Podcasts about willoughby britton

A recent podcast series at the Financial Times discussed serious problems several meditators have had at one popular ten-day Vipassana retreat system. Jon and Doug discuss this and some important work by Brown psychology professor Dr. Willoughby Britton.Links:The Retreat — an investigative podcast into the perils of meditation [Financial Times] -- https://www.ft.com/content/b3ec8e57-5cf9-4f96-9267-56c3bcd9c102The Hidden Risks of Meditation — Dr. Willoughby Britton | The Tim Ferriss Show — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdmvoX1RZWA Cheetah House: Help for Meditators In Distress -- https://www.cheetahhouse.org/Book: Trauma Sensitive MIndfulness, David TreleavenSupport the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

In this episode I am once again joined by Damo Mitchell author, teacher, and student of the internal arts of Asia including Tai Chi and Daoist Inner Alchemy. Damo draws on his background in the qi arts, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Western psychology to reveal the causes and symptoms of various types of qi and meditation related problems, including dragon sickness, nihilism and depression, scorched nervous system, entity possession, and more. Damo explains the two most common triggers for qi illnesses, expresses warnings about working with spirits and reservations about tantric practices of deity and guru yoga, and differentiates true meditation from mere mental cultivation. Damo shares his own spiritual encounters, considers whether or not it is wise to explain mystical experiences to students, and offers recommendations for those facing energetic or existential upset. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 01:03 - Damo comments on Dr Willoughby Britton's work 03:04 - Is meditation dangerous? 04:31 - Mediation vs qigong illnesses 06:15 - The illness threshold 07:06 - Why qigong illnesses are common 07:38 - Hunting sensation and hyper-stimulation of the nervous system 11:12 - Releasing the nerves 11:45 - Teachers who disclose vs those who withhold 1534 - Making progress or losing ground? 19:19 - Combining Eastern and Western psychological methods 23:00 - Meditation vs mere mental work 26:27 - Fascination with one's own psychology 27:12 - Damo's definition of mental illness 28:07 - Is mental work a preliminary to or distraction from meditation? 30:39 - Chinese terms for meditation vs mental work 32:23 - Comparisons with Patanjali's 8 limbs of yoga 34:10 - Identity attachment 34:55 - Why teaching hurts your training 35:55 - Freedom vs negligence as a teacher 38:01 - Psychiatry vs traditional medical and religious models 41:03 - Two common triggers for qi deviations 42:34 - The dangers of going inside 43:32 - Qi side effects 44:14 - Advice for qigong teachers 45:19 - Scorching the nervous system 46:37 - Dragon sickness 47:43 - A case of dragon sickness that ended in suicide 50:04 - 5 types of qigong illness 51:38 - Entering into fire to encourage demons 52:39 - Nihilism from meditation 53:05 - Poison fire infecting the heart 54:19 - Criticism of sexual practice 58:06 - Contamination of the heart mind 01:00:25 - Love in the spiritual arts 01:01:49 - Demon possession or psychological disorder? 01:03:51 - How entity possession happens 01:06:27 - Lighting up the body 01:07:22 - A story about possession 01:08:58 - Seeking contact with entities through Falun Gong and tantra 01:11:56 - Don't trust spirits 01:15:07 - Evolution away from shamanism 01:17:15 - Tulkus, dead gurus, and terma 01:20:05 - The cult of Avalokiteśvara and the Dalai Lama 01:21:07 - Risks associated with contacting ascended masters 01:23:42 - Reflections on deity yoga 01:25:15 - Quan Yin worship and personification of deities 01:27:52 - Premature ejaculation and sexual imbalances 01:31:36 - Damo's mystical experience in a Bhutanese temple 01:35:19 - Questioning one's own position 01:36:39 - Kundalini syndrome vs qi sickness 01:38:40 - What is kundalini syndrome? 01:39:55 - Commenting on Gopi Krishna's kundalini account 01:41:26 - Karmic illnesses 01:43:39 - Pilgrimage and confession 01:44:30 - How to fix qi deviations 01:46:28 - Complicated cases and overpowering the incorrect patterns 01:47:22 - How extreme cases develop 01:48:43 - Scaremongering and the value of lineage 01:52:02 - Combining psychedelics with qigong practices 01:55:24 - Potency and risk … Previous episode with Damo Mitchell: - https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep174-daoist-inner-alchemy-damo-mitchell To find out more about Damo Mitchell, visit: - https://damomitchell.com/ For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi' by Steve James

You may have been told that trauma lives in the body until we're willing to feel it. Research shows, however, that it is counter-productive to turn toward this pain before we feel resourced, safe and supported. So, how are we to know when to apply the gas in our practice, versus when to hit the brakes?   In this episode, we hear from mindfulness and meditation researcher, Dr. Willoughby Britton. She shares helpful advice you can apply today to bring more trauma sensitivity to your practice and teaching. Her research into the adverse effects of meditation (Episode #047) has helped her understand how meditation guides can help people feel more empowered in their practice.  This talk is a brief excerpt from Dr. Willoughby Britton's guest teacher presentation to those enrolled in the Mindfulness Exercises Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program. This unique, online, self-paced certification program balances pre-recorded webinars with live mentorship. Students in the program learn directly from Sean Fargo, his team, and some of the world's most respected mindfulness and meditation experts.  Train to share mindfulness with confidence, compassion and skill within a supportive online community. Learn more at mindfulnessexercises.com/certify or, schedule a 15-minute call with Sean to see if this program is right for you at https://calendly.com/sean-108/application

In this interview I am joined by Dr Willoughby Britton, an Associate Professor at Brown University, the Director of Brown's Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory, and founder of Cheetah House which provides support to those experiencing meditation-related difficulties. Dr Britton recounts her unusual childhood interest in consciousness, why a friend's suicide drove her to meditation, and how a psychedelic peak experience changed her view of the world. Dr Britton considers the overlaps between spiritual experience and mental illness, why deconstructing the sense of self in search of enlightenment can lead to lasting psychological damage, and questions if experiences of fear are a necessary part of the meditative path. Dr Britton also covers the neurobiology of attention, reveals the hidden religious messaging woven into mindfulness techniques such as Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), and shares how she deals with the negative responses from meditation enthusiasts towards her work. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep250-when-meditation-goes-wrong-dr-willoughby-britton

 Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast'. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 01:15 - Dr Britton's upbringing and early interest in consciousness 03:58 - Friend's suicide and a life crisis 05:02 - Powerful high dose psychedelic experiences 08:46 - Influence of peak experiences 09:28 - Operative mechanism of Dr Britton's epiphany 11:04 - Is redefinition of the self necessary for awakening? 11:50 - What is the ‘self'? 13:31 - A caveat 14:19 - Many possible modifications to the sense of self and identity 18:18 - What do Buddhists really mean when they talk about no-self? 19:01 - Surprising disagreement between Buddhist sects 19:48 - Lack on consensus about the end goal in Buddhism 20:47 - Awakening or mental illness? 24:01 - Cultural differences in what constitutes mental health 24:58 - Cultural influences and personal goals 26:39 - When meditation goes wrong 28:35 - When no-self experiences lead to negative outcomes 30:46 - The importance of connection 32:14 - Strategic ambiguity of enlightenment 34:34 - The enlightenment fantasy 35:23 - Absorbing a world view from meditation instructions 36:31 - How to assess your meditation practice 39:04 - Stealth Buddhism 40:31 - Hidden frames of meditation techniques 41:37 - Metaphysics of MBSR 45:18 - Market forces and religion as product 47:50 - Negative reactions to Dr Britton's work 51:48 - Does Dr Britton's work threaten meditators? 54:39 - Nasty emails and internet comments 56:08 - Is Dr Britton upset by the negativity? 57:31 - What is the goal of Dr Britton's work? 59:51 - Why look for problems? 01:01:07 - How often do meditation related problems happen? 01:03:03 - Founding Cheetah House to help meditators in crisis 01:04:29 - Is fear necessary on the spiritual path? 01:06:20 - The neurobiology of attention 01:07:43 - Attention and arousal 0110:12 - The phenomenology and meaning of fear in Buddhist meditation 01:11:46 - Is fear part of the path? 01:13:10 - Buddhism doesn't have its story straight 01:14:30 - The desire for a comprehensive world view … To find out more about Dr Willoughby Britton, visit: - https://www.cheetahhouse.org/ - https://www.brown.edu/public-health/mindfulness/people/willoughby-britton-phd 
… For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi' by Steve James

