I usually meditate a few minutes a day, on most days. I’ve been doing this, on and off, since I was fifteen. Here’s a list of the benefits I notice from meditation:
- lower pulse rate
- feel more relaxed/body feels more “open” (lower blood pressure/blood vessel dilation?)
- emotions seem less overwhelming and intense, with the option to disengage identity from emotion
- worries seem more distant and less urgent
- internal monologue dissipates, less “mental chatter”
- remember to do things that need doing
- think of more things to do, more ideas
- immediate action path is clearer (what to do next)
- emotional conundrums clarify (“oh — that’s what’s going on”)
- libido increase (parasympathetic nervous system activation?)
Meditation is usually associated with the “spiritual” side of consciousness, and to some extent that matches my experience, at least in terms of increased emotional awareness and reduced reactivity, and “quiet mind”/enhanced attention.