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In this episode, I discuss the biological mechanisms of the state changes that occur during different types of meditation and describe how to develop the meditation practice optimal for you. I explain key meditation principles, such as using specific breathwork patterns and adjusting your perception to specific locations along the continuum between interoception, exteroception and dissociation. I discuss how meditation practices lead to long-term trait changes and neuroplasticity, including changing your default mood, reducing baseline anxiety/depression, increasing your ability to focus, enhancing relaxation, improving sleep, and increasing your overall happiness level. I also explain the concept behind the “third-eye center,” what mindfulness is from a biological standpoint, the power of ultra-brief meditations and how to select the best meditation and time and duration to meditate to meet your need. I also explain a novel open-eyed perception-based meditation that may enhance focus, relaxation and task-switching ability. Whether you are a novice or an experienced meditator or simply interested in how our brain controls different aspects of conscious awareness and self-regulation, this episode should interest you.
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Timestamps
- 00:00:00 Meditation
- 00:04:13 InsideTracker, Thesis, ROKA, Momentous Supplements
- 00:08:25 Brief History of Meditation: Consciousness, Psychedelics, fMRI
- 00:16:19 How the Brain Interprets the Body & Surrounding Environment; Mindfulness
- 00:26:07 Neuroscience of Meditation; Perceptual Spotlights
- 00:32:27 AG1 (Athletic Greens)
- 00:33:41 Interoception vs. Exteroception
- 00:42:20 Default Mode Network, Continuum of Interoception & Exteroception
- 00:53:30 Tools: Interoceptive or Exteroceptive Bias, Meditation Challenge
- 01:01:48 State & Trait Changes, Interoceptive & Exteroceptive Meditations, Refocusing
- 01:07:35 Tool: Brief Meditations, Waking Up App
- 01:10:30 “Third Eye Center” & Wandering Thoughts
- 01:20:46 Meditation: Practice Types, Focal Points & Consistency
- 01:24:10 Breathwork: Cyclic Hyperventilation, Box Breathing & Interoception
- 01:30:41 Tool: Meditation Breathwork, Cyclic vs. Complex Breathwork
- 01:39:22 Interoception vs. Dissociation, Trauma
- 01:47:43 Model of Interoception & Dissociation Continuum
- 01:53:39 Meditation & Dissociation: Mood, Bias & Corresponding Challenge
- 02:00:18 Meditation & Sleep: Yoga Nidra, Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR)
- 02:11:33 Choosing a Meditative Practice; Hypnosis
- 02:14:53 Tool: Space-Time Bridging (STB)
- 02:25:00 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Social Media
