jhana a term used by Theravada Buddhists meaning ‘pondering’ or ‘contemplation’ and often translated into English as ‘meditation’. This is one of many terms used to describe both techniques of meditation and the states of consciousness that result from the use of such techniques. Jhana has a specific technical use: it denotes a hierarchically ordered series of four (or sometimes five) states of consciousness, states produced by a gradual reduction in the range of affective experience. The first of these states is said to include five mental factors, which are various kinds of affect and cognitive function, while the last consists only of equanimity, a condition altogether free from affect. See also SAMATHA, VIPASSANA A. P.J.G.