meditation

Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique to train attention and awareness and detach from reflexive, "discursive thinking", achieving a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state, while not judging the meditation process itself.

AI overview

Meditation is a practice where you train your attention and awareness to help you step back from automatic, repetitive thoughts and reach a state of mental clarity and emotional calm. It matters because this mental training can help you achieve greater stability and peace without judging yourself during the process.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Research

11,964 papers

Brief, daily meditation enhances attention, memory, mood, and emotional regulation in non-experienced meditators.Behavioural brain research · 2019
Neuromodulation and meditation: A review and synthesis toward promoting well-being and understanding consciousness and brain.Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews · 2024
Meditation and telomere length: a meta-analysis.Psychology & health · 2020
Effectiveness of Meditation Techniques in Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2024
Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2011

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Wikidata facts

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Commons category: Meditation

Sources (5)

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~55 min read

Article

54 sections

Contents

Etymology
Definitions
Difficulties in defining meditation
No universally accepted definition for meditation
Separation of technique from tradition
Dictionary definitions
Scholarly definitions
Classifications
Focused and open methods
Other possible typologies
Technique
Posture
Frequency
Supporting aids
Use of prayer beads
Striking the meditator
Using a narrative
Psychedelics
Walking Meditation
Meditation traditions
Origins
South Asian religions
Hinduism
Mantra Meditation
Jainism
Buddhism
Dhyana
Samatha and vipassana
Sikhism
Taoism
Abrahamic religions
Judaism
Christianity
Islam
Baháʼí Faith
Modern spirituality
Modern dissemination in the West
New Age
Guided meditation
Effects
"Challenging" and adverse effects
Contemplative traditions
Mindfulness
Secular applications
Psychotherapy
Clinical
In the workplace
In school
Relaxation response and biofeedback
See also
Notes
References
Sources
Further reading

Meditation techniques are broadly classified into focused (or concentrative) and open monitoring methods. Focused methods involve attention to specific objects like breath or mantras, while open monitoring includes mindfulness and awareness of mental events.