Know What's Happening in Meditation
Know What's Happening in Meditation
Brain scans map a drug‑free psychedelic trance
A 37‑year‑old woman can voluntarily enter a psychedelic‑like visionary state without any substances. Functional MRI across 20 sessions revealed reduced coupling in visual and somatosensory networks and greater integration of frontoparietal control and salience networks, indicating a reorganization toward lower‑entropy brain connectivity.
Google announced today that it is rolling out the SoundHeal sensory program across its global offices to support employee mental and emotional health. The initiative reflects a growing corporate focus on holistic wellness, though details of the technology and rollout timeline were not disclosed. Analysts say the move could set a new benchmark for large‑scale workplace wellness programs.
A peer‑reviewed eight‑week trial of Dzeny’s AI therapist showed a 43% drop in GAD‑7 anxiety scores, matching traditional CBT effect sizes. At the same time, New York‑based Blossom Health closed a $20 million seed/Series A round to roll out its AI “copilot”...
The post explains how consciously labeling emotions interrupts the brain’s automatic alarm system, allowing the prefrontal cortex to moderate reactions. Neuroimaging shows that naming feelings can cut threat‑circuit activity by roughly 30%, creating a pause before impulsive action. Simple habits...
I experience ego as a terrified child. Meditate on one fearful thought, move it from your head to paper, and follow the simple directions below. xoxo bk Download the One-Belief-At-A-Time Worksheet: thework.com/downloads theworkofbyronkatie #byronkatie #innerwisdom #selfhelp #selfinquiry #healingjourney #selflovejourney #dailylesson #mindfulness #TheWork
Pleased to be included in this work. Emotional breakthrough as a strong predictor of response (again): https://t.co/pAPCipfd1U
India’s National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro‑Sciences (NIMHANS) unveiled CALM‑Brain, the country’s first digital repository of multimodal psychiatric data, with more than 2,000 participants from 900 families. The launch, led by philanthropist Rohini Nilekani, positions India at the forefront...
An intentional focused breath is a beautiful reminder of where you are and what matters most at this moment. https://t.co/vHiGRobUeX
Where does your superpower lie? In a world that's competing for your attention, your focus is everything. #mindfulness https://t.co/9EA84vEcVB
A team of Chinese scholars has introduced an “Omni-Present” indigenous framework to integrate Western mindfulness models with traditional Chinese philosophical concepts. The proposal seeks to address cultural tensions and restore ethical dimensions that have been stripped from secular mindfulness programs.
Rushing from one task to the next leaves a trail of unfinished moments behind. Finishing what’s in front of us, facing the task we’re avoiding, and taking small pauses to plan and reflect can bring clarity back into the day. Read on...
The great Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh on true love and the 5 rivers of self-knowledge https://t.co/nPsSrDxUQ2
A team from Kochi University of Technology identified a distinct surge in brain activity an hour after acute stress, overturning the conventional view that stress responses peak within minutes. The finding, published in PNAS, highlights a 60‑minute window where the...
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is emerging as a highly effective treatment for Highly Sensitive People (HSPs), offering a blend of validation and practical skill‑building that curbs emotional overwhelm. The approach, originally created by Marsha Linehan for borderline personality disorder, directly...
Oxford Mindfulness director Claire Kelly challenges the notion that mindfulness creates passivity, arguing it actually fosters clearer, more deliberate action. Systematic studies of MBCT and MBSR show participants gain better emotional regulation, reduced stress, and sharper decision‑making. Kelly emphasizes that...
IIT Madras has inaugurated the Center for Advanced Research on Spirituality, Science and Society, backed by a ₹5 crore ($600,000) donation from alumnus Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj. The hub will unite scholars across medicine, humanities and architecture to examine how...
I asked @ShiraLazar how she stays optimistic while fighting for an industry that often fights back. Her answer had nothing to do with platforms, algorithms, or follower counts. It starts with taking her dog outside in the morning. Feeling the sun. Breathing....
