Meditation provokes and trains a broad, wide spanning level of attention, almost the exact opposite of attention deficit disorder (ADD). A more flexible attention span makes it easier to be aware of a situation, easier to be objective in emotionally or morally difficult situations, and easier to achieve a state of responsive, creative awareness or "flow".
Research in Point
Meditation Rewires Your Mental Circuitry For The Best
Dr. James Austin, a neurophysiologist at the University of Colorado, is a huge proponent of meditation with two best selling books (Zen and the Brain, & Zen-Brain Reflections) on the subject. His research has found that meditation rewires the circuitry of the brain, as discovered by the use of functional MRI imaging, which examines the electrical activity of the brain. Meditation has been shown to increase activity in the left prefrontal cortex, which is associated with concentration, planning, meta-cognition (thinking about thinking), and positive affect (good feelings).