Meditation (physiology)

In the general context of complementary and alternative medicine, meditation encompasses a variety of techniques to induce "a state of consciousness in which the individual eliminates environmental stimuli from awareness so that the mind can focus on a single thing, producing a state of relaxation and relief from stress. A wide variety of techniques are used to clear the mind of stressful outside interferences."

Meditation can also focus on excluding external influences such that one can contemplate spiritual issues.