The Peter Attia Drive #34 - Sam Harris, Ph.D.: The transformative power of mindfulness
02:43:32
Attia's Epiphany
- Peter Attia had a profound experience after 10 days in a rehab facility.
- He realized he was truly present for the first time in his life after all stimuli were removed.
Two Meditation Types
- There are two basic types of meditation: concentration-based and mindfulness-based.
- Concentration aims to absorb attention on one object, while mindfulness aims for choiceless awareness of everything.
Walking Meditation
- Peter Attia, using a walking meditation from Dan Harris's 10% Happier app, had a new sensory experience.
- He felt the wind on his hands while walking, a sensation he hadn't noticed before.
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Introduction
00:00 • 4min
The Importance of Mindfulness Meditation
03:58 • 2min
The Importance of Mindfulness in Meditation
05:41 • 2min
The Different Types of Mindfulness
07:32 • 4min
The Importance of Mindfulness
11:53 • 4min
How to Live Longer
16:20 • 1min
The Importance of Meditation
17:45 • 6min
The Importance of Joy in Life
23:45 • 2min
How to Stay Anger Free for a Long Time
25:53 • 5min
The Problem With Rumination and Constant Thought
30:33 • 2min
The Origins of Language
32:28 • 3min
The Distraction Disease of Too Much Thinking
35:03 • 2min
The Evolution of Language
36:50 • 5min
The Power of Mindfulness
41:42 • 2min
The Power of Mindfulness
44:06 • 3min
How to Let Go of Anger
47:28 • 3min
The Importance of Mindfulness
50:51 • 2min
The Power of Empathy
52:37 • 2min
The Importance of a Feedback Loop in Meditation
54:16 • 5min
The Importance of Solitude in Life
59:12 • 4min
The Path to Enlightenment
01:03:14 • 2min
The Importance of Empathy
01:05:40 • 4min
The Importance of Being Happy
01:09:23 • 2min
The Neurobiology of MDMA
01:10:53 • 2min
The Importance of Meditative Practice
01:12:48 • 4min
The Importance of Wishing for Happiness
01:17:07 • 2min
The Importance of Understanding Our Experiences
01:19:07 • 5min
The Step to the Line
01:24:03 • 3min
The Importance of Moral Luck
01:26:40 • 4min
The Importance of Thoughts in Life
01:30:22 • 2min
The Importance of Accepting That Everyone Here Loses
01:32:41 • 2min
The Pain of Losing a Dog
01:34:41 • 3min
The Power of Meditation
01:37:39 • 4min
The Importance of Mindfulness
01:41:58 • 3min
The Importance of Mindfulness
01:44:29 • 2min
The Relationship Between Vipassana and Mindfulness
01:46:44 • 4min
The Non-Dualistic Practice of Meditation
01:50:51 • 3min
The Importance of Mindfulness in Meditation
01:53:55 • 5min
The Path to Mindfulness
01:58:54 • 1min
The Importance of Traits in Meditation
02:00:19 • 6min
The Importance of Ethics in Life
02:06:05 • 3min
The Importance of Honesty
02:09:06 • 4min
The Disadvantages of Dishonesty in Politics
02:12:39 • 3min
The Trumpian Phenomenon
02:16:07 • 2min
How to Teach Your Daughters About What the Future Holds
02:18:36 • 3min
The Power of Expectation
02:21:32 • 3min
The Importance of Intellectual Honesty
02:24:51 • 2min
The Importance of Apologies
02:27:06 • 2min
The Impossibility of Apologies
02:28:58 • 2min
The Importance of Remorse in Prison
02:31:01 • 3min
The Importance of Unbelievable Apologies
02:34:19 • 3min
The Neuroscience of Evil
02:37:12 • 2min
How to Prevent Diseases That Kill You
02:38:49 • 3min
The Importance of Listening to Podcasts
02:41:28 • 2min
In this episode, Sam Harris, neuroscientist, author, and host of the Waking Up Podcast, walks us through the profound, yet practical, ways that meditation can transform our lives. Additionally, he helps to define the types of meditation and clarifies potential misconceptions with terms like happiness, pain, and suffering.
We discuss:
- The transformative moment that led to Peter reaching out to Sam [3:45];
- Comparing the two broad types of meditation, and Peter’s favorite meditation apps [7:45];
- The pleasure of a concentrated mind, meditating with pain, and the difference between pain and suffering [13:15];
- What it means to be happy, and how to break out of our default state [23:15];
- The disease of distraction, why humans suffer, the limitation of happiness, and letting go of anger with mindfulness [31:00];
- The challenge of learning mindfulness, the benefit of silent retreats, and Sam’s first experience in solitude as a teenager [54:15];
- Sam’s life-altering experience with MDMA [1:03:00];
- Mettā meditation a.k.a. loving-kindness, and the concept of ‘moral luck’ [1:14:00];
- Overcoming grief and dread with meditation [1:34:45];
- The wrong way to practice mindfulness, and the difference between Vipassana and Dzogchen [1:44:45];
- Sam’s commitment to never lie, honesty in politics, and Sam’s viewpoint on the Trump phenomenon [2:06:00];
- Teaching kids to be more mindful [2:18:30];
- Sam’s current book projects, the consequences of a politically correct environment, and the potential of neuroscience to cure psychopathy [2:25:30];
- How you can follow Sam’s work [2:39:00]; and
- More.
Learn more at www.PeterAttiaMD.com