Meditation refers to a family of mental exercises designed to focus attention in a way that interrupts the typical flow of thoughts, worries, and analysis (Shapiro, 1984; Wilson, 1986).
Meditation takes many forms and has many meanings in various cultures. Here we are interested in meditation as a self-control strategy for lowering physical and mental arousal. People who regularly use meditation as a stress reduction technique often report less daily physical arousal and anxiety. Even if meditation is not practiced daily, it may be a useful technique for interrupting worries and fearful thinking (Wilson, 1986).
Meditation takes two major forms. In concentrative meditation, attention is given to a single focal point, such as an object, a thought, or one's own breathing. In contrast, receptive meditation is “open,” or expansive. That is, attention is widened to include a non-judgmental awareness of one's total subjective experience and presence in the world (Walsh, 1984).
An example of this type of meditation is losing all self-consciousness while walking in the wilderness with quiet and receptive mind. Although it may not seem so, receptive meditation is regarded as more difficult to attain than concentrative meditation (Smith, 1986).
