--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Science is now documenting that it's not…" description: "\"Science is now documenting that it's not the objects of meditation that are important, it's the process of paying attention to them - the attending - t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e66/jon-kabat-zinn-1327_addiction_science-is-now-documenting-that-it-s-not_626873.jpg" --- # Science is now documenting that it's not the objects of… ![“Science is now documenting that it's not the objects of meditation that are important, it's the process of paying attention to them - the attending - that actually influences the organism in a whole range of different ways. The brain changes significantly enough to impact thought, emotion, and…” quote by Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e66/jon-kabat-zinn-1327_addiction_science-is-now-documenting-that-it-s-not_626873.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e66/jon-kabat-zinn-1327_addiction_science-is-now-documenting-that-it-s-not_626873.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e66/jon-kabat-zinn-1327_addiction_science-is-now-documenting-that-it-s-not_626873.jpg) > “Science is now documenting that it's not the objects of meditation that are important, it's the process of paying attention to them - the attending - that actually influences the organism in a whole range of different ways. The brain changes significantly enough to impact thought, emotion, and other biological functions. Today, people recognize that they're not going to find well-being from the outside, or from a pill; they're going to find it by looking inside. All the suffering, stress, and addiction comes from not realizing you already are what you are looking for.” [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mindful attention, not objects, reshapes brain and wellbeing; inner awareness is the source of health and peace. **In simple terms:** Attention changes the brain and brings health. Key Takeaway Cultivate present‑moment awareness to heal. Themes mindfulness neuroscience well‑being Mood calm reflective Type practical inspirational When to use this quote - therapy - stress reduction - addiction recovery - personal growth Key Concepts attention neuroplasticity self‑compassion Questions to Reflect On - How does paying attention alter your emotions? - What practices help sustain mindful awareness? A Different Perspective Mindfulness practice can be challenging without guidance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Addiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/addiction/) [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Meditation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meditation/) [Paying Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paying-attention/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Stress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stress/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) ## Related quotes > [“Jesus lived a life of deep meditation. If thoughts and words were physical objects, meditation would be the act of holding, examining, taking apart,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-litzelman/jesus-lived-a-life-of-deep-meditation-if-thoughts-and-words-were/) amy litzelman > [There are really exciting things happening in genetic and neurobiology right now, and really looking at the ways in which different not just illnesses,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-michel-metzl/there-are-really-exciting-things-happening-in-genetic-and/) [Jonathan Michel Metzl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-michel-metzl/) > [All human beings have an innate desire to overcome suffering, to find happiness. Training the mind to think differently, through meditation, is one important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/all-human-beings-have-an-innate-desire-to-overcome-suffering-to-find/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [“The subject is also fascinating because of the nature of the revisionism—neuroplasticity radiates optimism. Books on the topic are entitled The Brain That Changes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/the-subject-is-also-fascinating-because-of-the-nature-of-the/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [Neuroplasticity research showed that the brain changes its very structure with each different activity it performs, perfecting its circuits so it is better suited…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-jain/neuroplasticity-research-showed-that-the-brain-changes-its-very/) [Naveen Jain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-jain/) > [The nature of the mind is to jump all over the place, and it does, that's why meditation is so important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-tiwari/the-nature-of-the-mind-is-to-jump-all-over-the-place-and-it-does-that/) [Maya Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-tiwari/) > [I just think meditation is so important because it gives you a chance to see what's going on in your brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-james/i-just-think-meditation-is-so-important-because-it-gives-you-a-chance/) [Jim James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-james/) > [Meditation is not just blissing out under a mango tree. It completely changes your brain and therefore changes what you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthieu-ricard/meditation-is-not-just-blissing-out-under-a-mango-tree-it-completely/) [Matthieu Ricard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthieu-ricard/) > [People get embarrassed about admitting they feel low but you can't help the way you feel. Which is why exercise, taking vitamins and having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-ballas/people-get-embarrassed-about-admitting-they-feel-low-but-you-can-t/) [Shirley Ballas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-ballas/) > [Meditation is important - yoga, walking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-hayes/meditation-is-important-yoga-walking/) [Emma Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-hayes/) > [Meditation is as important as lifting weights and being out here on the field for practice,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-okung/meditation-is-as-important-as-lifting-weights-and-being-out-here-on/) [Russell Okung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-okung/) > [“The third set of facts that has an immediate bearing on the question at hand is documented beyond doubt by now. And that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arun-shourie/the-third-set-of-facts-that-has-an-immediate-bearing-on-the-question/) [Arun Shourie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arun-shourie/) > [Meditation is very important to me. I feel off-balance when I skip a day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-rauch/meditation-is-very-important-to-me-i-feel-off-balance-when-i-skip-a/) [Melissa Rauch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-rauch/) > [Never expect naything from any body because human brain changes when the status changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-expect-naything-from-any-body-because-human-brain-changes-when/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Buddhist monks have known for centuries that meditation can change the mind. Now we are inspired by His Holiness to examine with our technology…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-davidson/buddhist-monks-have-known-for-centuries-that-meditation-can-change/) [Richard Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-davidson/) ## More by Jon Kabat-Zinn > [Karma is often wrongly confused with the notion of a fixed destiny. It is more like an accumulation of tendencies that can lock us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/karma-is-often-wrongly-confused-with-the-notion-of-a-fixed-destiny-it/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Living in a chronic state of unawareness can cause us to miss much of what is most beautiful and meaningful in our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/living-in-a-chronic-state-of-unawareness-can-cause-us-to-miss-much-of/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Mindfulness means moment-to-moment, non-judgmental awareness. It is cultivated by refining our capacity to pay attention, intentionally, in the present moment, and then sustaining that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/mindfulness-means-moment-to-moment-non-judgmental-awareness-it-is/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Paying attention and awareness are universal capacities of human beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/paying-attention-and-awareness-are-universal-capacities-of-human/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [“One practical way to do this is to look at other people and ask yourself if you are really seeing them or just your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/one-practical-way-to-do-this-is-to-look-at-other-people-and-ask/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [I thought it was a stroke of genius that Hans Selye used the word stress, because it's true that if you don't know how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/i-thought-it-was-a-stroke-of-genius-that-hans-selye-used-the-word/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [“dwell in stillness and to observe without reacting and without judging.