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@scavengertag

Ай бұрын

You’ve done it. Good god you’ve done it.

@DandelionScribe

Ай бұрын

when does the podcast come on youtube?

@Obberron

Ай бұрын

Severe ADHD here, meditation helps develop the "focus" muscle that so many people lack. It helped me initially, until I became adept at the whole breathing thing and my brain learned to automate that process while thinking of other things, but it's a cute novel trick in the beginning, especially for ADHD, it was the first time my brain was silent ever.

@theunaimedarrow2388

Ай бұрын

@@Obberron It's also possible that you gained more mindfulness and simply started noticing more subtle thoughts. It's common for meditators to think their mind is getting busier as they progress on the journey because metacognitive awareness increases and now you're much more aware of your inner dialogue. Whereas, before meditation we're so consumed by the constant narratives that we don't even realise they're running.

@reedwill953

Ай бұрын

Concentration is the muscle that opens the window to start actually meditating. Samadhi, or concentration meditation is only one type of meditation. There's an entire ocean to discover once you've developed concentration for a while.@@Obberron

Sam's remarkable ability to use the precisely perfect word to elucidate the concepts he's explaining never ceases to amaze me. If there were ever a wizard of language, he's it.

@CzarTJT

Ай бұрын

I think it was Neil Degrasse Tyson who basically said that Sam is a master of the English language!

@noahfletcher3019

Ай бұрын

Sounded pretty basic to me but ok

@GospodinStanoje

Ай бұрын

I always thought Alex uses his language even better. I could be biased, but it is how it is.

@faust8218

Ай бұрын

@@noahfletcher3019 That's kind of the point no? Precise language does not mean complicated.

@TheHuxleyAgnostic

Ай бұрын

Too bad the concepts are often nonsense.

Sam talks slowly but says so much in every word that I have to replay it 5 times. He is unbelievably careful and clear and it’s such a blessing to hear him for free.

@thebeatnumber

Ай бұрын

"Blessing?"😂

@FitziCal

Ай бұрын

Clear thought and Sam Harris.....

@pansepot1490

Ай бұрын

Let me guess: paid review?

@Coffeeisnecessarynowpepper

Ай бұрын

He says "Muslims bad"

@thebeatnumber

Ай бұрын

@@Coffeeisnecessarynowpepper One of the few honest statements he has ever made

ARE YOU SERIOUS THIS FINALLY HAPPENED ALLEEEXXX!!!!?

@dr.tonielffaucet5988

Ай бұрын

Noice Woyk!!!

@Cheesesteakfreak

Ай бұрын

This is a big deal

@Dan-id9qs

Ай бұрын

One of the greatest collabs on KZread ever. I mean it

@bigol7169

Ай бұрын

@@Dan-id9qs ikr!!!!

@TwiddleJones

Ай бұрын

It didn’t happen, it’s all an illusion 😉

Two of my favourite thinkers speaking together, what a beautiful day

@Bc232klm

Ай бұрын

Dammit all these comments like yours make me realize he's gone full right wing grifter. Unsubbing ftom this clown.

@marcc16

Ай бұрын

Way more exciting than two of my favorite speakers thinking together

@benjierodriguez6518

Ай бұрын

Yes, they are very intelligent, but yet humble, and they both have a way of articulating their thoughts concisely and effortlessly. I really enjoy listening to both of them.

@ethandennis368

Ай бұрын

@@benjierodriguez6518Sam Harris is very intelligent and articulate, but I wouldn’t say humble. He tends to shut down and dismiss opposition with an aura of overconfidence. He has absolutely influenced me and is a great thinker, but it is important to critically look at how and what he is saying

@jaisalrw3494

Ай бұрын

@@benjierodriguez6518 sam harris is arrogant as heck dude

Can’t wait for full version

I could not be more jealous of this conversation! My two favorites together. Thank you both for all your influence.

@DavidSimic-ig9yd

Ай бұрын

You are one of top 5, trust me.

@MindShift-Brandon

Ай бұрын

Appreciate that! I have actually just sent Alex a request for collaboration. He has been so influential to me that I'd love to have it come full circle. @@DavidSimic-ig9yd

@MindShift-Brandon

Ай бұрын

Appreciate that! I actually just sent Alex a request for collaboration. He has been so influential to me that it would be great to see it come full circle.@@DavidSimic-ig9yd

@Koanuk223

Ай бұрын

You have quickly become one of my favorites. I always look forward to your content.

