Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesHow to PracticeImpactTips for MeditatingPotential PitfallsHistory

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Types

How to Practice

Impact

Tips for Meditating

Potential Pitfalls

History

Close

Meditation can be defined as a set of techniques that are intended to encourage a heightened state of awareness and focused attention. Meditation is also a consciousness-changing technique shown to have many benefits on psychological well-being.

Some key things to note about meditation:

Types of Meditation

Meditation can take on many different forms, but there are two main types: concentrative meditation and mindfulness meditation:

Concentrative Meditation

Concentrative meditationinvolves focusing on a specific thing while tuning out everything else around you. The goal is to experience whatever you are focusing on, whether it’s your breath, a specific word, or a mantra, to reach a higher state of being.

Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness meditationincludes, among others, bothmindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)andmindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). Mindfulness can target different issues, such asdepression, meaning its focus may differ from practice to practice. Overall, it involves the state of being aware of and involved in the present moment and making yourself open, aware, and accepting.

Specific Meditation Types

5 Meditation Techniques to Get You Started

How to Practice Meditation

So what exactly do you do during meditation? While there are many different forms of meditation and ways to practice, learning a basic meditation for beginners is a great place to begin:

Steps to Start Meditating at Home

Impact of Meditation

Consciousnessis often likened to a stream, shifting and changing smoothly as it passes over the terrain. Meditation is one deliberate means of changing the course of this stream, and in turn, altering how you perceive and respond to the world around you.

Research has shown that meditation can have both physiological and psychological effects. Some positive physiological effects include a lowered state of physical arousal, reduced respiration rate, decreased heart rate, changes in brain wave patterns, and lowered stress.

Some of the other psychological, emotional, and health-related benefits of meditation include:

While experts do not yet fully understand exactly how meditation works, research has clearly demonstrated that meditative techniques can have a range of positive effects on overall health and psychological well-being.

What Does Meditation Do to the Brain?

In addition to helping with anxiety and stress, evidence suggests that meditation has a powerful effect on the brain. Using brain imaging techniques, studies have found that regular meditation leads to changes in brain structure.

For example, one study found that eight weeks of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) was associated with increased volume in the brain’s hippocampus, a structure associated with emotional regulation and memory. It was also connected to decreased volume in the amygdala, a structure that plays a part in anxiety, fear, and stress.

Research has also linked meditation practices to increased brain connectivity and may potentially improvebrain plasticity.

If you are interested intrying meditation, some tips and tricks will help you get started on a beneficial meditation practice.

Meditation can have a wide range of benefits, but there are also some potential pitfalls to watch for. As you are starting a new meditation habit, it can be easy to expect too much too quickly. The reality is that it takes time and practice to build a habit that can have a positive impact on your health and well-being.

Don’t expect meditation to solve all of your problems. Instead, treat it like a part of your self-care routine that plays a role in helping you feel better and less stressed.

It is also important to be aware that meditation is not without some risks. One study found that meditation often led to troubling feelings and thoughts that were difficult to manage. The study also found that meditation might worsen the symptoms of some mental health conditions including anxiety and depression.

Some reports suggest that meditation may trigger or exacerbate psychotic states, so meditation may not be recommended for people who have conditions such as schizophrenia.

History of Meditation

While meditation has recently grown in popularity in the U.S., the practice actually dates back thousands of years. The practice has been associated with religious traditions, particularly Buddhism. Meditation was used throughout Asia but finally began to make its way to other parts of the world during the 20th century. It rose to prominence in the West during the 1960s and 1970s and was often associated with hippie culture.

In addition to its association with Buddhism, meditation is also practiced in Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Taoism. However, it is important to note that a person does not need to be religious to meditate. Guided meditation and transcendental meditation are two examples of non-religious forms of meditation. Yoga can also be a non-religious form of physical meditation.

Over the last few decades, meditation has also been incorporated into different treatment modalities, including mindfulness-based stress reduction, an approach that incorporates mindfulness and meditation to help people coping with stress, depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions.

The use of meditation as a therapeutic aid will likely continue to develop as researchers learn more about the benefits and applications of the practice.

The Best Guided Meditations

5 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Meditation: In Depth.Hölzel BK, Carmody J, Vangel M, et al.Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density.Psychiatry Res. 2011;191(1):36-43. doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2010.08.006Lardone A, Liparoti M, Sorrentino P, et al.Mindfulness meditation is related to long-lasting changes in hippocampal functional topology during resting state: A magnetoencephalography study.Neural Plast. 2018;2018:5340717. doi:10.1155/2018/5340717Sharma P, Mahapatra A, Gupta R.Meditation-induced psychosis: A narrative review and individual patient data analysis.Ir j Psychol Med. 2019:1-7. doi:10.1017/ipm.2019.47University of Oslo.From God to geometric figures.Additional ReadingMeditation: A Simple, Fast Way to Reduce Stress. Mayo Clinic.Hockenbury DH, Hockenbury SE.Discovering Psychology.New York: Worth Publishers. 2007.Shapiro SL, Schwartz GER, Santerre C. Meditation and Positive Psychology. In C. R. Snyder & S. J. Lopez (Eds.),Handbook of Positive Psychology. New York: Oxford University Press. 2002.Xu J, Vik A, Groote IR, Lagopoulos J, Holen A, Ellingsen O, Haberg AK, Davanger S.Nondirective meditation activates default mode network and areas associated with memory retrieval and emotional processing.Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.2014;8(86). doi:10.3389/fnhum.2014.00086Goyal M, Singh S, Sibinga EMS, et al.Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-Being [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2014 Jan. (Comparative Effectiveness Reviews, No. 124.)