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/dwell-in-stillness-and-to-observe-without-reacting-and-without-judging/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Generosity is another quality which, like patience, letting go, non-judging, and trust, provides a solid foundation for mindfulness practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/generosity-is-another-quality-which-like-patience-letting-go-non/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [The little things? The little moments? They aren't little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/the-little-things-the-little-moments-they-aren-t-little/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Arriving someplace more desirable at some future time is an illusion. This is it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/arriving-someplace-more-desirable-at-some-future-time-is-an-illusion/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [“Give yourself permission to allow this moment to be exactly as it is, and allow yourself to be exactly as you are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/give-yourself-permission-to-allow-this-moment-to-be-exactly-as-it-is/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Generosity is another quality which, like patience, letting go, non-judging, and trust, provides a solid foundation for mindfulness practice. You might experiment with using…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/generosity-is-another-quality-which-like-patience-letting-go-non-2/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Science gave me a cosmic religious feeling, and I would get the same feeling when I was dragged to the Met and the Museum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/science-gave-me-a-cosmic-religious-feeling-and-i-would-get-the-same/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Look at other people and ask yourself if you are really seeing them or just your thoughts about them… Without knowing it, we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/look-at-other-people-and-ask-yourself-if-you-are-really-seeing-them/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [“In fact, even if distraction does alleviate your pain or help to cope with it some of the time, bringing mindfulness to it can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/in-fact-even-if-distraction-does-alleviate-your-pain-or-help-to-cope/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) [Explore all 252 Jon Kabat-Zinn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) ## More Addiction quotes > [What has drug addiction done for me? It's cost me my career, my fortune and basically my sex life when I found out I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbin-crosby/what-has-drug-addiction-done-for-me-it-s-cost-me-my-career-my-fortune/) Robbin Crosby > [“The idea that creative endeavor and mind-altering substances are entwined is one of the great pop-intellectual myths of our time... Creative people probably do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-idea-that-creative-endeavor-and-mind-altering-substances-are/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [I really think the disease aspect gets lost when you're talking about alcoholism and addiction; it's not like you're battling leukemia or a heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-irsay/i-really-think-the-disease-aspect-gets-lost-when-you-re-talking-about/) [Jim Irsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-irsay/) > [I had an addiction to artificial points of success. Like being able to run for this or run for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-gallego/i-had-an-addiction-to-artificial-points-of-success-like-being-able-to/) [Ruben Gallego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-gallego/) > [“Addictions are just symptoms of underlying issues, and in my view Nikki self-medicated the emotional pain of his childhood, and being away from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-sixx/addictions-are-just-symptoms-of-underlying-issues-and-in-my-view/) [Nikki Sixx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-sixx/) > [“Oil. The great addiction of the civilized world”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-warren/oil-the-great-addiction-of-the-civilized-world/) [Andrew Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-warren/) > [“They say when you fall in love in love with someone that person becomes like a drug,an addiction you don't want to live without.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/they-say-when-you-fall-in-love-in-love-with-someone-that-person/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Addictions - Run to Jesus instead of running to your addiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/addictions-run-to-jesus-instead-of-running-to-your-addiction/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [Music is my personal addiction. So much of everything I've done has only been to open more doors for the music itself. It all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/music-is-my-personal-addiction-so-much-of-everything-i-ve-done-has/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [“I am made of a thousand ghosts. Only you can shoot me down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-james/i-am-made-of-a-thousand-ghosts-only-you-can-shoot-me-down/) Bella James > [Religious work is one of the best ways to keep from facing your reality if you are Christian, if you are using it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-miller/religious-work-is-one-of-the-best-ways-to-keep-from-facing-your/) [Keith Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-miller/) > [Cold sweats, hallucinations I wanna speed to stop. The hell I'm going through The addiction's taking you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bullet-for-my-valentine/cold-sweats-hallucinations-i-wanna-speed-to-stop-the-hell-i-m-going/) [Bullet For My Valentine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bullet-for-my-valentine/) > [As addictions go, reading is among the cleanest, easiest to feed, happiest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/as-addictions-go-reading-is-among-the-cleanest-easiest-to-feed/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [“Alcoholism is a choice... not a life sentence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-norman/alcoholism-is-a-choice-not-a-life-sentence/) David Norman > [“Suckers think that you cure greed with money, addiction with substances, expert problems with experts, banking with bankers, economics with economists, and debt crises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/suckers-think-that-you-cure-greed-with-money-addiction-with/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) [Browse all 2,134 Addiction quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/addiction/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Science is now documenting that it's not the objects of meditation that are important, it's the process of paying attention to them - the attending - that actually influences the organism in a whole range of different ways. 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