When we think of meditation, what comes to mind? Do you think of a group of 1970s hippies sitting in a circle singing peace? How about playing some relaxing music? How about trying to shape your body into a pretzel shape? What if meditation had nothing to do with the background music playing or body position? Meditation is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “the act or process of spending time in quiet thought” (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meditation). Meditation simply involves sitting in a quiet room and thinking about your life. The act of meditating is much simpler than many people think. Through deep concentration and relaxation, meditation becomes an altered state of consciousness. Benefits of Meditation Meditation comes in two forms: focused attention and open monitoring meditation. Focused attention meditation involves focusing on one specific thing, such as the breath or a particular object outside of you. The goal of this type of meditation is to focus strongly on one point and continually bring one's attention back to that focal point when one is distracted. Open monitoring meditation is slightly different in nature. In this type of meditation, you simply pay attention to everything that is happening around you. This is done without reacting to any external force. Our brains respond differently during meditation or in an altered state of consciousness. Use fMRI analyses; Scientists have developed a deeper understanding of what happens in the brain when we meditate. The overall difference is that our brain stops processing information as actively as it normally would. A decrease in beta waves is observed, which could indicate that our brain is processing...... middle of paper ...... surprised that a 10 minute video goes by so quickly. As a newcomer to transcendental meditation, this former skeptic can certainly understand why practitioners enjoy this type of meditation so much. It’s a feeling of calm and effortless relaxation that is much needed these days. Conclusion (1-2 paragraphs) As we can see, meditation is a sacred act that can have infinite benefits. In addition to being a physical act, activities such as transcendental meditation can also be spiritually and mentally fulfilling. Through deep concentration and relaxation, meditation becomes an altered state of consciousness. This essay has shown many reasons why this is so. Through the simple act of letting your mind wander, endless possibilities can happen. Without meditation and altered states of consciousness, the world as we know it would be completely different...