Summary

The meditation retreat that Wright participated in included two speaking sessions between the participants and the meditation teachers. When Wright expresses his frustration at his wandering mind, his teacher gives honest encouragement in response. The brain, he explains, generally operates in the default mode network, which is what happens when one’s mind wanders into the past or the future. Thus, it’s easy to quiet the network when one is engaged in an activity. When one is not doing anything, the mind is usually carried into the default mode network. However, by noticing that the mind is wandering, one can bring one’s mind back to focus on the present. Thus, this can make the default mode network weaker and less active over time.

One type of meditation, called concentration meditation, involves focusing on one’s...