@MindShift-Brandon

Ай бұрын

Thank you! KZread is struggling with my comments, but I also tried saying thank you to David's reply also. @@Koanuk223

Having Sam Harris on the podcast is a longtime coming

I also started as a meditation skeptic but it has become without doubt the most valuable tool I know of. Can't wait to see the full episode

@dobbersanchez1185

Ай бұрын

I'd be more into it without the connotations. I do a similar thing at home when I need a break, I just call it stopping

@mountainair

Ай бұрын

Likewise. It's best to make a habit of daily practice first thing AM and PM before bed.

@panampace

Ай бұрын

Can you describe how it benefitted you?

@mr.c2485

Ай бұрын

Tool? For what ? I see no apparent value in this exercise of the physical mind vs reality. .

@mr.c2485

Ай бұрын

@@panampace Damn right!! What’s the purpose, value, structure, awakening, etc. etc.

Almost tempted to say that I can't believe this moment ever came, but I do. Alex made it happen. I'm actually proud of him. This is great!

@VA-gu1jq

Ай бұрын

You’re proud that he had a conversation about meditation??? Like you’ve been waiting forever for this particular moment?? He’s great, but these comments are so odd.

@zapkvr

Ай бұрын

​@@VA-gu1jqwell theres a fool born every minute

@jozefwoo8079

Ай бұрын

@@VA-gu1jq I also don't get it. I mean I do but I don't. Yes Alex has gained so many viewers and subscribers by now that he's worth Sam's time. I guess you could be proud of him if you are seriously invested in his success. Not sure why you would be though. I mean, Alex is definitely an interesting bloke but this is level of personal investment with someone I don't actually know is extremely rare for me, if existent at all. So in that sense I don't get it.

@SneakyLeif

Ай бұрын

@@jozefwoo8079 I don't think it's unusual to be proud of someone for expanding their views. Even if you don't know them at all. What makes this different is a lot of people in this community have seen Alex slowly mold into who he is today based on people like Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris was involved in a lot of the same conversations at the time. It's a mix of being proud of Alex's character development and excitement that we're coming full circle being able to finally converse with Sam.

@jozefwoo8079

Ай бұрын

@@SneakyLeifyes I get that, but I still don't share those feelings generally. I can be excited if my favorite sports person is winning but I wouldn't call that proud. So in that sense I don't get it. People are different. That doesn't mean that my way of experiencing this, is better. It's just odd to feel proud in this case (for me). It sounds a bit like he sees Alex as *his* little boy who has finally achieved something meaningful.

Great to see Alex and Ben Stiller talking about meditation.

@unknownnnnnn1234

Ай бұрын

Ben's father acted on a show that Sam's mom wrote a lil bit on back in the day. In my meme voice "You don't find that suspicious?" 😂

@ip-sum

Ай бұрын

Zen Stiller 😎

I hope you drop full podcast here Alex. If not it’s also okay, I hope you do. Thanks for this interview.

Oooooooh wow! Can't wait for the whole conversation!

One way to know you've finally made it as a podcaster: crushing that first one-on-one interview with Ben Stiller! Well done Alex!

@braetondavis143

Ай бұрын

I literally can’t look at Harris without thinking about that lol

@Dracobaldwin

Ай бұрын

Ben indeed is a good actor. Acting out a neuroscientist philosopher is something!!

@unknownnnnnn1234

Ай бұрын

Ben's father acted on a show that Sam's mom wrote a lil bit on back in the day. In my meme voice "You don't find that suspicious?" 😂

Oh I'm looking forward to the full version of this!

I’ve been watching your channel for the last 6 years (my god it doesn’t feel like that long at all), and I’m so excited you’re finally having this convo. I’ve been a subscriber almost since the beginning, and I’m so proud of what you’re doing today - not that that means anything from a random subscriber lol. But still congrats on the growth and I look forward to the full interview!!!

WOOHOO, been waiting for this conversation for so long! Hoping it comes out soon!

@joeniemchak

19 күн бұрын

I’ve never seen this podcast before, I’m seeing this because I’m a fan of Sam Harris. Do you meditate?

