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Meditation, Solved: Is It Actually Worth It?
Meditation has been sold to us as a magic pill for so long that the backlash is almost as overblown as the hype. I spent years deep in Buddhist practice, went on retreats, meditated daily — and then slowly discovered that half the gurus evangelizing it were alcoholics, abusers, or running Rolls-Royce-funded cults. Here's what the more careful research actually shows: there are three things meditation does reliably well, and they’re probably not what you've been promised. More importantly, almost everything you've been told about how to do it is wrong — starting with the idea that the goal is to quiet your mind. If your brain turns into a chaotic mess the moment you close your eyes, that's not a failure. That's the whole point.
Get your free episode guide: https://solvedpodcast.com/meditation/
CHAPTERS
(00:00) Introduction
(08:15) Skeptic Claim #1: Meditation Is Overhyped
(22:45) Skeptic Claim #2: "Meditation Isn't for Me"
(48:33) Skeptic Claim #3: The New-Agey, "Woo-Woo" Crowd Turns Me Off
(01:01:01) A Secular, Grounded Alternative: Meditation Without Metaphysics
(01:17:35) Conclusion: What Meditation Really Is
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⏹ Waking Up: Get a free 30-day trial and $30 off the annual membership at https://www.wakingup.com/solved
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FOLLOW MARK
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By Mark Manson
4.9
35553,555 ratings
Meditation has been sold to us as a magic pill for so long that the backlash is almost as overblown as the hype. I spent years deep in Buddhist practice, went on retreats, meditated daily — and then slowly discovered that half the gurus evangelizing it were alcoholics, abusers, or running Rolls-Royce-funded cults. Here's what the more careful research actually shows: there are three things meditation does reliably well, and they’re probably not what you've been promised. More importantly, almost everything you've been told about how to do it is wrong — starting with the idea that the goal is to quiet your mind. If your brain turns into a chaotic mess the moment you close your eyes, that's not a failure. That's the whole point.
Get your free episode guide: https://solvedpodcast.com/meditation/
CHAPTERS
(00:00) Introduction
(08:15) Skeptic Claim #1: Meditation Is Overhyped
(22:45) Skeptic Claim #2: "Meditation Isn't for Me"
(48:33) Skeptic Claim #3: The New-Agey, "Woo-Woo" Crowd Turns Me Off
(01:01:01) A Secular, Grounded Alternative: Meditation Without Metaphysics
(01:17:35) Conclusion: What Meditation Really Is
CHECK OUT OUR SPONSORS
⏹ Factor: Head to https://www.factormeals.com/solved202650off to get 50% off and a free breakfast for a year.
⏹ Shopify: Sign up for your $1/month trial at https://www.shopify.com/solved
⏹ Waking Up: Get a free 30-day trial and $30 off the annual membership at https://www.wakingup.com/solved
⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: https://markmanson.net/breakthrough
⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at https://bit.ly/4w46FMH
FOLLOW MARK
Mark's IG: https://www.instagram.com/markmanson
Solved IG: https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/
Twitter: https://x.com/markmanson
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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