Difference between Concentration and Meditation

Key Difference: Concentration can be defined as the action or the power to focus or to give complete attention to something. Meditation is closely related to yoga, where it is defined as a quiet, alert and powerful stage of concentration. Meditation may involve various techniques and practices to focus the mind.

Concentration is referred to as the act or power that focuses the attention. It includes the mental effort in order to achieve the desired focus. Concentration is generally accompanied by two entities, one is the the self that is concentrating and the other is object to focus. It is regarded as the base of mental trainings. Concentration is often required as there are lots of distractions all around the world. Concentration is regarded to be an important activity in order to improve memory and cognitive functions. Concentration is deeply rooted in the words like inner vigilance and alertness. The ability of concentration may be a gift from god, or developed to a certain extent.

Meditation is also a type of concentration in which one tries to quiet the mind and focus the attention deeply on the present. Meditation is often connected to spiritual contentment. The modern history of meditation can be traced back to 500 BC, when the Buddha started introducing meditation to the world. Meditation gained popularity, and thus started spreading to all countries. Meditation is deeply rooted in the words like lasting peace and divine peace. Meditation is known for providing numerous benefits related to mental and physical health. There are numerous forms of meditation. Most of them have originated from religious and spiritual traditions. Mindfulness meditation and Zen Buddhist meditation are types of meditation. There are various notions about the differences between concentration and medidation. However, generally meditation is regarded as a type of higher level concentration.

Comparison between Concentration and Meditation:

	Concentration	Meditation
Definition	Concentration can be defined as the action or the power to focus or to give complete attention to something.	Meditation is closely related to yoga, where it is defined as a quiet, alert and powerful stage of concentration. Meditation may involve various techniques and practices to focus the mind.
Origin	Concentration" is a word derived from two Latin words, i.e. , "con," a prefix meaning "to;" and "centrum," meaning "center" or "fixed central point." The two words combined mean, literally, "to bring to a common point; to focus," etc.	From Latin meditat- 'contemplated', from the verb meditari, from a base meaning 'measure'.
Aims	Fixing the mind or thoughts at any one point, place or position so that it doesn't wander.	Fixing at complete self-realization.
Benefits	It assists in studying It enables faster comprehension. It improves the memory. It helps in focusing on a task, job, activity or goal. It is a powerful tool for the efficient use of creative visualization. It also helps in developing psychic powers.	It assists in distressing It provides a lot of physiological benefits. It helps in increasing creativity. It helps in gaining clarity and peace of mind. It helps in decreasing anxiety. It helps in relaation.
Type	Generally, it is regarded as a practice.	Generally, it is regarded as a process.
Set up	Depends upon the object in focus.	Generally, a quiet place.
Position	Concentration is considered to be one level below meditation.	Meditation is regarded to be one level above concentration.