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.
The article describes a pervasive mental habit where people continuously project themselves into tomorrow while current tasks unfold. This forward‑looking focus creates a subtle, lingering tension in the nervous system, reducing present‑moment awareness. The author calls this pattern “the habit of carrying tomorrow inside today.” Recognizing and tempering it can improve clarity, reduce stress, and boost performance.
Leave a 💙 if these lessons resonate. Comment “read” and I’ll send you the full article for free about the silent 60 day meditation retreat I just sat in India. Sending love to all 🙏🏽
A new analysis of 461,586 UK adults tracked for over 13 years found that drinking two to three cups of coffee daily is linked to the lowest risk of developing mood and stress disorders. The protective effect disappears at five...
My latest article is on nighttime overthinking and six evidence-based ways to stop that from happening. The short version: everyone's brain throws up random thoughts at night. Bad sleepers just have a brain that treats them like emergencies.
A new systematic review examined sexual trauma disclosure among boys and men, synthesizing 69 studies that included 10,517 survivors across 23 countries. The analysis found that men typically wait 15‑21 years before disclosing, with shame, fear of disbelief, and masculine...
30 seconds to breathe where the music is playing in a path is still unfolding 🎶
Nighttime anxiety spikes due to a mix of physiological and evolutionary factors, including blood‑sugar fluctuations, a natural cortisol surge around 3 a.m., and an ancient vigilance response to darkness. Experts cite hormonal shifts, low‑carb dieting, and the quiet of night as...
A recent Nature Communications study reveals that the hippocampus and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) collaborate to form a cognitive map of emotions, organizing feelings along valence and arousal dimensions. Using fMRI data combined with the Tolman‑Eichenbaum Machine, researchers showed a...
Join me for this 6-week online course and learn practices that can help us stop judging ourselves and instead, connect more deeply to our most alive, most authentic and loving self. Here's the link to learn more & register (link...
A few ways to optimize your mental health right now. Take what you need: 1. Assess your social media patterns 2. Tighten up your circle 3. Get a mental health check-up 4. Look at your boundaries 5. Examine your relationship with food, sex, and...
Allison Briggs describes moral injury as the deep wound caused when trusted adults or systems betray a child’s disclosure of abuse. She recounts her own experience of reporting family violence to a teacher who promised protection, only to be let...
Grammy‑winner SZA has credited yoga and meditation practices at India’s Isha Foundation for reshaping her creative workflow. A viral moment at the Mahashivratri celebration highlighted her public embrace of the spiritual retreat, while a 30‑day silent Samyama program deepened her...
Will you try sharpening your mind through meditation? And I should add, meditation retreats are objectively great but you do not have to go on a 45 day retreat to notice the benefits of a practice. If you're meditation curious...
The article explains that equanimity, while appearing as calm concentration, can conceal subtle attachment and delusion. It warns that staying absorbed in a state of equanimity without probing can prevent genuine insight. Practitioners are urged to use equanimity as a...
Yoga Journal highlights five YouTube yoga sessions designed to reduce stress and promote calm. The videos range from 10‑minute supine stretches to 18‑minute movement flows, covering gentle hip openers, bedtime routines, and strength‑building sequences. Each practice emphasizes breath, mindfulness, and...
Staying glued to the news doesn’t make you more informed. It makes you more dysregulated. Protect your nervous system so you can actually help people. 💜🙏🏼🌈
Off all the constructs/phenomena that predict therapeutic response with psychedelic therapy, the best is emotional breakthrough (EB). It's not "oceanic boundlessness", it's not "mystical-type experiences," it's EB. Expect more on this soon...
Margaret Cullen’s forthcoming book Quiet Strength delves into equanimity as a distinct, teachable virtue, filling a gap in the crowded mindfulness market. After rejecting a workbook proposal, she pursued a deep‑dive manuscript that positions equanimity alongside mindfulness, compassion, and love....
The mighty Zan Zelic just published "Hypnotizability and interoception: Differential associations with accuracy, sensibility, and awareness". Grateful to have been involved.
If you want to become full, let yourself be empty. ~ Lao Tzu Particularly in #meditation the goal is to empty our mind, not fill it up with concepts or ideas. You must learn to let go. https://t.co/R7CkUMIeu8
Modern neuroscience shows trauma resides not only in memory but also in the nervous system, muscles, and stress pathways. Persistent physical symptoms—such as chronic tension, sleep disruption, and hypervigilance—signal that the body remains in a survival state long after the...
Your nervous system speaks two languages: HERE — grounded, boundaried, present in your body BEYOND — expanded, permeable, dissolved into something larger Your therapist tells you to stay HERE. Spiritual gurus tell you to go BEYOND. Wellness culture sells you expensive retreats that...
Exciting & important new study from my lab. Have you ever wondered how strong that alleged connection is between psychedelic use and #Schizophrenia? This project aims to point the telescope there & give it a focused look. Please share widely. @AlexaM_Molinaro...
Researchers analyzed data from the Global Flourishing Study, covering 207,919 adults in 23 nations, to examine whether a dispositional tendency to forgive predicts later well‑being. Using two waves of surveys spaced a year apart, they found that higher forgivingness was...
Mindfulness doesn’t have to mean long meditation sessions. It can be as simple as pausing during the day and fully experiencing a moment. Put the phone down. Notice the light, the air, the people around you. Let yourself actually experience the...
