logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2019
34m 1s

#179 — The Unquiet Mind

SAM HARRIS
About this episode

Sam Harris speaks with Judson Brewer about addiction, craving, and mindfulness. They discuss the nature of reward-based learning, the role of subjective bias in addiction, the neuroscience of craving, the neural correlates of the sense of self, real-time neuroimaging, effort and effortlessness in meditation, smoking cessation through mindfulness, the difference between dopamine-driven reward and happiness, how to make meditation a habit, working with anxiety, and other topics.

If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.

Up next
Jul 8
#423 — “More From Sam”: Democracy, Populism, Wealth Inequality, News-Induced Anxiety, & Rapid Fire Questions
In this latest episode of the “More From Sam” series, Sam and Jaron talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. They discuss Epstein’s “client list,” how to safeguard democracy, populism, wealth inequality, the allure of socialism, ho ... Show More
19m 28s
Jun 19
#422 — Zionism & Jihadism
Sam Harris speaks with Haviv Rettig Gur about Israel and her enemies. They discuss Israel’s war with Iran and America’s role in the conflict, Israel’s military capabilities, Iran’s nuclear program, what a ground invasion of Iran could look like, how Iranians view the regime, anti ... Show More
2h 4m
Jun 17
#421 — “More From Sam”: Political Violence, Iran, Deportations, Protests, & Rapid Fire Questions
In this latest episode of the “More From Sam” series, Sam hopped back on with his manager and business partner, Jaron Lowenstein, to talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. They discuss the assassination of Minnesota state represe ... Show More
17m 58s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2020
Everyday Neuro 017: The Art of Relaxation - Learn Effective Ways to Reduce Tension and Anxiety
In Episode 17, I discuss the topic of relaxation and how we can engage in breath work to help reduce tension and anxiety. I talk with Tessa Hughes, an experienced mindfulness practitioner about the benefits that mindfulness and meditation can bring to our thinking and wellbeing. ... Show More
16m 49s
Oct 2019
The Craving Mind: Dr. Jud Brewer On Treating Addiction With Mindfulness
“What we’re seeing with meditation is that when we get out of our own way, our brains naturally work better and we can really start to get into the flow of things and in sync with life.”Dr. Jud Brewer Addiction is tenacious. We're all craven animals, vulnerable to habits that don ... Show More
2h 11m
Apr 2023
#113 — Consciousness and the Self
Sam Harris speaks with Anil Seth about the scientific study of consciousness, where consciousness emerges in nature, levels of consciousness, perception as a “controlled hallucination,” emotion, the experience of “pure consciousness,” consciousness as “integrated information,” me ... Show More
1h 44m
Oct 2019
Jon Kabat-Zinn: The Mindfulness Revolution
Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, is the internationally renowned founder and director of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts, whose trailblazing research has helped bring mindfulness meditation into mainstream medicine. Jon is the author of many books and audio pro ... Show More
1h 12m
Dec 2018
#34 - Sam Harris, Ph.D.: The transformative power of mindfulness
In this episode, Sam Harris, neuroscientist, author, and host of the Waking Up Podcast, walks us through the profound, yet practical, ways that meditation can transform our lives. Additionally, he helps to define the types of meditation and clarifies potential misconceptions with ... Show More
2h 43m
Oct 2021
The Science of Training Your Attention | Dr. Amishi Jha
Distraction is one of the top complaints of meditators -- and of pretty much every human being, in this era that has been dubbed the “info blitzkrieg.” In this episode, we’ll hear from Dr. Amishi Jha, who has spent years studying the impact of meditation on people who work in hig ... Show More
1h 12m