What happens inside the brain when we concentrate (meditate), and why does a person find it difficult to continuously concentrate for a long time? That is, why does one need a break after working or studying for a given time, or why do we lose our concentration after a certain time?
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$\begingroup$ I think this question is too broad to answer within a reasonable scope. I count 4 sub questions squeezed in two lines. Adding prior research effort is a great way to give background and focus to your question. What did you try so far to find an answer to your questions? Can you narrow the post down to a single focused question? $\endgroup$– AliceD ♦Jan 7, 2021 at 10:41
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$\begingroup$ See also what happens to brain during meditation, --- what is the effect of mindfulness practice on cognition, --- what is attention in terms of brain activity. $\endgroup$– MichaelJan 7 at 22:27
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The Neurons become refractory which means that they can't fire again until time has passed. Look up Action Potential and the limits of firing rating. There is also a competition for different circuits to become conscious so when one becomes tried the other takes over. This is why it is hard to continue to think about one thing, without soon considering something else.
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1$\begingroup$ Hi and welcome to Psychology & Neuroscience Stack Exchange. I think you have the beginning of a good answer, but I wonder if you could improve it by specifying what "again until time has passed" means (how much time approximately) and replacing "Look up Action Potential and ..." with a few concrete references? Thanks in advance! $\endgroup$– TsundokuJan 6, 2021 at 13:49
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1$\begingroup$ @Tsundoku is right. If not, this answer will likely be turned into a comment. Thank you for your contribution! $\endgroup$– Steven Jeuris ♦Jan 6, 2021 at 17:43
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3$\begingroup$ I am highly doubtful that firing rates or competition for consciousness limit attention. Without references to back up these claims, I believe this answer is false. $\endgroup$– Arnon Weinberg ♦Jan 6, 2021 at 18:47
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3$\begingroup$ Welcome. To be frank, this coupling of micro-scale cellular physiology to macro-scale higher-level brain functions is far fetched, oversimplified and incorrect. $\endgroup$– AliceD ♦Jan 6, 2021 at 20:02