@anthoniyrepetyuk2242

16 күн бұрын

@@joeniemchak haha bro, what are the odds. I actually saw your channel like a year ago or so with Frank yang. I remember thinking to myself, this guy has reached peace. Yeah I i've been practicing for like 2 years. Haven't gotten any crazy results, more just being able to acknowledge ego more, enjoy the present, and overcome some addictions. How have you been tho?

FINALLY. I have been waiting for this one.

Can’t wait for the full conversation! I’ve followed you for a long time and thought this would be a great conversation

Hyped to watch this once it goes live!

Happy Birthday Alex!!!

I had no idea there was such an overlap of people who appreciate both Alex and Sam. I thought I was the only one. Nice to see I was wrong! 🤣

@viewsandrates

Ай бұрын

I know right!!

@anonxnor

Ай бұрын

One of us! One of us!

@Rave.-

Ай бұрын

I dont think it would be a stretch to say these are the only two human beings I put into the same category.

@mayank78207

Ай бұрын

​@@Rave.-absolutely man. I can't think of a third who I admire as much in the exact same way

@dintism

Ай бұрын

Anyone that likes these two should have a listen to Destiny as well. He’s a bit more edgey, but also incredibly interesting to listen to. Alex + Sam are my favourites, but destiny is in the same area.

Been waiting for this one, been waiting a long time

I'm so hyped for this

Finally, Sam Harris is on the podcast. Hope they discuss about morality in the full episode , very keen to see how Harris responds to Alex' criticisms

@c342thedroid2

Ай бұрын

Same. I have been waiting for that since forever.

@thekaratekidpartii2169

Ай бұрын

they do.

Best collab ever, so excited

I've been waiting for this interview! Awesome bro

Excellent segment from Sam, great clip - thanks!

FINALLY!! An Alex and Sam conversation, I know it will be great!

Sam got me into a meditation practice a number of years ago. I’ve done a few 1-2 week long silent meditation retreats, and it’s been one of the richer aspects of my life. Without needing to buy into the more preposterous supernatural elements of Buddhism and the surrounding culture, meditation can provide deep experiential insights into truths of the nature and structure of our consciousness. I’d definitely encourage people to try Sam’s short meditation on KZread for a few days running and see if you don’t find it a beneficial and pleasant experience.

@mr.c2485

Ай бұрын

I call bullsh*t. You know less now than you did before.

@zeusthecat6295

Ай бұрын

@@mr.c2485 Dude, you are such a negative Nancy. We get it, you hate meditation and think it is stupid. But it can definitely be beneficial, if for no other reason than it helps you notice and gain a bit more control over the countless errant thoughts that emerge on a daily basis. Is it so hard to see how that can be beneficial? If I can catch myself when some pointless thought pops into my head and save myself 20 wasted minutes pondering something that will serve no purpose, that sounds pretty beneficial. Plus, I think it's better to live in and appreciate the present moment than it is to be in your head ruminating about the past or stressing about the future.

@seancpp

Ай бұрын

@@zeusthecat6295 I could benefit from this very much right now. My mind has been an endless soup of tangled thoughts that take me for a ride against my will. I think taking control of that is exactly what I need

@allthenewsordeath5772

Ай бұрын

Meditation is like prayer’s squishy emasculated brother.

@Venusbabe66

Ай бұрын

​@@mr.c2485 You're the very type of person/character who would benefit most from mastering meditation. You don't know, what you don't know! But we who have persevered with learning meditation know.

Sam is my absolute favourite!! Alex please get into meditation !! we'd love to hear your experience from the very basics

Sam's waking up app is brilliant.

I've been awaiting this!

I’ve been a serious meditator for about 25 years (Soto Zen Buddhism is my home lineage, but have studied under teachers in various traditions). I always say: meditation is like any bodily discipline (sport, dance, yoga, martial arts), except that instead of training the body, it is for training your attention. There are countless techniques and methods, but ultimately you are just training your attention to not wander, as Sam articulates well. And as he points out, that’s why so many people hate it. Besides it being a difficult and boring task, many people are very disconcerted by the profound implications of the fact that no matter how hard we try, we cannot introspectively perceive where our thoughts come from.

@TH-nx9vf

Ай бұрын

have you had a spiritual awakening yet ?

@boochi7087

Ай бұрын

I've tried meditating and it was tough to have that depth of self-perception and awareness, and just sit with it. It was an uncomfortable place to be for me, and I've never tried going back to it.

