Why Does the Mind Wander?

Almost everyone finds that thoughts arise and attention wanders during meditation.

This is not a sign that you are doing something wrong. Quite the opposite: the brain is designed to process information, make plans, and retrieve memories all the time.

Meditation is not meant to suppress these thoughts. Instead, you practise noticing them and then returning to your meditation anchor. As we have already said: repeatedly returning to the present moment is the practice.

Many people believe they are bad at meditating because they have so many thoughts. In fact, the opposite is true: the more attentive you become, the sooner you notice that your thoughts have wandered at all. This can be helpful in everyday life too: we learn to notice ourselves more clearly and can learn to respond more consciously in many situations.

Once again: it is not the wandering that matters, but the gentle return. That is an essential part of meditation.¹