Concentration Flashcards
3 types of meditation
- concentration (focused attention)
- mindfulness (open meditation)
- loving-kindness
who are classifications of meditation important to?
scientists, not meditators
attention
taking possession of the mind and focusing on one particular thought
concentration
focusing single-mindedly on one object without interruption
what should the object of concentration be?
any aspect of your experience
concentration meditation
the practice of steadying and focusing attention that allows us to let go of distractions
samadhi
sanskrit word meaning “single pointed concentration”
how is concentration related to other forms of meditation
it is a good foundation because every form of meditation requires concentration
is concentration meditation forced?
yes, it can be developed through willpower
less stable type of concentration meditation
meditation focused on anger, hate, lust, greed, etc.
is concentration meditation harmful or helpful?
it can be either depending on how it is used, it is like a tool
why start by focusing on the breath? (3 reasons)
- you don’t need to buy anything
- you don’t need a special place/time
- breath requires no intentional effort
3 skills of concentration meditation
- monitor and remain vigilant
- release distractions
- restore attention
2 types of distractions
- internal
2. external
internal distractions
thoughts, emotions, mental chatter
mental chatter
replaying mistakes you’ve made in the past or thinking about the future
external distractions
anything outside of yourself
what effect do distractions have on attention?
they fragment the mind and reduce focus of attention
who studied cluttered environments
McMains and Kaster
McMains and Kaster study
- used RSVP
- compared performance based on presence of distractors
RSVP
rapid serial visual presentation
- ask people if they saw a particular stimulus
2 types of distractors in McMains and Kaster study
grouped distractors vs non-grouped distractors
McMains and Kaster conclusion
cluttered environment occupies attention and distracts you
what should a meditation environment be free from?
- sensual pleasure
- hatred
- mental lethargy
- restlessness
where do monks and nuns go to eliminate distractions
monasteries and nunaries
monkey mind
normal state of mind being restless and indecisive
vigilance decrement
inability to sustain attention on one particular thing
effect of mind wandering on memory
negative impact on memory
metacognitive shift
instead of being caught up in thoughts we can observe them from a distance
peak experience
blissful absorption in the current moment
Maclean et al. study
after 3 month meditation retreat, subjects get better at judging lengths of lines, get less bored
