Various forms of meditation have been practiced for thousands of years throughout the world, with many techniques originating in Eastern religious practices. In modern times, numerous meditation types are in use, often outside of their original religious and cultural contexts. A common goal is to attain a state of "thoughtless awareness" of sensations and mental activities occurring at the present moment. Meditation is often popularly perceived as any activity through which a person's attention is focused on a repetitious thought or word.