In this episode Ari-Pekka talks with Willoughby Britton, clinical psychologist, researcher and long-time meditation practitioner, who has done pioneering work in the research of adverse effects of meditation and mindfulness. She has also established Cheetah House, a non-profit organization helping people who struggle with meditation related problems. In the episode we discuss topics such as: What kind of risk factors can lead to adverse effects of meditation? How to tell the difference between healthy and dysfunctional meditation group? What is a snake-skin principle? What is a person-centered approach to meditation? Tutustu myös Ari-Pekan online-kurssiin, joka tarjoaa tietoa mindfulness-harjoitusten tutkituista haittavaikutuksista, sekä niiden välttämisestä yksilöllisesti rakennettujen harjoituspolkujen avulla. Tämä on tärkeä kurssi mindfulnessin harjoittajille, ohjaajille ja terveydenhuollon ammattilaisille: https://mielenlaboratorio.thinkific.com/courses/mindfulness-survival-kit --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mielen-laboratorio/message

Willoughby Britton is a clinical psychologist, associate professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University Medical School, and the director of the Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory there. Her lab researches the psychophysiological and neurocognitive effects of meditation and mindfulness-based interventions for mood and anxiety disorders, with a particular focus on potential risks of meditation practice. She is also the founder of Cheetah House, a nonprofit organization that provides evidence-based information and support for meditators in distress, as well as meditation safety trainings to providers and organizations. Today we discuss the potential adverse effects of mediation and how to meditate safely.  

Jon met Callan when they were two. Through elementary (primary) school, they were close companions. They have recently reacquainted themselves after two decades. Callan is an Anglican minister and a theologian who has advised archbishops. He talks about his spiritual development in his teens and shares his view of God. Callan and Jon also talk about Taoist and Buddhist beliefs. Willoughby Britton's website

This episode is brought to you by 5-Bullet Friday, my very own email newsletter.Welcome to another episode of The Tim Ferriss Show, where it is my job to deconstruct world-class performers to tease out the routines, habits, et cetera that you can apply to your own life. This is a special inbetweenisode, which serves as a recap of the episodes from last month. It features a short clip from each conversation in one place so you can easily jump around to get a feel for the episode and guest.Based on your feedback, this format has been tweaked and improved since the first recap episode. For instance, @hypersundays on Twitter suggested that the bios for each guest can slow the momentum, so we moved all the bios to the end. See it as a teaser. Something to whet your appetite. If you like what you hear, you can of course find the full episodes at tim.blog/podcast. Please enjoy! *This episode is brought to you by 5-Bullet Friday, my very own email newsletter that every Friday features five bullet points highlighting cool things I've found that week, including apps, books, documentaries, gadgets, albums, articles, TV shows, new hacks or tricks, and—of course—all sorts of weird stuff I've dug up from around the world.It's free, it's always going to be free, and you can subscribe now at tim.blog/friday.*Timestamps:Q&A with Tim: 02:59Steve Jang: 08:41Dr. Willoughby Britton: 18:14Sheila Heen: 28:13Full episode titles:Q&A with Tim — New Religions, AI Companions, Longevity Levers, Resurrecting “Forgotten” Languages, Stress-Testing Cherished Beliefs, Tactics for Writer's Block, Low-Back Pain, and Much More (#704)Live from South Korea — Steve Jang on Korea's Exploding “Soft Power,” The Poverty-to-Power Playbook, K-Pop, “Han” Energy, Must-See Movies, Export Economies, and Much More (#707)Dr. Willoughby Britton — The Hidden Risks of Meditation, Overlaps with Psychedelic Risks, Harm Reduction Strategies, How to Choose a Retreat, Near-Death Experiences, and More (#705)Sheila Heen — How to Master the Difficult Art of Receiving (and Giving) Feedback (#703)*For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsorsSign up for Tim's email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim's books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissYouTube: youtube.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, Margaret Atwood, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, Dr. Gabor Maté, Anne Lamott, Sarah Silverman, Dr. Andrew Huberman, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Brought to you by Momentous high-quality supplements, Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega fish oil, and Eight Sleep's Pod Cover sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating.Willoughby Britton, PhD is a clinical psychologist, an associate professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University Medical School, and the director of Brown's Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory.Her clinical neuroscience research investigates the effects of contemplative practices (meditation) on the brain and body in the treatment of mood disorders, trauma, and other conditions. She is especially interested in which practices are best- or worst-suited for which types of people or conditions and why. She is probably best known for her research on adverse effects—why they happen and how to mitigate them.Dr. Britton is the founder of Cheetah House, a nonprofit organization that provides evidence-based information and support for meditators in distress as well as meditation safety trainings to providers and organizations. Please enjoy!This episode is brought to you by Nordic Naturals, the #1-selling fish-oil brand in the US! More than 80% of Americans don't get enough omega-3 fats from their diet. That is a problem because the body can't produce omega-3s, an important nutrient for cell structure and function. Nordic Naturals solves that problem with their doctor-recommended Ultimate Omega fish-oil formula for heart health, brain function, immune support, and more. Ultimate Omega is made exclusively from 100% wild-caught sardines and anchovies. It's incredibly pure and fresh with no fishy aftertaste. All Nordic Naturals' fish-oil products are offered in the triglyceride molecular form—the form naturally found in fish, and the form your body most easily absorbs.Go to Nordic.com and discover why Nordic Naturals is the #1-selling omega-3 brand in the U.S. Use promo code TIM for 20% off your order.*This episode is also brought to you by Momentous high-quality supplements! Momentous offers high-quality supplements and products across a broad spectrum of categories, and I've been testing their products for months now. I've been using their magnesium threonate, apigenin, and L-theanine daily, all of which have helped me improve the onset, quality, and duration of my sleep. I've also been using Momentous creatine, and while it certainly helps physical performance, including poundage or wattage in sports, I use it primarily for mental performance (short-term memory, etc.).Their products are third-party tested (Informed-Sport and/or NSF certified), so you can trust that what is on the label is in the bottle and nothing else. Until November 28th, Momentous is offering listeners of The Tim Ferriss Show exclusive early access to a 25% discount on all products, including my personal favorites, Sleep and Creatine. Click here to access these holiday savings. Momentous also ships internationally.*This episode is also brought to you by Eight Sleep! Eight Sleep's Pod Cover is the easiest and fastest way to sleep at the perfect temperature. It pairs dynamic cooling and heating with biometric tracking to offer the most advanced (and user-friendly) solution on the market. Simply add the Pod Cover to your current mattress and start sleeping as cool as 55°F or as hot as 110°F. It also splits your bed in half, so your partner can choose a totally different temperature.Until November 30th, my listeners can save $350 on the Pod Cover. Go to eightsleep.com/tim for these exclusive holiday savings. Eight Sleep currently ships within the USA, Canada, the UK, select countries in the EU, and Australia. *For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsorsSign up for Tim's email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim's books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissYouTube: youtube.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, Margaret Atwood, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, Dr. Gabor Maté, Anne Lamott, Sarah Silverman, Dr. Andrew Huberman, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Law of Attraction and Mindfulness are huge buzzwords today, but are they really Christian beliefs? Many Christians have actually adopted both of these beliefs into their beliefs, but do they line up with the Bible? The answer is...no.Actually both of these beliefs have shown to encourage people to turn away from God, not toward Him. The Law of Attraction focuses solely on us and our thoughts and how we are the ones to manifest our future (or create our future).  However, God had a purpose and a plan for our lives before the world was even formed. He alone knows the full scope of our plans, not us! Proverbs 19:3 tells us that "The foolishness of a man twists his way, And his heart acts in rage against the LORD." Ouch! I don't know about you, but I don't want to rely on myself.Well, what about mindfulness, that can't be so bad. I mean aren't they practicing mindfulness in schools now in as young as kindergartners. They are and it's actually a pretty scary thing. Listen to the article I found in Christian News Journal about mindfulness in adults...I can't even imagine what it does in kid's lives. It says, "Dr. Willoughby Britton, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University Medical School, a mindfulness practitioner herself, has documented how many who have engaged in Buddhist meditation can become detached from themselves, experiencing dark psychotic hallucinations, feelings of terror, and compulsions to kill themselves." To learn more about these and the Truth about what God's Word says, check out this week's episode of the UncommonTEEN Podcast!Connect with Us!Website: UncommonTEEN.comInstagram: @uncommon.teenUncommonTEEN App: UncommonTEENapp.comJoin us LIVE on Instagram on Friday evenings at 9pm Central for a Live Q&A with Coach Jamie!

