4). This translates into the fact that if and only if, the person uses any object that was used for avodah zarah, but the person does not imitate the gesture used to activate the nefarious force behind the avodah zarah, there is no harm at all in using such object. But do you want to risk it? As such, it is best to avoid using objects that have knowingly been used historically in the practice of idolatry, such as beads, etc. I sincerely hope this brief summary of my original ideas serves the community better, my sole intention, with G-d's help.
