Dr. John Vervaeke cover image

Dr. John Vervaeke

How Jhana Meditation Facilitates Insight and Cognitive Flexibility

Dec 27, 2024
Mark Miller, a philosopher and cognitive scientist at Monash University, Rick Repetti, a CUNY professor and author on Buddhism, and Jonas Mago, a PhD candidate studying contemplative practices, delve into the transformative power of Jhana meditation. They discuss how Jhana simplifies perception, enhancing cognitive flexibility and insight. The trio compares Jhana with charismatic practices like speaking in tongues, and examines neuroscientific evidence showing changes in brain responses during meditation, illustrating profound insights arising from these states.
01:08:14

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Jhana meditation streamlines mental experiences, enhancing insight and cognitive flexibility through focused attention on a single object, typically the breath.
  • EEG studies on Jhana practitioners reveal reduced brain surprise responses, indicating improved attentional focus and deeper absorption during meditation sessions.

Deep dives

Exploration of Predictive Processing

The podcast begins with a discussion on predictive processing and its relationship with relevance realization and embodied cognition. The speakers emphasize that these three concepts are interconnected and should not be treated separately. John Verveke expresses excitement about exploring these connections through various conversations in a new series. The focus is set on applying this framework to different topics in cognitive science and meditation, paving the way for deeper insights.

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