Putting Buddhist Practice Under a Microscope

Disclaimer: This method is how I approach my practice, and is not necessarily the views of other Secular Buddhist. That said, these methods fit well within the context of the secular Buddhist practices. Occasionally I am accused of being a reductionist. So I admit here and now, I do indeed take a reductionist approach to…

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Episode 73 :: Dr. Cathy Kerr :: Modulating Somatosensory Attention

Dr. Cathy Kerr Dr. Cathy Kerr joins us to speak about her recent study on the effects of mindfulness meditation training on anticipatory alpha modulation in primary somatosensory cortex. Hi, everyone. Today, with this episode as with many others, I learned something. Only this time, it was very unexpected, and helped me assess my own…

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Turning the Skeptic Inward

I often tell people that while science taught me to be skeptical of the world, Buddhism taught me to be skeptical the inner world. But more accurately, I couldn’t be a good skeptic until I was able to turn skepticism inward and tame this overactive mind. Because while others may fool us with stories, lies, and misinformation, the biggest deceptions happen within our very own heads!

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Is Secular Buddhism Cherry Picking?

For me, yes! Just as I would pick cherries from a tree, taking the ripe ones and the almost ripe, and leaving unripe on the tree and the rotten ones on the ground (or throw them away), I have cherry picked from Buddhism. Over the last ten years or so, I have studied Zen Buddhism,…

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Episode 69 :: Dr. Roland Griffiths :: Psilocybin and Meditation

Dr. Roland Griffiths Dr. Roland Griffiths speaks with us about his work studying psilocybin’s intersection with meditation. Many of our Buddhist centers here in the United States got their start and found practitioners in the psychedelic 60’s. Literally. The culture of the time had an exploration of pharmacologicals, especially those which could produce altered perceptions…

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Episode 68 :: Stephen Schettini :: It Begins with Silence

Stephen Schettini Stephen Schettini speaks with us about his new book, It Begins with Silence – The Art of Mindful Reflection. Meditation can be very challenging, not the least of which is understanding what it is we’re trying to do. Empty the mind, use the mind, both, or neither? Seeing that meditation can be many…

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Episode 50 :: Sara Lazar :: Meditation Effect on Brain Density

Sara Lazar Dr. Sara Lazar of Massachusetts General Hospital joins us to speak about a new study on the effects of meditation on brain density. Often when we tell people, particular other skeptics, about how beneficial meditation is to us, we’re met with, well, skepticism. And that’s okay. People should feel free to question with…

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