Research shows the human mind wanders approximately 50% of the time, and when the mind is wandering (focused on future worry or past regret) people experience more negative emotions compared to when the mind is present in the moment, even if engaged in an unpleasant task.
factualpending
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Emma SeppäläEvidence Quote
“Research shows that our mind actually wanders about 50% of the time, and research also shows that when our mind is wandering we are never as happy as when our mind is in the present moment”
Source
How meditation can change your life and mind | Sam Harris, Jon Kabat-Zinn & more | Big Think— Big ThinkCreated: 8/10/2026, 11:15:22 PM
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