Meditation is a skill of the mind that lays a foundation for many other skills. When you learn to control your mind, you can use more of your brain consciously. You can also control aspects of your body that are not usually voluntary, like turning down pain signals or turning up heat when you feel cold.

To deepen your meditation practice, sit or lie in a comfortable position. Go down into your thoughts as far as you usually can. Then feel for the edges. What can you do here, and what can you not do? Try to recall more details of a distant memory; they're in there somewhere. Think about speeding up or slowing your heart rate by will; your brain is driving that. Visualize a dial to turn your senses up and down or to increase or decrease a personality trait. It's all part of you, and you can learn to control it.

Take your time coming back up to everyday awareness. Remember what you have learned.