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.

#HubermanLab #Meditation #Science

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Articles
A Wandering Mind Is an Unhappy Mind: https://bit.ly/3sMP64B
Brief, daily meditation enhances attention, memory, mood, and emotional regulation in non-experienced meditators: https://bit.ly/3zu83gf
Yoga nidra practice shows improvement in sleep in patients with chronic insomnia: A randomized controlled trial: https://bit.ly/3zvZwtb

Books
Wherever You Go, There You Are: https://amzn.to/3TSnOFF
The Harvard Psychedelic Club: https://amzn.to/3NkQ2qg
Altered Traits: https://amzn.to/3wXsKj8

Other Resources
Waking Up app: https://www.wakingup.com
NSDR (Virtusan / Huberman): https://youtu.be/AKGrmY8OSHM
NSDR (Madefor): https://youtu.be/pL02HRFk2vo

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

Huberman Lab is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast is at the user’s own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.

Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac - https://www.blabacphoto.com