Meditation can help us heal from trauma, but only if we feel safe while practicing.  By implementing strategies for safety in meditation, we learn to be present with discomfort without becoming overwhelmed. We develop agency over our practice, and in the process, we become empowered to direct our own healing. In this episode, Sean Fargo speaks with educator, author and trauma-informed meditation expert David Treleaven about the tools that can help us feel safe in meditation and how to best offer them as teachers. For more insight into the meaning of trauma-sensitive mindfulness, listen to episode #022, Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness with David Treleaven. Please note that any conversation about trauma can be evocative. As you listen, remain mindful and self-responsive. This episode is an excerpt from David Treleavan's appearance as a guest teacher in Sean Fargo's Mindfulness Exercises Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training Program. This unique, self-paced program is internationally accredited and accessible entirely online. Students in the program receive weekly live, in-person mentorship from Sean Fargo and his team. They are joined by the world's most respected mindfulness and meditation teachers who present on a wide range of topics.  Train to share mindfulness with confidence, compassion and skill within a supportive online community. Learn more at mindfulnessexercises.com/certify or, schedule a 15-minute call with Sean to see if this program is right for you at https://calendly.com/sean-108/application    Related Meditation: Sensing into Safety Meditation, with Sean Fargo  Related Podcast Episodes: Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness, with David Treleaven Identifying Adverse Effects of Meditation, with Dr. Willoughby Britton

Meditation's benefits are often overhyped, while its discomfort, challenges, or ongoing adverse experiences tend to be little mentioned - even though the latter happens to around 1 in 10 meditators. This disparity can leave those who struggle with meditation feeling very alone and unsure where to find help. In this episode, we hear from clinical psychologist, professor and mindfulness expert Dr. Willoughby Britton. Willoughby presents a thorough, research-based overview on how to identify the adverse effects of meditation. She explains which ones are most likely to happen during mindfulness-based meditations. Perhaps more importantly, she offers both practitioners and teachers suggestions on what to do and where to go for help with the challenges of contemplative practice. This talk is a brief excerpt from Dr. Willoughby Britton's guest teacher presentation to those enrolled in the Mindfulness Exercises Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training Program. This unique, online, self-paced certification program balances pre-recorded webinars with live mentorship. Students in the program learn directly from Sean Fargo, his team, and some of the world's most respected mindfulness and meditation experts.  Train to share mindfulness with confidence, compassion and skill within a supportive online community. Learn more at mindfulnessexercises.com/certify or, schedule a 15-minute call with Sean to see if this program is right for you at https://calendly.com/sean-108/application

There's a major discrepancy between the contemporary definition and understanding of "mindfulness" and how it is described and understood in the Buddhist traditions. In this episode, Pobsa details the difference and why it matters. There are two places where he mis-spoke: when mentioning the ground-breaking work of Willoughby Britton, he says she discovered that only 4 out of 1800 studies on mindfulness had control groups but the number was 40. And the closing analogy correctly stated is: "mindfulness is like the hand that takes a sheaf of grain in its grip and wisdom the hand that holds the scythe that cuts it down." The episode where Pobsa introduces sila (ethical training) is here. The episode where Pobsa introduces principles of meditation is here. To offer dana to Pobsa please click here.

In this interview I am joined by Dr Caroline Van Damme, an adult psychiatrist and family and systemic psychotherapist specialising in chronic psychotic disorders, and co-teacher of Buddhist guru and Sowa Rigpa doctor Nida Chenagtsang.  Dr Caroline draws on her extensive clinical experience as a psychiatrist, as well as her personal meditation practice, to explore the adverse effects of meditation, including psychosis, depersonalisation/derealisation, and spiritual bypass. Dr Caroline considers the pros and cons of sleep deprivation as a spiritual training tool, visualisation practices of Buddhist Vajrayana, and shares stories of extended meditation retreats gone wrong. Dr Caroline gives recommendations for those who wish to practice intensively, including dangers signs to watch for, the markers of high-risk individuals, and the importance of a a strong psychology and deep foundation in preliminary practice. Dr Caroline also details her own success in using meditation with her patients in clinical settings, including with populations typically considered to be at high risk, and recounts her patient reports about the significant benefits of their practice. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep183-adverse-effects-of-meditation-dr-caroline-van-damme 
Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast'. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 01:21 - Adverse effects of meditation 05:13 - Meditation and psychosis 08:42 - Matthieu Ricard's advice 10:37 - Meditation success with schizophrenia 16:25 - Willoughby Britton's work on adverse effects 18:39 - Caroline reflects on her own meditation practice 20:52 - Dangers of visualisation meditation 23:04 - Traumatic meditation retreats 27:42 - Modulating intensity and pre-practice warnings 30:57 - Spiritual bypass and tantric Buddhist practice 32:00 - Sleep deprivation as a sign of enlightenment 33:32 - When to push through hell 38:20 - Caroline's monk patient who developed schizophrenia 41:17 - Sleep deprivation as a training tool 48:30 - Recommendations for those who wish to engage in intense practice 51:53 - The Dalai Lama's sleep schedule 52:45 - Delusions of special powers 53:58 - Insomnia 55:36 - Cannabis and meditation 57:07 - Profile of a high risk person 57:43 - Enlightenment vs depersonalisation / derealisation 01:02:39 - Dream yoga and derealisation 01:07:50 - Caroline's clinical experience teaching meditation to her patients 01:20:19 - Mechanism of benefit in meditation 01:24:50 - Impulse control and inner peace 01:29:03 - The stigma of mental illness … Previous episode with Dr Van Damme: - www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep143-dr-caroline-van-damme-psychiatry-religious-experience
 To find out more about Dr Van Damme, visit: - https://www.sowarigpainstitute.org/dr-caroline-van-damme 

… For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com/ Music 'Deva Dasi' by Steve James