🧵 No one talks about this part of being a doctor. You keep showing up. Even when you’re tired. Even when you don’t feel like it. Even when life outside is falling apart. Because patients don’t see your bad days. They see a doctor. So you hold...
The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism inaugurated the 2026 International Seon Meditation Summit and Seon Meditation Festival in Seoul on April 3, featuring AI‑powered “mind‑prescription” diagnostics and 35 newly appointed meditation ambassadors. The event aims to position traditional Seon meditation...
Many of us get stressed trying to control the uncontrollable. Here's the good news: Peace of mind doesn’t come from controlling everything. It comes from mastering the small circle of things you 𝘤𝘢𝘯 control: your beliefs, your mindset, your attention, your reactions. Your brain...
In part two of her conversation with activist Mohsen Mahdawi, Tara Brach delves into the deep psychological roots of fear, hatred, and trauma that fuel systemic injustice, using the Israel‑Palestine conflict as a vivid illustration. Mahdawi explains how Buddhist ethics...
Brook, a hospice nurse and mother of four, struggled for years with undiagnosed bipolar depression, mistaking her symptoms for ordinary depression. After multiple ineffective antidepressants and three hospitalizations, a new physician correctly identified bipolar depression and prescribed CAPLYTA® (lumateperone). Within...
The International Breathwork Foundation (IBF) announced the global rollout of World Breathing Day on April 11, 2026, under the theme “Pause, Breathe, Unite.” The initiative will combine in‑person gatherings, Zoom workshops and a social‑media challenge to promote conscious breathing as...
A new study in Behaviour Research and Therapy shows that individuals with elevated depressive symptoms consistently predict fewer positive life events than actually occur, confirming a genuine pessimistic bias rather than realistic optimism. Researchers tracked 372 adults over three months,...
In a fresh interview, neuroscientist Julia Rodríguez Teba warned that mental noise fuels stress, decision‑making blocks and emotional overload. She launched the Brain Star Training system and her new book ‘Sin Ruido’ (‘Without Noise’) to make applied neuroscience tools available...
A fresh MTV Youth Study reveals that 62% of India's Gen Z believe spirituality provides clarity, and nearly 70% feel more confident after prayer. The findings highlight a move toward practical, stress‑relief oriented spiritual habits among the youngest adult cohort.
30 seconds to breathe inside of a dream where the ocean breeze sings: “ you do not have to perform here… you are free to just be”
Listen to your inner voice and see what it's saying to you. Is it kind? Are you compassionate with yourself? Challenging thoughts are the first step in changing your inner narrative. Change the mind. Change your life. #mindfulness https://t.co/fdgDUuUbG6
The blog post "The Alan Watts Reframe" introduces Alan Watts’ teaching that the ego is a mental construction rather than an immutable self. It contrasts being swept by experience with standing as the witnessing awareness that observes thoughts and emotions....
Labeling your emotions may seem too simple to be effective but research shows it creates a sense of mental space. Labeling activates your brain's PFC, calms the amygdala, and increases emotional clarity. It supports better decision making, emotional regulation, and...
Latest team member to be added to the @BSMSMedSchool Breathwork Lab: @UrgeToBreathe (https://t.co/hNpPkC9fBS). Big up @dmt_quest x @ResearchHub for putting me in a position to get these amazing people together in a room every couple weeks.
Tulane neuroscientists identified two central amygdala neuron types—CRF and SOM—that act as a neural switch between high‑intensity escape (jumping) and low‑intensity freezing or darting during fear extinction. Using optogenetic manipulation in mice, inhibiting CRF neurons reduced panic‑like jumps, while activating...
Do you notice when you are uptight, you breathe in a shallow way? Our emotional state affects our breath. In yoga the reverse is also believed to be true. Shallow breathing perpetuates anxiety. Physiologically, the mastery of our breath is...
The fastest way to solve a problem is to stop labeling it as a problem. Feel the sensation in your body. Allow it to be there. Let it pass.