@baizhanghuaihai2298

Ай бұрын

@@TH-nx9vf “Spiritual awakening” is a term that is both vague and loaded. I’ve had many experiences, on the cushion and off, that I don’t think I would have had without training my attention through meditation. I’ll leave it at that. I’m not a spiritual person, I’m profoundly skeptical when it comes to metaphysics and cosmology, but for me the benefits of well-trained attention are enough.

@cspace1234nz

Ай бұрын

@@TH-nx9vf….meditation will hopefully save you from what people these days refer to as so-called ‘spiritual awakening’. Like so many terms these days it’s become largely meaningless through its overuse.

@baizhanghuaihai2298

Ай бұрын

@@boochi7087 The modern world is designed to keep your head spinning. One trick that’s as ancient as meditation traditions themselves, is to pick an object of focus that is pleasant, like a pleasant sensation or image. The pleasure associated with the object can often help keep the attention focused, and make the effort seem less drudgerous.

Alex, you should talk to Dr.K(Alok Kanojia) about meditation. He's a great psychiatrist and very insightful to listen to. Even though he's religious, I find him much more understanding of the current generation's(my) problems than any atheist I listen to.

Buzzing for this one!

Superb convo guys. Very nice!

Let’s goo I can’t believe this finally happened, soo looking forward to it!

Congrats on climbing up in the world man!

Yooooo finally! I'VE BEEN WAITING SO LONG FOR YOU TO DO A PODCAST WITH SAM HARRIS 😁😁😁

How is Alex dropping this without a warning? I've been waiting for this for years! 🎉

Alex, I met you in Piccadilly Circus a few weeks back and have been eagerly awaiting this since! Fantastic stuff 👏👏

I don't agree with Sam on everything, but as someone who suffers from depression and anxiety, his app has helped me tremendously.

I can't wait for this to be on youtube, I love listening to you both!

This is awesome! Great job getting Sam on your show!

This is my most anticipated podcast episode ever. I can't wait to see the full length interview!

Oh my gosh. Couldn’t be more excited about this.

@dr.tonielffaucet5988

Ай бұрын

Hopefully you can get motivated with other things

@scavengertag

Ай бұрын

@@dr.tonielffaucet5988 not my choice

@mr.c2485

Ай бұрын

So, you have a boner for mysticism?

@portman8909

Ай бұрын

Like going to the gym and still not getting laid anyway. @@dr.tonielffaucet5988

Happy Birthday Alex!

Great explanation, so excited about this one!

Meditation is not the best word, in India and Tibet is best described as " cultivation" or "familiarization" because you can use your mind to cultivate a virtue or mental state or to know your experience,. Obviously there are many techniques for different proposites under the umbrella of meditation, there is concentration, analyses, mere awareness, resting awareness, self inquire and the union of tranquility and insight as in Tibetan Buddhism or just witnessing like Mahamudra or Dzogchen.

@threestars2164

Ай бұрын

Perhaps in some backwater parts of the world an ape sitting in silence is considered to be profound, but not in the West.

This is single-handedly the best explanation of meditation that I have yet to come across. You're not communing with the divine, you're simply controlling your attention and being the ever present observer. I can't wait to see the full episode, this is sure to be a great conversation

@Darkloid21

3 күн бұрын

Thats not what meditation is. He's getting it wrong. The thing about thought being pathology is incorrect.

@DamienChristopher2001

3 күн бұрын

@@Darkloid21 thoughts happen regardless if we want them to or not. They're an ever present part of the human experience. Meditation stops the incessant need to think, and identify with our thoughts. Meditation allows is to be still when we don't have to think (e.g. when were trying to get to sleep etc.) Incessant thought is a disease and pathological. The most unhappy I've ever been has been when my thoughts were in control of me

@Darkloid21

3 күн бұрын

@@DamienChristopher2001 Then you don't know meditation then. Incessant thought isn't a disease, it's the reason we do anything. When you silence that you silence life. I know because I reached the endpoint to meditation. It's not peace or pain, it's just blank. It's also ironic you mention sleep because meditation is about avoiding falling asleep.

Beyond helpful and I will be listening to this repeatedly

Amazing to have been apart of this journey. I remember your debates with rationality rules and Oakes so many years ago on free will and how essential Sam Harris was to the topic.