Willoughby Britton Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist, an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University Medical School, and the Director of Brown's Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory. Her clinical neuroscience research investigates the effects of contemplative practices on the brain and body in the treatment of mood disorders, trauma, and other emotional disturbances. She is especially interested in practice-specific effects, individual differences, and moderators of treatment outcomes. She is probably best known for her research on adverse effects, and for creating best practices around harms monitoring and reporting. As a clinician, she has been trained as an instructor in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and the Somatic Experiencing (SE) approach to trauma. She now specializes in helping meditators who are experiencing meditation-related difficulties and providing meditation safety training to providers and organizations. In this second half of their two-part conversation, Dr. Britton provides more details about the resistance she came up against in the science and meditation communities after publishing data that contradicted their narratives of meditation as an infallibly positive pursuit. Rachel provides insight into the reactive nature of those who are unable to recognize any imperfection in the spiritual practices they pursue and the cult-like devotion that follows. Before You Go: Rachel expands on Dr. Britton's idea of "positive affect requirement" in group settings explaining why there's often more behind the smiles of devoted followers. Watch Dr.Britton's TED talk on meditation and neuroscience here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR8TjCncvIw&t=0s To learn more about Cheetah House and their work helping those experiencing meditation-related distress please visit: www.cheetahhouse.org/ If you are a meditator who has suffered from adverse effects, you can book a consultation with the Cheetah House care team including Dr. Britton here: www.cheetahhouse.org/care-team?gcli…8aAsZ6EALw_wcB Find Rachel's book "Now I Know: Kids Talking To Kids About Divorce..." here: www.amazon.com/Now-I-Know-Rachel…ein/dp/1620867893 Thanks to our newest Patreon supporters: Natalie S, RS, Jeremiah Burke, Waleska Rivera-Shon, Artful Magic, and Kim Croucher!! To help support the show monthly and get bonus episodes, shirts, and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Prefer to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link: www.paypal.me/indoctriNATION You can help the show for free by leaving a rating on Spotify or Apple/ iTunes. It really helps the visibility of the show!

Willoughby Britton Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist, an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University Medical School, and the Director of Brown's Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory. Her clinical neuroscience research investigates the effects of contemplative practices on the brain and body in the treatment of mood disorders, trauma, and other emotional disturbances. She is especially interested in practice-specific effects, individual differences, and moderators of treatment outcomes. She is probably best known for her research on adverse effects, and creating best practices around harms monitoring and reporting. As a clinician, she has been trained as an instructor in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and the Somatic Experiencing (SE) approach to trauma. She now specializes in helping meditators who are experiencing meditation-related difficulties and providing meditation safety training to providers and organizations. Throughout this first half of their two-part conversation, Rachel and Willoughby find common ground discussing where their specialties intersect and help each other fill in the gaps of knowledge in their respective fields. Dr. Britton shares about her personal relationship with meditation, how it relates to her work, and the surprising results of her comprehensive study on the adverse effects of meditation. Rachel helps Dr. Britton unpack the cult dynamics and the societal structure that may explain the panic and very unscientific response of the meditation and science communities as a result of Dr. Britton's studies. Before You Go: Rachel reflects on the problematic and dangerous issues Dr. Britton points out, relating it to her personal experience in a mindfulness and meditation course she participated in for a continuing education program. Watch Dr.Britton's TED talk on meditation and neuroscience here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR8TjCncvIw&t=0s To learn more about Cheetah House and their work helping those experiencing meditation-related distress please visit: https://www.cheetahhouse.org/ If you are a meditator who has suffered from adverse effects, you can book a consultation with the Cheetah House care team including Dr. Britton here: https://www.cheetahhouse.org/care-team?gclid=Cj0KCQjw5-WRBhCKARIsAAId9Fl9oSOnXTS5HCX-5jEKUhkuo7GO7-YPXitpU6hUwCHupKVX_QaYdS8aAsZ6EALw_wcB Find Rachel's book "Now I Know: Kids Talking To Kids About Divorce..." here: www.amazon.com/Now-I-Know-Rachel…ein/dp/1620867893 Thanks to our newest Patreon supporter Erin Boyle!! To help support the show monthly and get bonus episodes, shirts, and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Prefer to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link: www.paypal.me/indoctriNATION You can help the show for free by leaving a rating on Spotify or Apple/ iTunes. It really helps the visibility of the show!

In this episode, Wendy speaks with clinical psychologist and meditation researcher, Willoughby Britton. Willoughby is a pioneer in contemplative research and one of the only people dedicated to understanding the possible negative outcomes from meditation (so called meditation-related adverse experiences). This conversation covers many topics, including: how she came to study the negative side of meditation; support and resources for those struggling with meditation-related difficulties (Cheetah House); scientific research on meditation-related adverse experiences; changes in perception and anxiety that can happen with meditation; how the same experience can be positive or negative depending on context; how the causes of adverse effects may be the same as for the benefits; the science of measuring harms in meditation research; what we know (and don't know) about these effects—who's at risk, how frequent they are, and how they show up for people; whether or not these difficulties are "part of the path" of transformation; grounding care in compassion; and aligning practices with the outcomes you want. Full resources and show notes

In this episode David speaks with Willoughby Britton and Jared Lindahl, co-authors of the Varieties of Contemplative Experience (VCE) study—a landmark investigation into the nature of meditation-related difficulties, including trauma. They are two of the world's experts in studying the difficulties people can encounter in meditation, as well as the factors that contribute to these experiences.

Meditation only has benefits right? Well, there are a number of cases where people experienced adverse effects, where meditation had results that were unexpected and perceived unpleasant. This podcast will be very insightful for meditators and is an absolute must for yoga and meditation teachers! Because as my very first guest on this podcast, I found probably the world expert on this subject to talk to me about it! Willoughby Britton, PhD, did a lot of research around the adverse effects of meditation, gives training on this subject to meditation trainers and has her own foundation, Cheetahhouse, for helping people in need with guidance when meditation led to (sometimes very serious) adverse effects. And in this episode, you can learn what she found in her research as well as working with people that experienced adverse meditation effects. More about Willoughby: https://vivo.brown.edu/display/wbritton Willoughby in conversation with the Dalai Lama about her research: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etii18s9RKU More about her program and research: https://www.brown.edu/research/labs/britton/research/varieties-contemplative-experienceHere you can find a recent press release of her most recent study on meditation-related adverse effects in mindfulness-based programs: https://www.brown.edu/news/2021-05-18/adverse-effectsFor help, resources, education and about meditation-related difficulties: cheetahhouse.org Do you want to have guidance on your meditation practise? Check out www.meditatie.amsterdam! 

