The quality of mind cultivated in vipassana is almost always referred to as “mindfulness,”
and the literature on its psychological benefits is now substantial. There is nothing spooky about
mindfulness. It is simply a state of clear, nonjudgmental, and undistracted attention to the
contents of consciousness, whether pleasant or unpleasant. Cultivating this quality of mind has
been shown to reduce pain, anxiety, and depression; improve cognitive function; and even
produce changes in gray matter density in regions of the brain related to learning and memory,
emotional regulation, and self-awareness.12 We will look more closely at the neurophysiology
of mindfulness in a later chapter.