I'm glad Alex brought up how the reports of the meditator can be like the reports of the religious experience. The point is that one doesn't necessarily need to "try it for oneself" or have the experience, to have justified doubt about the claims being made on the basis of the experience. In other words, one can accept that the experience feels like it does, but reject that the INFERENCES made from that experience are sound. Sam wants to push back on that by saying he's not making prima facie implausible metaphysical claims from religion. But Sam IS making all sorts of claims about the nature of identity and the self and free will based on the nature of meditation. And, like the guys on Decoding The Gurus have pointed out, I also find many of Sam's inferences to be quite dubious.

I've just been listening to Making Sense with Sam Harris today, so this is perfect timing haha

Finally, been waiting for this

Oh gosh Alex is killing it with these guests. Its such a thrill going through your channel and recent uploads

You've got me. Take my Patreon money this month. I can't afford it every month, though. But Sam Harris is a rare treat, and I want it now :-)

Omg this is kind of a full circle moment since i came across Alex because of his critique of Sam Harris.

I love how sam Harris digs at other people who have large amounts of experience in meditation and then reels of his experience in suggestive way as to say this is the way to look at it while disregarding others experiences. Quite an oxymoronic way to calculate experiences when all are as valid. My own experience I see places as clear as I see with my own eyes in my mind. Now you can poo poo it but because you haven’t experienced it, does that really mean it can’t be done. How you view the possibility is the key to you unlocking the technique, you think it’s hard to do, then it will be hard, if you feel it’s impossible then it won’t ever happen. Meditation is a window into your belief system and the basis of what you believe deep within your subconscious will arise. Now remember how you dream and that you see in your dream,same mechanism. For those who didn’t think it was possible to see places in your mind and I gave you an example of the mechanism within dreams see how your belief system was blocking you from thinking it can be done. All things are possible, miracle is just a word telling you that it can’t be done. You decide the definition always

Alan Wallace wrote a book called the attention revolution. One of the best books that i have ever read.

👍If you understand the McGilchristian diagnosis of brain activity then what Sam points to is a practical awareness of its cofunctioning process. Alex is greater than what Alex thinks. Does this make sense?

“Just push really hard, and eventually you’ll start feelin it”

Listen to the hole episod. Wonderful conversation with two great minds 😊

I was, like Alex, skeptical of meditation for a while. It felt a little "woo-woo" to me and I didn't really get it. Then i took a class on the history and philosophy of meditation going through various eastern traditions and I've been meditating for 20 minutes daily for 2 months and it's been a tremendous benefit in my life.

OMG DREAMS COME TRUE

Now I really want Alex to talk to Dr K too haha

@jeremycurle6880

Ай бұрын

now that would be an awesome conversation! i love dr k

@jozefwoo8079

Ай бұрын

Dr K?

@LambdaHDvideo

Ай бұрын

@@jozefwoo8079 yep

@clareashcraft3411

Ай бұрын

I would listen to Alex and Dr. K talk for 10 hours

@SneakyLeif

Ай бұрын

@@jozefwoo8079 AKA HealthyGamerGG, go look him up he's been a great help to twitch and the online gaming community.

Oooh yeah, been waitin for this one

Finally, can't wait for the full interview. The thumbnail was done purposely right lol?

The camera quality is so good!

@robertcarlyle6102

Ай бұрын

The light looks a bit too bright for Sam.

@minakoa7178

Ай бұрын

I can see the exact shade of lipstick & foundation he’s wearing!

This is a great advertisement for mindfulness/meditation. Exceptional speakers, both of you, but Sam Harris' explanations are the most crystal clear I've ever heard.

@mr.c2485

Ай бұрын

And his ideas lead to nowhere…

Lol! Love Alex perplexed and unconvinced expression in the thumbnail. 😂 I didn’t know he shared my feelings on the topic of meditation.

Happy birthday Alex!

Alex needs to explore Eastern spiritualites a bit more. Sam Harris is definitely a gateway.

@animefurry3508

Ай бұрын

I recommend not only studying of the Buddhist tradition, but of Psychoanalysis as well! (Lacan in particular)

@st.mephisto8564

Ай бұрын

@@animefurry3508 Not just the Buddhist tradition. Sanatana Dharma is a mother of a large chunk of Eastern traditions. I hope Alex looks into Advaita Vedanta!

@pansepot1490

Ай бұрын

Gateway to woo-woo?

