Making Sense of Meditation | Episode 10 of The Essential Sam Harris

This episode explores meditation and Eastern spirituality through the lens of Sam Harris's perspectives and those of his guests. Against the backdrop of introducing meditation to novices and skeptics, the podcast delves into two prominent approaches: Vipassana, focusing on mindful attention to an object, and Dzogchen, emphasizing resting in non-conceptual awareness. More significantly, the discussion highlights the challenges of describing ineffable meditative experiences, using the example of Joseph Goldstein's transformative encounter with the word "unborn" in a Tibetan text, leading to a realization of "zeroness." Further exploring the concept of selflessness in consciousness, Richard Lang introduces Douglas Harding's "Headless Way," a practice focusing on the direct experience of one's point of view, devoid of a self-image. For instance, the exercise involves pointing at one's perceived face and noting the absence of direct visual experience of it. This leads to a discussion of the limitations of language in conveying such experiences and the importance of direct experience. Ultimately, the episode emphasizes the importance of self-inquiry and the exploration of consciousness through various meditative techniques.