I found a helpful primer to meditation and associated benefits in a good book by Dan Harris - "10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Wit

I found a helpful primer to meditation and associated benefits in a good book by Dan Harris - "10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found a Self-Help That Actually Works" Mainly he decouples the practice from the spiritual part of it. so you can go in without expecting a monk to come out the other side.