@theintelligentmilkjug944

Ай бұрын

Gateway drug

@mr.c2485

Ай бұрын

No such thing as a spirit without demonstrable evidence. It’s called mysticism…

Meditation is a practice of calming down and clearing thoughts. It isn't some supernatural thing. It's about putting yourself into the moment.

@anthonybongo94

Ай бұрын

Exactly. Just setting aside from time to just be.

@ReemMutasim-pr6rp

Ай бұрын

The thig with You athiests is that You blame religion even for world hunger but take credit for every othe good thing, whether You liked it or not, spirituality cam with religion, it's a part and parcel of it, ya'll made fun of religious people, then realized the alarming suicide rates then decided that hey why not take th spirituality part and act that we came up with it, more entitled than a BTS fan base.

@badza47

Ай бұрын

​@@ReemMutasim-pr6rp Narrow sighted generalizations about 700 million people? Yeah, your arrogance is glaring.

@ReemMutasim-pr6rp

Ай бұрын

@@badza47 While I agree I should've worded it better, what I was insinuating is that whenever an athiest talks spirituality, they make it sound as if it's something they came up with and not necessarily tied to religion. Thank You for pointin that out.

Been waiting for this for years 💪

In Zen Bhuddism we consider the mind a sixth sensory organ (the usual 5 plus the mind). It’s simply an organ that secretes thoughts - the problem is as Sam says, that we attach to these thoughts and we ascribe them as “ours.” We are not our thoughts - it’s easy to prove this as you don’t cease to exist when you manage to quell your thoughts.

Can anyone answer me this? If free will doesn't exist, then your destiny is a real thing? 'Destiny' IS real?

@indinewall6112

24 күн бұрын

Only if you choose to label it such. I don't see a need to view this phenomenon as in any way separate from the fundamental causality in the universe. Events have effects. You are the effect of the collected thoughts and actions of the people who raised you, and the people who raised them, and raised them, and them, and them. It makes perfect sense without needing to resort to more nebulous concepts as I see it.

@mimimimona4149

18 күн бұрын

it's determinism

@yupindeed5422

18 күн бұрын

@mimimimona4149 I've seen arguments re determinism as destiny must have "free will", I disagree. It seems like destiny to me. It was destined to be.

@yupindeed5422

18 күн бұрын

@indinewall6112 You were destined to say that.... as was I to write this lol

No one would say they're a piano skeptic if they have never tried to learn piano. Meditation is something you can get better at with practice. You can find out for yourself what Sam is saying

@mr.c2485

Ай бұрын

Learning to play the piano leads to a pleasing sound for all to enjoy and appreciate. Not so with meditation. I can enjoy one’s music even if they’re a total asshole. Sharing your meditative experience doesn’t elieviate the asshole problem.

@Cheximus

Ай бұрын

@@mr.c2485 I imagine if someone takes the time to meditate properly they'd probably stop being an asshole.

@PowerK1

Ай бұрын

@@Cheximuslololllllllllll

@starfishsystems

Ай бұрын

Your comment evokes something that Harris wrote about in "Waking Up." He pointed out that it's relatively easy to determine whether someone is a golf pro. If they can reliably put the little white ball into the hole. And if you can't, then there is some ground for being interested in what they have to say. But (Harris goes on) it's not so clear when it comes to spiritual attainment. And this may be the same difference that you're calling out between piano playing and meditation. At least with the piano you can hear something. But successful mindfulness doesn't produce a phenomenon in the usual active sense. It produces a CESSATION of an inner monologue that we don't usually notice or regard as important to notice anyway. How do we begin to evaluate the cessation of a process when the act of evaluation itself runs in that process? So it's altogether a bit tricky to talk about. But that doesn't mean that we have to resort to irrational claims or appeals to intuition. We could, at very little personal risk, try to sit quietly and see what effect that may have on the inner monologue. Harris is pointing out that the first insight that we gain when we do this is that there really IS a running monologue. It's a very frustrating recognition, because it seems so very tedious and inescapable. But in fact it's already a sign of progress. And, if we keep on with the practice, witnessing the inner monologue but not actively indulging it, we can see it gradually becoming quieter and more sparse. This second insight takes time to develop, and it's hard to gauge progress, but at least we are responsible for running our own laboratory here. No one is feeding us data that we must accept on faith. It's pleasant to sit with a quiet mind and look at the beauty of nature, or with the same quiet equanimity look at the natural course of fortune and misfortune in those we love. It's a skill worth cultivating.