5 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Meditation: In Depth.Hölzel BK, Carmody J, Vangel M, et al.Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density.Psychiatry Res. 2011;191(1):36-43. doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2010.08.006Lardone A, Liparoti M, Sorrentino P, et al.Mindfulness meditation is related to long-lasting changes in hippocampal functional topology during resting state: A magnetoencephalography study.Neural Plast. 2018;2018:5340717. doi:10.1155/2018/5340717Sharma P, Mahapatra A, Gupta R.Meditation-induced psychosis: A narrative review and individual patient data analysis.Ir j Psychol Med. 2019:1-7. doi:10.1017/ipm.2019.47University of Oslo.From God to geometric figures.Additional ReadingMeditation: A Simple, Fast Way to Reduce Stress. Mayo Clinic.Hockenbury DH, Hockenbury SE.Discovering Psychology.New York: Worth Publishers. 2007.Shapiro SL, Schwartz GER, Santerre C. Meditation and Positive Psychology. In C. R. Snyder & S. J. Lopez (Eds.),Handbook of Positive Psychology. New York: Oxford University Press. 2002.Xu J, Vik A, Groote IR, Lagopoulos J, Holen A, Ellingsen O, Haberg AK, Davanger S.Nondirective meditation activates default mode network and areas associated with memory retrieval and emotional processing.Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.2014;8(86). doi:10.3389/fnhum.2014.00086Goyal M, Singh S, Sibinga EMS, et al.Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-Being [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2014 Jan. (Comparative Effectiveness Reviews, No. 124.)

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Meditation: In Depth.Hölzel BK, Carmody J, Vangel M, et al.Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density.Psychiatry Res. 2011;191(1):36-43. doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2010.08.006Lardone A, Liparoti M, Sorrentino P, et al.Mindfulness meditation is related to long-lasting changes in hippocampal functional topology during resting state: A magnetoencephalography study.Neural Plast. 2018;2018:5340717. doi:10.1155/2018/5340717Sharma P, Mahapatra A, Gupta R.Meditation-induced psychosis: A narrative review and individual patient data analysis.Ir j Psychol Med. 2019:1-7. doi:10.1017/ipm.2019.47University of Oslo.From God to geometric figures.

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Meditation: In Depth.

Hölzel BK, Carmody J, Vangel M, et al.Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density.Psychiatry Res. 2011;191(1):36-43. doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2010.08.006

Lardone A, Liparoti M, Sorrentino P, et al.Mindfulness meditation is related to long-lasting changes in hippocampal functional topology during resting state: A magnetoencephalography study.Neural Plast. 2018;2018:5340717. doi:10.1155/2018/5340717

Sharma P, Mahapatra A, Gupta R.Meditation-induced psychosis: A narrative review and individual patient data analysis.Ir j Psychol Med. 2019:1-7. doi:10.1017/ipm.2019.47

University of Oslo.From God to geometric figures.

Meditation: A Simple, Fast Way to Reduce Stress. Mayo Clinic.Hockenbury DH, Hockenbury SE.Discovering Psychology.New York: Worth Publishers. 2007.Shapiro SL, Schwartz GER, Santerre C. Meditation and Positive Psychology. In C. R. Snyder & S. J. Lopez (Eds.),Handbook of Positive Psychology. New York: Oxford University Press. 2002.Xu J, Vik A, Groote IR, Lagopoulos J, Holen A, Ellingsen O, Haberg AK, Davanger S.Nondirective meditation activates default mode network and areas associated with memory retrieval and emotional processing.Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.2014;8(86). doi:10.3389/fnhum.2014.00086Goyal M, Singh S, Sibinga EMS, et al.Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-Being [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2014 Jan. (Comparative Effectiveness Reviews, No. 124.)

Meditation: A Simple, Fast Way to Reduce Stress. Mayo Clinic.

Hockenbury DH, Hockenbury SE.Discovering Psychology.New York: Worth Publishers. 2007.

Shapiro SL, Schwartz GER, Santerre C. Meditation and Positive Psychology. In C. R. Snyder & S. J. Lopez (Eds.),Handbook of Positive Psychology. New York: Oxford University Press. 2002.

Xu J, Vik A, Groote IR, Lagopoulos J, Holen A, Ellingsen O, Haberg AK, Davanger S.Nondirective meditation activates default mode network and areas associated with memory retrieval and emotional processing.Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.2014;8(86). doi:10.3389/fnhum.2014.00086

Meet Our Review Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

What is your feedback?