Diabetics who received 1 g of vitamin C daily showed improvements in blood pressure, oxidative stress Khon Kaen University (Thailand), May 21, 2021 Findings from a randomized, double-blind, cross-over trial reported on February 25, 2021 in the Chinese Journal of Physiology revealed an association between intake of vitamin C and a reduction in blood pressure before and after exercise among men and women with type 2 diabetes. “During exercise, mechanical stress on the arterial wall is increased, leading to an increased release of vasodilators by the endothelium (e.g., nitric oxide, bradykinin, etc.),” explained authors C. Boonthongkaew and colleagues at Khon Kaen University in Thailand. “This response can attenuate blood pressure (BP) after acute exercise at low, moderate, and high intensity in normotensive individuals. However, the magnitude of this effect seems to decline in type 2 diabetes patients because of endothelial dysfunction.” The trial included 24 type 2 diabetics with poorly controlled disease who received 1,000 milligrams vitamin C or a placebo daily for six weeks, followed by a six-week washout period, followed by six weeks of the alternate intervention. For inclusion in the study, participants were required to have a blood pressure of ≤140/90 mmHg or less, maintained if necessary with antihypertensive treatment.  Twenty-minute low-intensity exercise sessions were conducted on the day before and the last day of each treatment period. Blood pressure was measured before, immediately after and 60 minutes after the exercise sessions. Blood samples collected before and after exercise were analyzed for plasma vitamin C levels, markers of lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide concentration.  Compared to pre-intake, participants who received vitamin C experienced an average 12.8 mmHg reduction in systolic BP and an 8.9 mmHg reduction in diastolic BP when at rest before exercise. Immediately after exercise, systolic and diastolic BP were lower by 11.4 mmHg and 6.8 mmHg, and an hour after exercise, systolic and diastolic BP were lower by 12.5 mmHg and 8.9 mmHg in the vitamin C group compared to baseline values. No significant differences between pre- and post-treatment measurements occurred in the placebo group. When compared to the placebo, participants who received vitamin C also had lower systolic and diastolic BP before and after the post-supplementation exercise sessions.  Post-intake, plasma vitamin C and nitric oxide levels were higher, and markers of lipid peroxidation were lower among vitamin C patients before and immediately after exercise compared to baseline, while the placebo group experienced no significant changes. And when compared to the placebo, vitamin C and nitric oxide were higher and lipid peroxidation markers were lower before and after the exercise session among participants who had received the vitamin. In their discussion of the findings, the authors remarked that vitamin C’s ability to decrease oxidative stress helps prevent nitric oxide from being degraded by free radicals, which results in higher nitric oxide levels that benefit endothelial function and BP. They announced that the study is the first to report the effect of vitamin C compared to a placebo on BP before and within an hour after exercise. “This study suggests that 6‑week vitamin C [intake] decreased pre-exercise and postexercise blood pressures, possibly due to improved oxidative stress and nitric oxide release,” they concluded.       Making mindfulness meditation more helpful starts with understanding how it can be harmful Brown University, May 18, 2021 Mindfulness-based meditation programs have emerged as a promising treatment for conditions ranging from stress to sleeplessness to depression. In some cases, they're even offered to people—schoolkids or employees, for example—who aren't actively seeking help or who haven't been screened for suitability. Yet most research and discourse about these programs focuses only on their benefits, with little investigation of the risks or the potential for adverse effects. A recent review of nearly 7,000 studies of meditation practices found that less than 1% of them measured adverse effects. Willoughby Britton, an associate professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University, said that this is largely because assessing adverse effects (a process known as "harms monitoring") in non-pharmacological treatments like mindfulness-based meditation programs is difficult to do well. To address that gap, Britton conducted a new study on adverse effects in mindfulness-based programs that identified common obstacles to harms monitoring and, importantly, showed how to address them. The study also found that the rates of adverse effects from mindfulness were similar to those found in other psychological treatments. The study was published on May 18 in Clinical Psychological Science. "Our ultimate goal is to maximize the efficacy of mindfulness-based meditation while minimizing harms," said Britton, who directs the Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory at Brown. "In order to address risks and modify treatment accordingly, you need thorough and detailed knowledge about potential harms. Our study, the most comprehensive of its kind, provides a blueprint for how to accurately assess the risks of mindfulness-based meditation programs." Why no one wants to talk about meditation's adverse effects The adverse effects of mindfulness-based meditation programs are often an unpleasant topic for providers and participants alike, Britton said. For the study, she and her colleagues reviewed the most current harms monitoring best practices from regulatory agencies like the World Health Organization, the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In the paper, they outlined the key considerations around assessing adverse effects, including hesitancy of participants to report negative reactions to treatment because of feelings of shame or a desire to please the researcher or instructor. Researchers and mindfulness teachers (Britton is both) are understandably more focused on the help they can provide than any harm they could cause. As a result, a lack of negative feedback from participants is often interpreted as evidence of absence of harm. "It's very easy for our enthusiasm and desire to help to become a kind of blindness," Britton explained. Another complicating factor, she said, is the lack of knowledge of proper harms assessment. "Often the mindfulness teacher will ask the class, 'Did anyone have any challenges with your meditation practice this week?'" Britton said. "But participants, in general, tend to avoid answering open-ended questions asked by the teacher in a public setting. Research has shown that having someone other than the teacher ask specific questions in a private setting will increase the likelihood of honest reporting." Finally, she highlighted the fact that term "adverse" is a highly subjective judgment that can vary across people and even across the same person in different contexts. "The re-living of a previous trauma may be healing for some and destabilizing for others, in the same way that the drowsiness caused by cold medicine—or meditation—may be undesirable or 'adverse' in the morning but highly desirable before bed," she said. What's more, Britton added, the literature shows that mental health treatment providers (like therapists or doctors) may dismiss patient complaints or reframe them as a sign that the therapy is working. Designing a model assessment Britton's research team followed 24 current harms monitoring guidelines to assess the nature and frequency of meditation-related adverse effects in mindfulness-based programs. The study participants were representative of typical meditators in the U.S.: predominantly middle-age women seeking methods to self-manage mild to severe levels of anxiety, depression and stress. After completing one of three versions of an eight-week mindfulness meditation program, participants were interviewed by a researcher unaffiliated with the treatment about their experiences, with 44 questions based on previous research of meditation-related challenges. To more accurately and thoroughly capture patient perspectives, this study allowed each participant to evaluate the emotional tone or "valence" of each of 44 meditation-related experiences as well as the impact it had on their life and functioning. By asking participants specific questions about duration and impact, researchers were able to differentiate temporary distress, negative-impact side effects and "lasting bad effects." In this way, the researchers sought to clarify which effects were experienced as "adverse" on a case-by-case basis. To accommodate the varying definitions of harm, results were reported in tiers of severity ranging from "transient distress during meditation" (i.e., temporary) to "enduring impairment in functioning"—or "lasting bad effects." The "what" is as important as the "how" The significance of the study, Britton said, has as much to do with what it found as how it found it. "The fact that meditation can cause altered states, for example, isn't news: It's something that people have been talking about for centuries," Britton said. "What we haven't been very good about is measuring the impact and significance of these states on individual participants." Of the 96 participants, 58% reported at least one meditation-related adverse effect, which ranged from perpetual hypersensitivity to nightmares to traumatic re-experiencing. Meditation-related adverse effects with negative impacts on functioning occurred in 37% of the sample. Six percent of the sample had "lasting bad effects," or impairments in functioning lasting more than one month. Notably, the researchers say, this rate is similar to those of other psychological treatments. In the study, meditation-related effects with negative impacts tended to be associated with signs of what's called dysregulated arousal—for example, the participants reported feeling anxious, hyper-stimulated or emotionally flat or disconnected after meditating. This is important for instructors and participants to note, Britton said, because unlike the experiences of anxiety or insomnia, a feeling of being dissociated or emotionally checked-out is not always experienced as unpleasant and can provide some relief, especially for a person suffering from intense anxiety. Yet in the study, this feeling of dissociation tended to predict more significant and lasting impairment in functioning. "This is where the differentiation between valence and impact becomes important, because the valence, or emotional tone, of an experience might be not particularly distressing at the time," Britton said. "Meditators are often taught to reappraise their experience as not being problematic, and to accept it for what it is. Our results are basically saying that when it comes to dissociation, this approach isn't going to work." Britton and colleagues also found that the open-ended question "Have you had any unexpected, unpleasant, adverse or challenging experiences as a result of mindfulness meditation practice during or following the program?" underestimated the true rate by 70%, confirming the inadequacy of open-ended questions compared to specific ones. The study concludes that the active ingredient of these therapeutic programs, which is mindfulness meditation practice, can be associated with both transient distress and enduring negative impacts on life and functioning. Britton said that it is important to note that adverse effects and benefits are not mutually exclusive: many of the same participants who reported adverse effects also reported improvements in depression. Britton noted that the intent of the study, as well as of her broader research, is not to discourage mindfulness-based meditation programs—rather, it is to generate findings on both the positive and negative effects so that providers and meditators can make informed decisions. She compared mindfulness to aspirin, as an example. This medicine-cabinet staple can cause nausea, heartburn and stomach cramps—and taking a daily aspirin can cause gastrointestinal bleeding in some people. But these potential adverse effects do not take away from aspirin's many benefits. Instead, detailed knowledge about the benefits and risks allows practitioners to make educated, effective and safe recommendations to specific patients. "That's where we need to get with mindfulness, too," Britton said. "Our study is an attempt to bring harms monitoring up to the standards of other treatments so that providers can identify events that require monitoring and intervention in order to maximize the safety and efficacy of mindfulness-based meditation."   