@jacksonelmore6227

Ай бұрын

@@mr.c2485you don’t “share your meditative experience” I mean you can But, you meditate and it tunes you to acceptance of the Unconditional Love Nature and Selfhood of the Infinite/Nothing All will enjoy the melody of your life when you are tuned Christ said “you will know them by their fruit”

This is a very good explanation of mindfulness meditation.

I used to go to a group Center a long time ago that also held meditation classes and I thought it wasn't going to work since I was an individual that often dealt with anxiety at the time, and I found that it did in fact work to help calm the mind and the body. You can come into class feeling a lot of stress, and all of that stress would be lifted off my shoulders by the end of it. It works really well to completely change and reset your mood for the better 🙂

@boochi7087

Ай бұрын

It was functional meditation because like Sam said, you were focused on the goal of coming out feeling mentally better. It's like getting therapy - it's not pseudoscience - if you go in with a purpose that's realistically achievable, you can come out with a result that's equally achievable. You can't pray or meditate being poor away, no matter how coincidental the aftermath is, but you can meditate on ideas that you can implement to be less poor. The problem is that with prayer, the credit is often given to some unverified supreme deity while with meditation, you should be able to take credit for it.

@brucecook502

Ай бұрын

@@boochi7087 it was actually during the time I was going to that group Center that I lost faith in my former religious beliefs. There was absolutely no correlation between the two but that is when I realized there was no way that the things that were written in the Bible I believed in could have been inspired or supported by the god of it. I was one of those folks who lost faith by reading the bible. Or in my case it was the fourth time I went to reread the New Testament. There was absolutely no outside influences to blame for my deconversion, in fact it wasn't for a few more months before I realized there was a world of atheism and atheists online. I think I deconverted in 2017 since that was around the time I was still going to that group Center.

Alex is meeting the neo atheist heroes one by one. Daniel Dennet's next. We just have ressurect Hitchens and we're done!

@dr.tonielffaucet5988

Ай бұрын

No where near Hitchens

@waffle.23

Ай бұрын

@@boredphilosopher4254why do they hate eachother?

@thoughtful1233

Ай бұрын

I think Lawrence Krauss should have been the fourth horseman.

@asraarradon4115

Ай бұрын

@@waffle.23 Because Daniel hates it when anyone tries to take his Compatibilism safety blanket away.

@jacksonelmore6227

Ай бұрын

Christ himself is an “atheist” Christ is a hero of atheism But I never hear atheists admire Christ in the way you’d might Sam or Hitchens

Sam Harris’ one eyebrow is messing with me😂

@riordache

Ай бұрын

Thank you, now I cannot unsee it 😊

@MaxMustermann-ij6gi

Ай бұрын

Same here 😆

@gringoenespanol

Ай бұрын

The fact you only see one eyebrow is messing with me. 😊

@QuickSticks8771

Ай бұрын

Now just needs little finger to corner of mouth

@paxonearth

Ай бұрын

That eyebrow is the source of Sam's power.

I AM REALLY HAPPY THIS COLLABORATION HAS FINALLY ARRIVED ♥️

The Tibetan Buddhism approach is to focus on an object which can be breath or any other sense and keep returning to it when you notice you got carried away by thoughts. Check books by Pema Chodron, for example, "How To Meditate". Also, I agree with Yuval Noah Harari who practices meditation says that there is no will power, since you cannot control what you'll think about next.

This better be a short 4hrs+ conversation Alex..

@viewsandrates

Ай бұрын

I fucking hope so

@dintism

Ай бұрын

It’s 3hrs+

Sam's description of mediation is literally what i do, i just called it talking to myself because i suffer from the disease of loneilness. I didn't realise that it was basically the equivalent of mediation, but now that i think about it, that kind of explains a lot. Because the process is very "mediative"/"therapeutic."

@icaruzwdtf

Ай бұрын

Among other things, meditation exposes that the talker isn't you, that your thoughts can arise, and pass away without the need for identifying with them.

This is THE conversation I've been craving for more than 5 years. I can't wait to listen to the whole thing!

