David Treleaven, author of 'Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness,' dives deep into the crucial relationship between trauma and meditation. He shares insights on the transformative potential of integrating trauma-informed practices within meditation retreats. The discussion includes the significance of jhanas for emotional processing and the 'window of tolerance' concept, which helps manage emotional responses. David emphasizes designing safe retreat environments while balancing deep meditation with trauma awareness, fostering emotional resilience.

Leigh Brasington, a renowned Jhana teacher, discusses how the jhanas can lead to happiness and capital-I Insights. He shares his experiences with entering different jhanas, including the rush of marijuana-like feelings in the first jhana and the happiness experienced in the second jhana. Leigh also emphasizes the malleability of the ego and offers advice for learning jhanas. The podcast includes discussions on meditation techniques, the concept of suka (joy/happiness), the benefits of quiet stillness, altered states of consciousness, exploring the mind, addressing restlessness, and cultivating qualities of joy and stillness.

Zach Lauzon, a Google engineer and novice meditator, shares how learning the first five jhanas on a retreat changed his worldview, relationship to hard things, and unlocked personality-change. He describes how he used the jhanas to process the suicide of his best friend after years of therapy. Topics include welcoming distractions in meditation, seeing difficult material as things to be understood and accepted, and the deep sense of equanimity achieved through jhana.

Guest David Phelan, music producer and songwriter for Zayn, Sia, and Blackpink, shares his journey from identifying as a confident materialist to a regular meditator. He discusses his experience with panic attacks and curing himself through meditation. They explore the role of music in profound altered states and the interdependence of periodic elements. David talks about his personal growth, from millions of followers to a 2-hour morning routine, and his aspiration to achieve the Jhanas through meditation.

Welcome to the Collection of Jhourney’s podcast, where we explore the stories of everyday people who have had their lives changed by the blissful and therapeutic states of jhana meditation. The jhanas are profoundly altered states of meditation that are a growing trend among meditators and scientists. Practitioners have described it as "MDMA therapy without the drugs", and early neural images suggest the jhanas may lead to distinct, measurable changes in the brain. Further studies at places like McGill and Harvard are just getting started. Despite these dramatic qualities, these states are historically controversial. Some believe they're a distraction & others doubt their attainability. We believe pragmatic instruction and feedback can save you months or years of stagnant practice. We've heard from hundreds of regular people who meditate (from engineer to musician) that have had their lives transformed by these states. Now, you can hear their stories. Enjoy the podcast, and check us out at jhourney dot io! That's j-h-o-u-r-n-e-y dot i-o.