Meditation

Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses mental exercises, such as focused attention, open monitoring of experience, or the cultivation of particular mental states, to train attention and awareness and to achieve a mentally clear, emotionally calm, or compassionate state. Common elements include directing attention to a chosen object, such as the breath, a mantra, or bodily sensations, and bringing the focus back when it wanders. Techniques vary widely and include mindfulness meditation, concentration practices, loving-kindness (metta) meditation, and body-scan or vipassana styles.

Historically, meditative practices appear in ancient Indian, Chinese, and other traditions. Early Hindu and Buddhist traditions describe techniques for developing concentration, insight, and moral qualities. Over centuries, these practices spread across Asia and later to Europe and the Americas, where they are often taught in secular programs as well as within religious contexts.

Modern research has explored psychological and physiological effects. Systematic reviews find small-to-moderate reductions in stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, and improvements in attention and well-being, though results vary and are influenced by study quality and participant expectations. Neuroimaging and physiological studies report changes in brain networks involved in attention and emotion regulation and in autonomic nervous system activity, though causal interpretations are cautioned.

Meditation is generally safe for most people when practiced with guidance and mindfulness about potential distress. It is widely used in health care, education, and workplaces, often in secular formats such as mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) or mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). While not a cure, it is considered a complementary approach to mental health and well-being and can be pursued independently or within religious traditions that emphasize ethics, wisdom, and compassion.