Samatha is a Buddhist meditative technique for the refinement of attention. Here, expert in the study and practice of samatha, B. Alan Wallace, outlines the nature and purpose of samatha, the various techniques and approaches to the practice of samatha, a description of its progressive stages, and the alleged trait effects of the practice. He ends by offering comments on the future of contemplative practice for the study of consciousness. (Zach Rowinski 2005-03-05)