The essay explores how incessant internal dialogue functions as a form of noise pollution, clouding clarity and driving dualistic thinking. It presents chanting the name of Kanzeon—or any pure, intention‑free sound—as a pathway to a pre‑conceptual awareness that transcends mental...
The article outlines seven mental habits that can curb chronic negative thinking, ranging from self‑awareness to daily gratitude and mindfulness. It explains how each habit interrupts automatic pessimistic loops and replaces them with more balanced, controllable thought patterns. By practicing...
There is no point in "trying to be present." You're always in the present moment, but you're too stuck in identity and mental constructs to notice "Being present" thus is less about "doing something" and more about NOT doing much at...
The author describes how conventional seated meditation felt hostile, prompting a shift to spontaneous, nature‑based attention. A simple pause by a tree, observing a leaf without intent, softened her tension and revealed a gentler path to presence. Repeated micro‑moments of...
A Yale-led trial found that reducing parental stress can curb childhood obesity risk. In a 12‑week randomized study of 114 families with overweight toddlers, parents who completed a mindfulness‑based stress program (PMH) showed lower stress, improved parenting behaviors, and their...
The blog explains that the "Sunday scaries" stem from anticipatory anxiety, where the brain treats upcoming work stress as a real threat. Neuroimaging shows the amygdala and stress‑hormone systems activate, releasing cortisol even without actual danger. This triggers physical symptoms...
My jaw dropped when I heard why someone had stopped coming to my weekly breathwork session: they wanted progress.
Leave a 💙 if these new favorites resonate. Which slide is for you? Credit from the first post onward: @vexking @case.kenny @thirdeyethoughts @adamgrant iuliastration @wordsarevibrations @jillianturecki @matthewzaremba @the.alchemist @heycoryallen Comment “read” and I’ll DM you the new free article that...
In this episode the host explores the distinction between being "responsible for" something—trying to control outcomes—and being "responsible to" someone—showing up with integrity while honoring their agency. They discuss how this shift impacts parenting, relationships, and personal well‑being, emphasizing self‑reflection...
We're so good at creating suffering that doesn't exist yet—catastrophizing about meetings that haven't happened, arguments that might never occur, worst-case scenarios that live only in our heads. By the way, my new audible original with Sebene Selassie, “Even You Can...
This is looking pretty cool at @BerkeleyAlembic tomorrow. Ryuen Sensei returns to The Alembic to uncover the basic essence of Zen teachings, how this essence speaks to modern culture, and how it applies to your everyday life....
Prolonged, high‑intensity stress shuts down the prefrontal cortex, limiting reasoning and empathy. This neurological regression spreads socially, creating a feedback loop of dysregulation that fuels conflict across families, workplaces, and nations. The article outlines how simple physiological tools—breathing, cold exposure,...
I'm neurodivergent and have a PhD in healthcare research. Here are 14 ways to regulate your nervous system you’ve probably never heard of: 1. Shower in the dark (reduces sensory input and is one of the fastest ways to calm your overstimulated...
If you would like to join me tomorrow (Sunday) online to learn about how breath can help support your nervous system and help you feel better, comment below or send me a message :)
In this eclectic episode titled "Whale & Dolphin Song," the hosts weave together a collage of ambient sounds, spontaneous gratitude, and brief spoken interludes, including a nod to spiritual teacher Mooji. While the narrative is largely abstract, listeners are treated...
You don’t have to complete everything on your to do list today. You can just BE. REST. It’s enough for today. Close the laptop. Drop your shoulders. Breathe.
" We are caught in a traffic jam of discursive thought" ~ Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche Ever catch yourself in this traffic jam? Well you are not alone. Truth is at least you see it, which is one step above most people...
Recent large‑scale school studies in the UK and Denmark found that ten weekly mindfulness sessions delivered by teachers produced little measurable improvement in adolescents’ mental health, sparking doubts about the efficacy of universal programs. The author argues that these findings...
The rage that you swallowed and held inside as a child becomes the autoimmune disease and depression you develop as an adult.
We don’t actually know how others should live their lives. Most of the time, we’re still figuring out our own. In this video, I reflect on how remembering this can loosen the grip of judgment. ▶️ https://t.co/ao218rxwzQ #judgment #selfawareness #innerwork
The mindfulness sector is evolving into a viable career path, with corporate wellness programs, digital platforms, and therapeutic services driving demand. Roles such as mindfulness coaches, app developers, and certified instructors now command salaries ranging from $70,000 to over $100,000....
“I can’t meditate.” Cool. This audiobook was made for you. 4 hrs, 2 mins. That’s it. Your calm era starts now. Check out my new audiobook with Sebene Selassie, "Even You Can Meditate" only on Audible. IPMF.
Sensor Tower’s 2025 APAC Awards named Insight Timer the Best Meditation App, highlighting its position as the top APAC‑origin meditation platform in global charts. The app now serves 32 million registered users and offers an ad‑free library of 300,000 resources in...
Meditation: Inhabiting Awake Awareness (21:49) 💕🙏 This meditation begins with collecting attention with the breath, and awakens us to the experience of aliveness and inner space by scanning the body. We then open to receive all the senses in awake...
The Untangle Podcast’s top five episodes explore how mindfulness, self‑compassion and loving‑kindness can be applied in life’s messiest moments. Experts such as Mark Coleman, Jerry Colonna, Waylon Lewis, Alonzo King and Sharon Salzberg share practical tools—from labeling the inner critic to a daily pause...
