Matthew Immergut, an Associate Professor of Sociology and co-author of 'The Mind Illuminated,' shares insights on the intricate landscape of meditation. He discusses his transformative journey, including struggles with addiction and the contrast between medication and mindfulness. Dive into the complexities of mentor-student relationships and the essential balance of accountability in spiritual teachings. Immergut also explores the nuanced interplay of love, morality, and consciousness in meditation, highlighting the importance of authentic engagement and community support.
02:02:58
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
question_answer ANECDOTE
Addiction Revealed in Meditation
Matthew describes how a hallucinated Adderall pill in meditation revealed his addiction cravings during a Vipassana retreat.
This insight led him to quit Adderall and deeply commit to meditation practice.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Meeting John Yates and Collaboration
Matthew met John Yates through a mutual friend and immediately felt blown away by John's meticulous meditation instruction.
Their collaboration began soon after and involved years of working closely together, mostly in person.
insights INSIGHT
Why The Mind Illuminated Succeeds
The Mind Illuminated's success stems from focused, clear instruction rather than personal stories.
Its staged, deliberate practice model offers a systematic approach that deeply inspires meditators.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
In 'Ways of Seeing,' John Berger and his co-authors argue that the way we see art has been manipulated by a privileged minority to preserve their social and economic dominance. The book, based on a 1972 BBC television series, consists of seven essays, four of which use words and images, and three that are entirely pictorial. Berger critiques traditional Western artistic and cultural canon, particularly focusing on the male gaze, the portrayal of women in art, and the impact of mechanical reproduction on art. The book has had a profound influence on feminist readings of popular culture and art history, and it remains a seminal work in the field of art criticism[2][4][5].
The mind illuminated
John Yates
Matthew Immergut, Ph.D., was co-author of the highly successful meditation classic, 'The Mind Illuminated,' and works as an Associate Professor of Sociology at Purchase College, SUNY where he has developed a minor in Contemplative Studies, and teaches classes on meditation, happiness, social theory, and new religious movements.We discuss how the systematic approach presented in the book has supported countless meditators, while also addressing the complexities that emerged around his co-author Culadasa (John Yates). We'll discuss Matthew's perspective on navigating teacher-student relationships and the broader challenges of translating traditional Buddhist practices for contemporary audiences, and how teachings on emptiness aim at a fearless capacity to love.To join future events, newsletter and access ad-free event recordings go to:https://adventuresinawareness.comYour contributions support future content, and are greatly appreciated:- https://adventuresinawareness.com/membership- One-off PayPal donations: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/adventuresin Follow the Adventure:- Subscribe to us on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@adventuresinawareness- Twitter: https://x.com/AdvInAwareness- iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adventures-in-awareness/id1535917754 - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2jiebSpdVu9YbpLOtWlKYU - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adventuresinawarenessBanner art by https://www.instagram.com/jadewade/0:00 Intro4:30 Matthews background: wilderness survival and chassidic judaism 10:30 Goenka vipassana & addiction19:00 Departure from messianic Judaism23:30 Meeting John Yates (Culadaca)30:25 Publishing & crafting the Mind Illuminated42:00 The strengths of the book47:00 Whatever you do has the same obstacles 48:10 The downsides of the book: progress isn’t linear50:20 Striving, meditative ego and burnout 55:30 Just assume you are bypassing59:39 On the awakening and behaviour of Culadasa, John Yates1:17:00 waking up vs cleaning up1:22:30 Bypassing vs indulging1:26:30 Best practice going forward1:28:10 What Matthew would change about the book1:30:30 Seeing emptiness to induce a fearless capacity to love1:35:00 Cessation, awakening, immoral behaviour and emptiness of consciousness1:42:30 Morality as the starting point for enlightenment?1:45:30 Wisdom, Morality and Insight1:47:30 what to do when you need a break from meditation?1:51:30 the future of the Mind Illuminated?1:52:30 the power of meeting saints - perfection vs imperfection
Adventures in Awareness 
