Robert Wright's Nonzero

A brief history of neoconservatives ... Walking the Sunni-Shia tightrope ... Preparing for a US deal with Iran ... How much of a threat to Israel does Iran pose? ... Is Obama’s foreign policy naïve? ... The kind of Iran deal to expect ...

Why understanding "no-self" matters: it might get you to Nirvana ... "Tanha"—the root of our suffering ... Miri's maverick interpretation of the no-self doctrine ... Miri and Bob talk about their meditation retreats ... Things get weird: A universal field of consciousness? ... Does losing your self making you a better (non-)person? ...

Three varieties of suffering ... Western misconceptions about Buddhism ... Are emotions real? ... Does the self exist? ... Who you callin’ an enlightened vegetable? ... Goodness, righteousness, and truth ...

The Buddhist concepts of mindfulness and awakening ... Feelings, meditation, and the struggle with fear ... Aversion, impermanence, and the Four Noble Truths ... The foundations of mindfulness ... Joseph: Our thoughts are like dictators ... Reconnecting with the self ...

Why loving your enemies is easier said than done ... How meditation can reduce anger ... Metta Meditation and Loving-kindness ... Empathy for people you can't stand ... The Buddhist concept of the self ... The epidemic of self-loathing ...

Rob's book, "Why Everyone (Else) Is a Hypocrite" ... Conflicting beliefs in the mind ... What Walt Whitman knew about the brain ... The psychology of deciding not to eat chocolate ... What is the self? ... Rob's "self"-conception ...

Judson uses meditation instead of novocaine at the dentist ... Inside the brain of a meditator ... Exploring the doctrine of "no self" ... How Buddhist detachment affects everyday life ... Your thoughts are none of your business ... If everyone meditated, would there be world peace? ...

Meditation as pumping iron ... How to reduce useless pain and enrich pleasure ... How self-knowledge can lead to altruism ... How Shinzen found the Dharma before it was cool ... Synthesizing Buddhism and Western science ...

Gary describes happiness beyond thought ... Life without anger and lust ... Why has Gary meditated so much for so long? ... Buddhist teachings on suffering and selfhood ... Explaining the experience of no-thought ... Does Buddhism lead to nihilism? ...

Paul's new book, "How Pleasure Works" ... Stories we tell ourselves about the things that please us ... Hidden connections between art, racism, and bottled water ... The allure of cannibalism ... Strange pleasures of the imagination ... Would we be better off without awe? ...