Can you point at specific resources (name of the discipline, quintessential book about subject) for learning how to practice deep concentration, even in the face of very suboptimal environments?
There are many, many books. See Mindfulness in Plain English[1] for a good one that's available to read free online.
1. http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma4/mpe.html and more directly http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma4/mpe1-4.html
Meditation is something different -- actually I find it has adverse effects on critical thinking.
The only thing that works for me is (courtesy Feynman):
1) State the problem.
2) Think hard.
3) Write down the solution.
I cannot do these steps for programming or math in "any environment". I could write Koans though.
If another person is extroverted, perhaps even to the point of being hyperactive, then meditation (as you described it) may help.
In general I see very little connection though between meditation and intellectual output. Many famous people who are known for taking to Buddhism did so after accomplishing their major works.
I also doubt that meditation, even if it leads to a rested mind, helps focusing in noisy environments.
[same person as above -- sorry dang!]
Why do you maintain this?
> I cannot do these steps for programming or math in "any environment".
I have noticed that sometimes, when I'm really deep in flow on a problem, I can power through people starting a conversation standing right behind my back. I can't get into a flow state with such distractions, but sometimes I can maintain it. I imagine you've had similar experiences.
What if you had explicitly practiced concentration to the degree that you could enter a state of flow in those circumstances? With training, is that possible for some people? Most people?