Vitamin B6, vitamin D and green tea compound could improve uterine fibroids Sandro Pertini Hospital (Italy), May 19, 2021 In an article whose title asks the question, “Uterine fibroids treatment: do we have new valid alternative?” findings from researchers from Sandro Pertini Hospital in Rome suggest the answer may be “yes.” The article, published in the April 2021 issue of the European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences reported a benefit for intake of vitamin B6, vitamin D and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG, a flavonoid that occurs in green tea) in women with uterine fibroids (myomas), benign tumors of the uterus that affect a significant percentage of reproductive-aged women. Uterine fibroids adversely impact fertility, and unfortunately, there are few treatment options for women who desire to become pregnant. The study included 95 women who had between one and five fibroids. Forty-one participants received 5 milligrams (mg) vitamin B6, 25 micrograms (1,000 international units) vitamin D and 150 mg EGCG twice daily for four months, while a control group of 54 women were monitored without receiving the vitamin B6, vitamin D and EGCG. The number and volume of fibroids was measured using ultrasound before and after the treatment period. Fibroid vascularization was measured by color flow Doppler ultrasound, which color codes blood flow to indicate the direction of flow and/or the presence of high blood turbulence. Other factors assessed at these time points included the presence of heavy bleeding, pelvic pain and health/quality of life. Overall improvement was assessed by a questionnaire, the Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I), administered to participants who completed the four-month study. After four months, total fibroid volume significantly decreased by 37.9% among participants who received vitamins B6 and D, plus ECGC, while increasing by 5.5% among women who did not receive the nutrients. Similar results were observed in a subgroup of participants who were smokers – fibroid volume was significantly reduced with the supplement combination.  Doppler visualization of blood flow to the myomas suggested reduced vascularization in the intervention group and increased vascularization in the control group. Pelvic pain and health, including the participants’ all-over impressions of improvement, significantly improved in comparison with pretreatment levels in the group that received the nutrients while no change occurred in the control group. Specifically, 85.4% of women taking the supplement reported improvements in their PGI-I score, with 73.2% reporting their symptoms were “very much better”.  No side effects were reported.  Authors Donatella Miriello and colleagues concluded that the study’s findings “showed the effectiveness and safety of a 4-month oral [intake of] a combination of vitamin D, EGCG and vitamin B6 in reducing uterine fibroids’ volume and improving the quality of life of childbearing women. Thus, this…may represent a valid alternative to the classic ‘wait and see’ approach and, at the same time, an adjuvant treatment that could be administered along with pharmacological therapies, even before surgery to reduce the occurrence of possible complications.”       Nitrate-Rich Vegetables Increase Plasma Nitrate and Nitrite Concentrations and Lower Blood Pressure in Healthy Adults Maastricht University (Netherlands), May 21, 2021   Background: Dietary nitrate is receiving increased attention due to its reported ergogenic and cardioprotective properties. The extent to which ingestion of various nitrate-rich vegetables increases postprandial plasma nitrate and nitrite concentrations and lowers blood pressure is currently unknown.   Objective: We aimed to assess the impact of ingesting different nitrate-rich vegetables on subsequent plasma nitrate and nitrite concentrations and resting blood pressure in healthy normotensive individuals.   Methods: With the use of a semirandomized crossover design, 11 men and 7 women [mean ± SEM age: 28 ± 1 y; mean ± SEM body mass index (BMI, in kg/m2): 23 ± 1; exercise: 1–10 h/wk] ingested 4 different beverages, each containing 800 mg (∼12.9 mmol) nitrate: sodium nitrate (NaNO3), concentrated beetroot juice, a rocket salad beverage, and a spinach beverage. Plasma nitrate and nitrite concentrations and blood pressure were determined before and up to 300 min after beverage ingestion. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA. Results: Plasma nitrate and nitrite concentrations increased after ingestion of all 4 beverages (P < 0.001). Peak plasma nitrate concentrations were similar for all treatments (all values presented as means ± SEMs: NaNO3: 583 ± 29 μmol/L; beetroot juice: 597 ± 23 μmol/L; rocket salad beverage: 584 ± 24 μmol/L; spinach beverage: 584 ± 23 μmol/L). Peak plasma nitrite concentrations were different between treatments (NaNO3: 580 ± 58 nmol/L; beetroot juice: 557 ± 57 nmol/L; rocket salad beverage: 643 ± 63 nmol/L; spinach beverage: 980 ± 160 nmol/L; P = 0.016). When compared with baseline, systolic blood pressure declined 150 min after ingestion of beetroot juice (from 118 ± 2 to 113 ± 2 mm Hg; P < 0.001) and rocket salad beverage (from 122 ± 3 to 116 ± 2 mm Hg; P = 0.007) and 300 min after ingestion of spinach beverage (from 118 ± 2 to 111 ± 3 mm Hg; P < 0.001), but did not change with NaNO3. Diastolic blood pressure declined 150 min after ingestion of all beverages (P < 0.05) and remained lower at 300 min after ingestion of rocket salad (P = 0.045) and spinach (P = 0.001) beverages.   Conclusions: Ingestion of nitrate-rich beetroot juice, rocket salad beverage, and spinach beverage effectively increases plasma nitrate and nitrite concentrations and lowers blood pressure to a greater extent than sodium nitrate. These findings show that nitrate-rich vegetables can be used as dietary nitrate supplements.       High-intensity interval training improves spatial memory in rats   University of Tsukuba (Japan), May 17, 2021 Researchers at the University of Tsukuba have found that, despite only covering about one-third of the distance in HIIT compared with that covered in endurance training, similar improvements in exercise capacity and brain function were observed for both forms of exercise. "We investigated how rats' muscles and brains—specifically, the region of the brain involved in spatial learning called the hippocampus—adapted to these types of exercise, and how the rats consequently learned and remembered navigating mazes," explains Professor Hideaki Soya, the principal investigator. In the experiment, rats were assigned to one of three groups—resting, endurance running, or alternating intervals (short sprints and rest)—during training sessions on treadmills five days/week for four weeks. Both endurance running and HIIT resulted in weight loss, greater muscle mass, and the ability to exercise longer compared with controls; however, increased cellular aerobic capacity was found in the soleus (a muscle with predominantly slow-twitch fibers that makes it functionally well suited to endurance) and in the plantaris (a muscle with predominantly fast-twitch fibers for meeting high-energy functional demands) in the endurance-running and HIIT groups, respectively. Rats in both groups demonstrated better memory of spatial learning trials in searching for an escape platform in a water maze. In the hippocampus, increased cell development—neurogenesis—was also observed for both forms of exercise; however, levels of a signaling protein that promotes neurogenesis (BDNF) were increased by HIIT but not by endurance running, whereas the levels of its receptor (TrkB) were increased by both. Given that BDNF expression is known to be affected by exercise, why didn't endurance running increase BDNF expression? The answer may lie in the mediating role of stress on BDNF expression; exercise is a type of stress. While stress indicators in both exercise groups were found to be similar, this line of enquiry may lead to future studies: "In this study, we showed that an HIIT exercise regimen with a low exercise volume nevertheless improves spatial memory, and we demonstrated that these improvements are supported by changes in neuronal plasticity in the hippocampus. In a previous study, we found that continuous light-intensity training had a similar beneficial effect, whereas continuous high-intensity training did not," Professor Soya summarizes. "Thus, it seems that the benefits yielded by exercise may actually depend on optimization, that is, a trade-off between exercise time and intensity." A future where exercise regimens can be tailored to improve both physical and cognitive features may be on the horizon.   Hygiene rules are also effective against new coronavirus variants Ruhr-University Bochum (Germany), May 21, 2021 The researchers found that the variants have a similar surface stability as the wild type virus under laboratory conditions, but can be effectively eliminated by disinfection and thorough hand washing, heat or alcohol treatment. They report their results in the Journal of Infectious Diseases from 16 May 2021. For this study, the team from the Department for Molecular and Medical Virology and the Chair of Materials Discovery and Interfaces at Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) cooperated with the European Virus Bioinformatics Center Jena, the University Hospital Duisburg-Essen and Paracelsus Medical University Nuremberg. The fact that viruses change genetically over time is well known. Variants of concern are those that give the virus an advantage, for example by allowing it to replicate faster, become more infectious or enable it to evade the immune response. The British and South African variants have accumulated several mutations which result in an increased transmission and, in some cases, lead to more severe courses of disease. "Therefore, the question arose whether they also differ from the original variant in terms of their sensitivity to hygiene measures," explains Toni Meister from Ruhr-Universität Bochum. Heat, soap, alcohol For this reason, the team analysed how long the variants remain infectious on surfaces made of steel, silver, copper and on face masks and how they can be rendered harmless by means of soap, heat or alcohol. It turned out that both variants, as well as the wild type virus, could be inactivated when treated with at least 30 percent alcohol for at least 30 seconds. "Common disinfectants are therefore effective against all these variants," says Stephanie Pfänder from RUB. Thorough hand washing with soap could also lower the risk of infection. Heat also works against the virus: after 30 minutes at 56 degrees Celsius, all variants were rendered harmless. To find out whether the stability of the different mutant variants on surfaces differs from each other, they analyzed the amount of infectious virus particles on surfaces made of steel, copper, silver and on surgical and FFP2 masks over 48 hours. "The surface stability did not differ between the virus variants," points out Eike Steinmann from the Department for Molecular and Medical Virology at RUB. "As described several times before, copper in particular has a very strong antiviral effect". In conclusion, the team did not detect any differences between the different mutants in terms of their sensitivity to different hygiene measures.     Pink drinks can help you run faster and further, study finds University of Westminster, May 12, 2021         A new study led by the Centre for Nutraceuticals in the University of Westminster shows that pink drinks can help to make you run faster and further compared to clear drinks. The researchers found that a pink drink can increase exercise performance by 4.4 per cent and can also increase a 'feel good' effect which can make exercise seem easier.  The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, is the first investigation to assess the effect of drink colour on exercise performance and provides the potential to open a new avenue of future research in the field of sports drinks and exercise. During the study participants were asked to run on a treadmill for 30 minutes at a self-selected speed ensuring their rate of exertion remained consistent. Throughout the exercise they rinsed their mouths with either a pink artificially sweetened drink that was low in calories or a clear drink which was also artificially sweetened and low in calories. Both drinks were exactly the same and only differed in appearance - the researchers added food dye to the pink drink to change the colour.  The researchers chose pink as it is associated with perceived sweetness and therefore increases expectations of sugar and carbohydrate intake. Previous studies have also shown that rinsing the mouth with carbohydrates can improve exercise performance by reducing the perceived intensity of the exercise, so the researchers wanted to assess whether rinsing with a pink drink that had no carbohydrate stimulus could elicit similar benefits through a potential placebo effect.  The results show that the participants ran an average 212 metres further with the pink drink while their mean speed during the exercise test also increased by 4.4 per cent. Feelings of pleasure were also enhanced meaning participants found running more enjoyable. Future exploratory research is necessary to find out whether the proposed placebo effect causes a similar activation to the reward areas of the brain that are commonly reported when rinsing the mouth with carbohydrates.  Talking about the study, Dr Sanjoy Deb, corresponding author on the paper from the University of Westminster, said: "The influence of colour on athletic performance has received interest previously, from its effect on a sportsperson's kit to its impact on testosterone and muscular power. Similarly, the role of colour in gastronomy has received widespread interest, with research published on how visual cues or colour can affect subsequent flavour perception when eating and drinking.  "The findings from our study combine the art of gastronomy with performance nutrition, as adding a pink colourant to an artificially sweetened solution not only enhanced the perception of sweetness, but also enhanced feelings of pleasure, self-selected running speed and distance covered during a run."

