Concentration in Buddhism

Concentration
Concentration is the learned control of the focus of one’s attention; it is the behavior of keeping one’s awareness, with varying degrees of one-pointedness, on a particular set of contents of the mind. In Western psychology concentration is generally seen as one aspect of attention (Moray, 1969), sometimes discussed in terms of focused attention, controlled attention, sustained attention, or vigilance. However, these literatures usually refer more to the readiness and/or ability to detect the critical signal, rather than the skill to maintain the desired focus of attention. In Western psychology, such as sports psychology (Moran, 1996), most research and theories about concentration are based on information-processing models and variables that affect these processes (e.g., modality, amplitude, and duration of signal, and signal to noise ratio) (Dember & Warm, 1979), rather than how to teach people to have better concentration as a learned skill.
The world literature on meditation-produced concentration, some Western research (Murphy & Donovan, 1997), and anecdotal reports suggest that developing concentration can have a wide range of applications in therapy, education, sports, and art. Students can learn how to keep their minds from wandering while studying. Listening skills can be improved in counselor training and communication therapy. Athletes can learn to not be distracted by the crowd and stay focused on the sport (e.g., keep one’s eye on the ball). Artists can learn to fully immerse themselves in their creations. These and related areas are wide open for Western research. Concentration training is a significant addition to our psychological technology. William James (1890, p. 424) suggested that concentration "is the very root of judgment, character, and will" and an "education which should improve this faculty would be the education par excellence."
One of the most obvious potential applications of concentration training is in attention disorders, including ADD/ADHD (attention deficit disorder, perhaps with hyperactivity), self-focused attention (Ingram, 1990), and attentional bias (Dalgleish & Watts, 1990). ADD/ADHD is usually treated with drugs, perhaps combined with behavior modification for hyperactivity. To what extent and how could concentration training help some of these people?
If a person sits quietly and practices a concentration form of meditation, then the mind becomes calm and relaxed, which often relaxes the body. This biological relaxation is, by far, the most researched effect of meditation in the Western literature (Andresen, 2000; Murphy & Donovan, 1997). If a Western psychology text mentions meditation, it is usually in terms of relaxation and/or stress reduction. Concentration-produced relaxation can be an effective treatment for anxiety (DelMonte, 1985).
This quieting of the mind that comes from concentration gives the practitioner more control over thoughts, an effect with great potential significance for Western psychology. For example, unwanted intrusive thoughts occur in almost everyone in varying degrees (e.g., Freeston, Ladouceur, Thibodeau, & Gagnon, 1991). Clinically, these thoughts may lead to and/or exasperate problems such as anxiety, worry, depression, and anger. Western therapies have had very limited success at reducing these thoughts, with attempts to control or suppress the thoughts often being counterproductive (Clark, 2005). How might concentration training help here?
In Buddhism concentration has a more profound purpose, the disidentification with contents of the mind and creating space for insight knowing (Welwood, 2000, chap. 8). If one does not quiet the mind, then one will probably stay lost in the contents most of the time; one’s reality is the contents and one believes one’s self to be the self-related contents (e.g., reconstructed memories involving the self, self-concept). From a Buddhist perspective, there is an existential freedom that comes when one no longer identifies oneself with mental contents; but this is hard to accomplish without quieting the mind. Relatedly, mindfulness-produced insight, the goal of Buddhist practice discussed later, is difficult without quieting the mind. Hence, concentration is part of the Eightfold Path.
The yogic/Buddhist literature describes eight different levels of concentration and absorption called jhanas (Buddhaghosa, 1975; Khema, 1997). Before he became the Buddha, Gotama studied and mastered all eight levels. He later argued that the jhanas could only suppress defilements, while mindfulness could destroy them. And optimal mindfulness only requires some degree of concentration.