“The faculty of voluntarily bringing back a wandering attention, over and over again, is the very root of judgment, character, and will. . . An education which should improve this faculty would be the education par excellence.” 

-William James, 1890

The ability to focus and refocus attention is obviously extremely important for a mathematician working on research, or a student learning in class.  There is a growing body of scientific evidence showing that meditation can improve this ability.  In fact, there is a range of different meditation techniques, with a range of potential benefits: e.g. increased focus, mindfulness, curiosity and creativity; better control of emotions, and stress reduction; improved interpersonal communication.  Sounds great, right?

In the last few decades, empirical evidence has been piling up, supporting the millenia-old subjective claims of meditators.  An incomplete but good research bibliography is maintained here; see also here or here.  Continue reading →