In this episode, Clinical Psychologist and Neuroscientist, Dr. Willoughby Britton joined me to discuss the adverse effects of meditation. I hope this conversation opens some eyes on the negative side of meditation. The way in which meditation is advertised and glorified in our current American Culture is truly concering. I, myself, am a sufferer from an app-based mindfulness-related meditation practice, after having only practiced for 10-20 mintues a day for only one year. I hope you learn as much today as I did when I first spoke to Willoughby back in March; and maybe you'll find some help and support following this conversation. And as always, I hope you enjoy:) Willoughby's Non-Profit Organization: https://www.cheetahhouse.org/

Dr. Willoughby Britton is a neuroscientist at Brown University studying the neurocognitive effects of mindfulness-based interventions for mood and anxiety disorders. She's currently the Director of Brown's Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory and has research service awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). As a clinician, Dr. Britton has been trained as an instructor in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and has taught mindfulness to both clinical and non-clinical populations, as well as in federally-funded clinical trials. She also runs an organization called Cheetah House, a non-profit that supports meditators in distress. In this episode, we discuss the potential dark sides of meditation practice. In a western world where meditation has been taken out of eastern traditions and spread widely in a secular context, we need to be pragmatic and aware of the risks. Dr. Britton's research has demonstrated that some meditators experience adverse side effects as a result of their practice, and she helps us understand how to avoid such pitfalls. For example, she talks about the specific meditation techniques one should employ and also avoid if they have a history of trauma. It's important to note that this shouldn't scare you away from meditation, but rather help you to understand that meditation is fundamentally reordering of the mind, a delicate instrument that determines our realities, in ways that we can't take lightly. Dr. Britton's work is important because it challenges dogma and seeks to help a minority group of meditators who are experiencing some life-threatening adverse phenomena. And while she admits that there's much more research to be done, her early findings are both fascinating and essential knowledge for any meditator.

McKay Coppins, Author of “The Wilderness,” on Mitt Romney's vote to convict President Trump. Willoughby Britton of Brown Univ on some negative effects of meditation. Christopher Robertson, Univ of Arizona, on prosecutor bias. Jennifer Temple of Univ at Buffalo on caffeine and kids. Mark Loewen of the University of Utah on a new dinosaur. Robin Kowalski, Clemson Univ, on when complaining is good for you.

In this episode of the Mindspace podcast, Dr. Joe Flanders interviews Dr. Willoughby Britton, Professor of Psychiatry, and Dr. Jared Lindahl, Professor of Religious Studies, both at Brown University. Joe and his guests discuss the emergence of contemplative neuroscience, Dr. Britton's critical stance on mindfulness research and the whole mindfulness movement, Jared's take on the importance of sensitivity to individual differences and cultural diversity in mindfulness and meditation, and finally they share their views on the potential adverse experiences that can occur while meditating.