Federico Menapace, a former bridge engineer turned mental‑wellness advocate, survived the suicide of his mother and later healed through a psilocybin‑assisted session. Leveraging his MBA from Stanford and experience as COO of MAPS, he now challenges the profit‑driven mental‑health model...
Thailand has entered the ranks of India, Nepal, Japan and Bali as a leading destination for meditation‑focused travel, drawing record numbers of seekers. The shift expands Asia’s spiritual tourism market and forces the travel industry to re‑tool offerings toward wellness...
The archived Yoga Journal piece revisits how modern stress hijacks our natural breathing, leading to restrictive patterns such as reverse, chest, and hyperventilation breathing. It explains that these habits shrink inhalation volume, elevate tension, and can exacerbate chronic conditions like...
Neuroscience shows that you will unlock a new level of joy when you start doing things for no reason at all 🧠 Delayed gratification is great, but constantly living outside of the present moment is not great. All we have...
#Mindfulness is remaining present moment focused, self aware, engaging the five senses and developing perspective. It’s letting go of resistance to what’s happening. It’s learning the art of non attachment. If we're caught up in a stream of reaction or...
One Circle Foundation announced the launch of Calm & Connected, a 12‑session curriculum designed to improve mental‑health resilience for children and teens. The program, built on community feedback and the Circle process, arrives as CDC data shows nearly 40% of...
The rate of your breath and the state of your mind are inseparable. The slower you breathe, the more control you have over your mind. https://t.co/b9qSjPQOjN
The post highlights how incorporating natural elements and mindful pauses in classrooms can instantly calm frustrated students, turning a brief respite into a lasting coping strategy. It describes a teacher’s personal experience living in a trailer community, emphasizing gratitude and...
Avoidance of anxiety producing situations reinforces the incorrect perception that the worst case scenario is far more likely than it actually is. https://t.co/VSZtOzaQ3q
The article revisits the five remembrances from the Upajjhatthana Sutta—aging, illness, death, separation, and karmic consequence—and describes how the author uses them in Buddhist chaplaincy work. Personal anecdotes from a hospice setting illustrate how confronting these truths fosters authentic presence...
Breathworks is offering a 90‑minute online drop‑in session on May 18, focused on natural, effortless mindfulness. The live Zoom class costs $20 for standard participants and $15 for those meeting a $27.5k‑$31.3k income threshold, with an extra 10% discount for accredited...
The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism announced the 2026 International Seon Meditation Summit and Seon Meditation Festival, set to open on April 3 at Seoul’s Bong‑eun Cultural Center. The three‑day event will showcase AI‑driven meditation tools, a “mind‑prescription” program, and a...
In this episode, host Michael interviews author Russell Story about his book *Radical Curiosity and Reclaiming Mental Freedom in an Age of Indoctrination*. They explore how the unquestioned worship of economic growth harms both people and the planet, and discuss...
A new study using functional MRI and machine‑learning algorithms found that young adults with suicidal thoughts show distinct brain activation when processing death‑related words, allowing the model to separate them from healthy peers with roughly 57‑61% accuracy. The research involved...
Lily Cornell Silver, daughter of late Soundgarden frontman, formed the band Josie on the Rocks while in college, using music as a therapeutic opposite action. After the tragic death of drummer Graham Derzon‑Supplee, she faced severe depression and entered inpatient...
A commentary in Nature Reviews Cardiology, authored by researchers from Maharishi International University, UCLA and Wayne State, argues that Transcendental Meditation can lower stress‑related cardiovascular risk. The paper cites decades of trials showing blood‑pressure reductions and slower atherosclerosis progression, and...
Juan Gallego, principal investigator at the Be.Neural Lab, discussed how neural manifolds are reshaping our understanding of coordinated activity across large neuronal populations. He highlighted evidence that population firing patterns collapse onto low‑dimensional manifolds, especially in motor control and learning...
