#8: The Science of Enlightenment - Dr. Jeffery Martin

Dr. Jeffery Martin has spent the last decade researching persistent non-symbolic experience (PNSE), fundamental wellbeing, or what some might call "enlightenment." Based on his findings, he created a famous meditation program and research study, the Finders Course. While one might be reasonably skeptical of some of the claims made in such research, an area in which studies are based on subjective reports rather than objective measurements, nonetheless Dr. Martin makes it clear that there are better psychological modes of operating available to many people. It is evident that under the right circumstances, or with the right training, we can access higher states of consciousness. The hope is that one-day such mental transformations will have models for replication through meditation, something which Dr. Martin and his team (along with countless other meditation teachers) are working on. Dr. Martin is the Founder of the Finders Course, a meditation program and research project that teaches a variety of meditation techniques over several weeks. Dr. Martin claims that many of the course participants “awaken” into a state of fundamental wellbeing during the Finders Course. He is also a co-founder of the Transformative Technology Lab, science-based hardware and software for producing positive, lasting mental changes in human psychology, and the Center for the Study of Non-Symbolic Consciousness. Over the past decade, Dr. Martin has conducted a large study on what he calls persistent non-symbolic experience (PNSE), fundamental wellbeing, higher states of consciousness, or what might traditionally be called “enlightenment.” He has used this research to create a systematic method for making these psychological benefits accessible to more people outside of a religious context. Dr. Martin has written several books, including The Finders, What Ever Happened to Mr. Majic, and The Fourth Awakening. In this episode, Dr. Martin describes the common factors for awakening into a state of fundamental wellbeing according to his extensive research on the topic. He has a depth of knowledge from countless interviews with people who have had such an “awakening” experiences, and provides fascinating insights into the psychology behind them. FitMind Neuroscience-Based App: http://bit.ly/afitmind Website: www.fitmind.com