I explored the underlying mechanics and pedagogy of deep meditation, which enables access to intensely altered mental states with potential therapeutic benefits that extend well beyond mindfulness. These practices are still not well understood, but they offer insight into not just our wellbeing, but the mind and consciousness itself.
I discovered this world by accident in early 2024, when I pitched a magazine on a piece about a growing Twitter subculture surrounding a set of deeply altered concentrative states called the jhanas. As part of my research, I signed up for a retreat. I had virtually no background in meditation, and was skeptical about the claimed effects, yet came away astounded and intrigued by what I experienced.
Research and media on advanced meditation is scant but growing, and I collaborated with several organizations to better understand the phenomenology, pedagogy, and effects of these practices: Jhourney, a meditation education company, as well as the Meditation Research Program at Harvard/Mass General, led by Matthew Sacchet.