Meditation is a discipline that teaches one how to control consciousness, rather than be controlled by it. Meditation teaches you how to control how you experience the world. There are numerous accounts of people in the worst of circumstances who are filled with awe and wonder and gratitude for the amazing gift of life. Conversely, one need not look far to find a millionaire who has mastered the physical universe, but is a slave to the whims of his or her own mind, and is miserable in the midst of external wealth.
Some people object to the idea of controlling consciousness.
These are usually people who have little control of their own mind, and are blinded by their own ignorance. Of course not. Such objections may arise from a belief that the more you know about something, the less there is to know, and the more boring and predictable your world becomes. The opposite is actually true. The more math you learn, the more you realize there is to know and the more magical and mystical the field appears to you.