Hey Alex I am a muslim but I enjoy your respectful conversations. That being said the five daily prayers our form of meditation definitely helps especially the prayer before dawn. I hope everyone finds contentment and happiness ❤

@holynder3181

Ай бұрын

It’s like he said, it’s difficult for him to pray the way you do because he doesn’t have the same worldview. It would probably not be effective for him.

@TheNaturalCause

Ай бұрын

"I am a muslim but" -- Sigh.

@Upsidedownmangt

Ай бұрын

So do you think having sex with a 9 year old is moral or immoral? And if immoral then why did your pedo prophet did it?

Never thought I'd see this. Also first

@dr.tonielffaucet5988

Ай бұрын

Omnipresent

Alex! I've been watching you since you and Rationality Rules debated The Moral Landscape in your tiny back garden at university. I think the camera even blacked out a few times. How times have changed

I’ve been kinda hesitant to formally try to meditate because, kinda what Sam is saying, I have a very constant monologue that is so difficult to tame. So “meditation” is just my thinking about all this things I have to do or whatever. But listening to this I feel like I actually understand what proper meditation really is and how I can work to that

@icaruzwdtf

Ай бұрын

I used to think the same thing as I am naturally an overthinker, even on medications for it, and the anxiety it caused. After getting some serious meditation experience I was able to drop the medications, I'm now able to focus without thoughts taking over. There are so many benefits to doing it that I highly recommend diving into the practice.

Being a "meditation skeptic" is so weird. Especially for a smart guy like Alex. That's like being a "healthy food skeptic". There are so many forms of meditation. Could it be that Alex is just completely ignorant to the concept of meditation in general?

@Betweoxwitegan

Ай бұрын

Meditation is an insanely broad action, it doesn't really have a defined definition and so it's not improbable that what one sees as meditation another doesn't.

@ilke3192

Ай бұрын

A bit off point, but you can be a healthy food skeptic, Kane B had quite an interesting video on "dietary nihilism"

@jonj1163

Ай бұрын

@@Betweoxwitegan Sure, but that's kind of what I mean in a sense. There are also many forms of "exercise/working out", but to just say you're skeptical of it is a bit odd.

@Betweoxwitegan

Ай бұрын

@@jonj1163 Exercise has more noticeable and measurable effects on human health where as meditation does not, you can do studies assessing meditations benefit on perceived wellbeing but that's circumstantial and can't be definitively measured. I think in saying one is skeptical of meditation they really mean they are skeptical as to the advertised health benefits and potential for external experiences, etc. Which I think is fair in all honesty, I also think it's important to define meditation, I am meditating if I just sit in silence for 2 minutes?

@jonj1163

Ай бұрын

@@Betweoxwitegan Meditation has extreme health benefits for mental health and clarity. If you want a study group, look at the Zen Buddhists, for an example of many. It's quite amazing. These people can set their hand on fire and not flinch. And yes, your other point only strengthens mine "is sitting in silence for 2 min meditation?" One could say it is, and especially if you look at it that broadly it's even more absurd to be "skeptical" of meditation.

Holey Eternal Omnipresent Greetingz

been waiting a long time forthisss

That's it. This is exactly what I wrote on your channel way before that you have to experiment with meditation. For an intelligent person like you, this is going to be so exciting. I was obsessed with western philosophy and linear logic until I started meditating. And started to lucid dreams and do OBEs at will and everything then changed. The crox of meditation is "non judgemental observation". It's lovely to see you grow. Would have loved to have this conversation with you. ❤ Sam did a relatively good job explaining meditation, But I'd say it's not about "paying close attention to the thoughts" that will get you to experience it deeply but actually " letting go" and the principle of non judgemental observation.... ❤

I’ve waited for years for this moment

If you're at all interested in philosophy of mind or learning what meditation is, I highly recommend doing a 10-day Vipassana course if you can afford the time to do it. I'd done month-long stretches of daily meditation sessions and saw some results... but the 10-day course was *by far* the hardest thing I've ever gone through in my life, and I had some pretty wild experiences and insights into the way my mind works. I recommend one that's "as taught by S. N. Goenka" since there's very little metaphysical claims involved in the teaching, and the little that there is can simply be disregarded without taking away from the whole experience.

Congratulations for finally doing it Alex :)

At this point, I wouldn't be surprised to see Alex interviewing casually the Pope.

@VaughanMcCue

Ай бұрын

The pope has been trying for ages to get on and sent a truckload of easter eggs as an indictment/indulgence.