1.5

Question 1

what is meditation?

Answer 1

a family of practices that trains attention to heighten awareness and bring mental processes under greater voluntary control.
- a deliberate effort to alter consciousness

Question 2

what are focused attention and open monitoring?

Answer 2

1. attention is concentrated on a specific object, image, sound or bodily sensation to clear the mind of its clutter
2. attention is directed to the contents of moment-to-moment experience in a nonjudgmental and nonreactive way to
   become a detached observer of the flow of one’s sensations,
   thoughts, and feelings.

Question 3

what are the long-term benefits of meditation?

Answer 3

• reduces the effects of stress, decreases anxiety and negative emotions and enhances empathy and general well-being
• may improve cardiovascular health and sleep patterns
• enhances human potential