So, Daniel yesterday put up a query in regards to "Getting ready for Prime Time: a Long Term Plan" in which he points out some of his own interests in the utility of meditation and askes, "What aspects of this stuff would you like to see to make this stuff ready for Prime Time? What would it take to get there? Who will do that work? How do we get them to do it?"

I am sure that a lot has been done on meditation and study, but the next six weeks I am personally looking at studying new/foreign material after metta meditation or anapansati in the morning and how these may effect memory of 20- to 30- minute study sessions of relatively foreign material.

I am already biased in having noticed that alertness to material is increased when the mind has been basking in even fleeting or "thin" jhana, such as second jhana - basically, the sensations of happiness - and when the mind can quickly call up those lively, relaxing sensations. For example, when anapansati is used to train the mind in the sensations felt during happiness, then each in-breath can be a re-freshment of alertness and ease/comfort when one notices some mental sloth coming on.

That's the kind of trick I do wish I'd learned as a kid!