Concentration Meditation and Alertness I am wondering how concentration meditation (i.e. shamatha) compares with other techniques or remedies for awareness and alertness. Does anyone know whether meditation increases alertness more than exercise, or nutrition? Or perhaps, I mean to ask how efficient -- if this is a measurable aspect -- focused meditation is at sustaining alertness?

Thank you.
According to AN 11.2 below, it says that skillful virtue (sila) leads to freedom from remorse, which leads to joy, which leads to rapture, which leads to pleasure, which leads to concentration of mind.

It says that there is no need to will for this - it arises out of the very nature of being endowed with virtue and consummate with virtue. This to me is a statement of the efficiency of the use of virtue to lead one towards concentration. Furthermore, I think it is far more efficient to start with the cultivation of skillful virtue and skillful thinking, rather than struggling directly with the five hindrances in meditation.


  "For a person endowed with virtue, consummate in virtue, there is no
  need for an act of will, 'May freedom from remorse arise in me.' It is
  in the nature of things that freedom from remorse arises in a person
  endowed with virtue, consummate in virtue.
  
  "For a person free from remorse, there is no need for an act of will,
  'May joy arise in me.' It is in the nature of things that joy arises
  in a person free from remorse.
  
  "For a joyful person, there is no need for an act of will, 'May
  rapture arise in me.' It is in the nature of things that rapture
  arises in a joyful person.
  
  "For a rapturous person, there is no need for an act of will, 'May my
  body be serene.' It is in the nature of things that a rapturous person
  grows serene in body.
  
  "For a person serene in body, there is no need for an act of will,
  'May I experience pleasure.' It is in the nature of things that a
  person serene in body experiences pleasure.
  
  "For a person experiencing pleasure, there is no need for an act of
  will, 'May my mind grow concentrated.' It is in the nature of things
  that the mind of a person experiencing pleasure grows concentrated.
  
  "For a person whose mind is concentrated, there is no need for an act
  of will, 'May I know &amp; see things as they actually are.' It is in the
  nature of things that a person whose mind is concentrated knows &amp; sees
  things as they actually are.
  
  "For a person who knows &amp; sees things as they actually are, there is
  no need for an act of will, 'May I feel disenchantment.' It is in the
  nature of things that a person who knows &amp; sees things as they
  actually are feels disenchantment.
  
  "For a person who feels disenchantment, there is no need for an act of
  will, 'May I grow dispassionate.' It is in the nature of things that a
  person who feels disenchantment grows dispassionate.
  
  "For a dispassionate person, there is no need for an act of will, 'May
  I realize the knowledge &amp; vision of release.' It is in the nature of
  things that a dispassionate person realizes the knowledge &amp; vision of
  release.