Many of us get into meditation because we want to be calmer, less stressed and less yanked around by our emotions, but sometimes there are unwanted effects. Brown University researchers Willoughby Britton, an assistant professor of psychiatry and human behavior, and Jared Lindahl, a visiting assistant professor of religious studies, published a new study today on the wide range of difficult experiences and challenges meditators they interviewed said they faced in their practice.

Meet the man to whom Fortune 500 companies like Cisco, Nike, and Google look to help unlock peak employee performance. Jamie Wheal, Executive Director of the Flow Genome project and recognized expert in the four trillion-dollar altered states of consciousness economy, discusses everything from micro-dosing psychedelics to transcranial magnetic stimulation. This episode of Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu is sure blow your mind. Note: This production is intended for mature audiences only. Viewer discretion is advised.   SHOW NOTES Tom and Jamie explore non-ordinary states of altered consciousness. [2:35] Jamie talks about the genome of flow and discovering a rosetta stone. [7:18] Jamie describes the bliss point and evolutionary drivers. [13:00] Jamie explains the connection between clinical depression and REM sleep. [19:41] Tom and Jamie discuss the history of psychedelics and the alcohol complex. [22:22] Jamie shares how microdosing can be used to facilitate mind expansion. [25:25] Tom and Jamie dive into unnatural selection and performance enhancing drugs. [34:28] Jamie touches on disorientation, virtual reality hangovers, and 3D legs. [36:36] Jamie talks about expanding our perspectives and healing divides. [40:15] Jamie defines the impact that he wants to have on the world. [45:14]   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE BOOKS Stealing Fire - http://amzn.to/2liar0G [2:46] Waking Up - http://amzn.to/2li5DIv  [4:45] Incognito - http://amzn.to/2lQ2a60  [5:10] Salt, Sugar, Fat - http://amzn.to/2lbKcZP  [13:02] Evolving Ourselves - http://amzn.to/2li9Xr4 [32:21] Comic book series DMZ - http://amzn.to/2li5G7c [37:46]   PEOPLE Johns Hopkins psychiatrist Stan Grof - http://bit.ly/2b56rRB [2:50] Author, philosopher, and neuroscientist Sam Harris - http://bit.ly/29Y4ncJ [4:44] Neuroscientist David Eagleman - http://bit.ly/2kWj31m [5:04] Clinical psychologist Willoughby Britton - http://bit.ly/2bbMDGv [19:06] Professor and Neuroscientist Roland Griffiths, Ph.D. - http://bit.ly/2lWkDAe [20:48] Head of Psychedelic Research at Imperial College of London Robin Carhart-Harris - http://bit.ly/2lbQhW3 [24:15] Inca - http://bit.ly/2jvIQfO [34:44] Author, journalist, and professor Michael Pollan - http://bit.ly/2lbRvAo [36:05] Romanian historian Mircea Eliade - http://bit.ly/2lT4lHT [38:52] Irish poet William Butler Yeats - http://bit.ly/2bejzjK [39:53] The Maitreya - http://bit.ly/2lXqMfm [41:08]   TERMS Corpus callosum - http://bit.ly/28Pbak1 [4:39] Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) - http://bit.ly/Y80qax [17:09] Psilocybin - http://bit.ly/29FDJ6E [21:07] Dr. James Fadiman’s Microdosing - http://huff.to/1nTcR7E [25:12] Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) - http://mayocl.in/1QmRxP3 [26:48]   ORGANIZATIONS Multidisciplinary Association For Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) - http://bit.ly/1yWH4AO [16:44] Advanced Brain Monitoring - http://bit.ly/2miHciZ [28:51]   FOLLOW JAMIE WEBSITE: http://bit.ly/2myKsmA FACEBOOK: http://bit.ly/2lIJGUN LINKEDIN: http://bit.ly/2lTbw2L   Tom Bilyeu is the co-founder of 2014 Inc. 500 company Quest Nutrition — a unicorn startup valued at over $1 billion — and the co-founder and host of Impact Theory. Impact Theory is a first-of-its-kind company designed to facilitate global change through the incubation of mission-based businesses and the cultivation of empowering content. Every piece of content Impact Theory creates is meant to underscore the company mission to free people from The Matrix and help them unlock their true potential. Impact Theory exists to inspire the next generation of game-changing companies and creators that will make a true and lasting impact on the world.   FOLLOW TOM BILYEU TWITTER: http://bit.ly/2iyjY5P INSTAGRAM: http://bit.ly/2j7vqX8 FACEBOOK: http://bit.ly/2hPStWo   FOLLOW IMPACT THEORY TWITTER: http://bit.ly/2iC5lN3 INSTAGRAM: http://bit.ly/2hPSGJa FACEBOOK: http://bit.ly/2iystOf

Willoughby Britton and Daniel Ingram join hosts Emily Horn and Kelly Sosan Bearer for Geeks of the Round Table to discuss helping people through the experience of the contemplative Dark Night. Willoughby starts the conversation by reporting the latest updates on the rebranded Dark Night Project, now called “The Varieties of Contemplative Experience”. The group then moves on to discuss helping mindfulness practitioners through episodes of the contemplative Dark Night, how mental disease does and doesn’t get addressed in the community, and some shared characteristics of people that experience the Dark Night. This is part one of a two part series. Listen to part two BG 302: Mental Illness and the Dark Night. Episode Links: TIME: Aaron Alexis and the Dark Side of Meditation ( http://healthland.time.com/2013/09/17/aaron-alexis-and-the-dark-side-of-meditation/ ) Daniel Ingram ( http://integrateddaniel.info ) The Dharma Overground ( http://www.dharmaoverground.org ) Willoughby Britton & Cheetah House ( http://www.cheetahhouse.org ) The Dark Side of Dharma ( http://bit.ly/1IBv56f ) The Dark Night Project ( http://bit.ly/1gc7P2j )

Willoughby Britton and Daniel Ingram continue their conversation with hosts Emily Horn and Kelly Sosan Bearer to discuss helping people through the experience of the contemplative Dark Night. To begin the second part of their discussion, Daniel describes the characteristics of Dark Night experience he has seen in the Dharma Overground community and the cycles many people experience. Emily asks whether compassion practice is a common tool to use when in the Dark Night stage. Willoughby and Daniel each describe observations of the usefulness of metta practice and attempt to answer the question: can a sniper have compassion? Finally, the group explores the topic in context of the TIME story “Aaron Alexis and the Dark Side of Meditation”. This is part two of a two part series. Listen to part one: Varieties of Contemplative Experience Episode Episode Links: TIME: Aaron Alexis and the Dark Side of Meditation ( healthland.time.com/2013/09/17/aaro…-of-meditation/ ) Daniel Ingram ( integrateddaniel.info ) The Dharma Overground ( www.dharmaoverground.org ) Willoughby Britton & Cheetah House ( www.cheetahhouse.org ) The Dark Side of Dharma ( bit.ly/1IBv56f ) The Dark Night Project ( bit.ly/1gc7P2j )

We’re joined this week by Brown University neuroscience researcher Willoughby Britton. In this episode Dr. Britton shares some of the details of a research project that she’s working on called, “The Difficult Stages of the Contemplative Path.” She goes into the purpose of the research project and also some of the research methods she’s using to establish a helpful subjective phenomenology for these difficult stages. She also speaks about how she has collaborated with both meditation teachers and Buddhist scholars to help determine what the common experiences are for practitioners, and whether they have textual references in the Buddhist canons. And to make matters even more interesting, she shares what her personal experiences have been like, as she’s a committed meditation practitioner herself. This is part 1 of a two-part series. Listen to part 2, The Dark Night Project. Episode Links: Willoughby Britton @ Brown University ( http://research.brown.edu/myresearch/Willoughby_Britton ) Britton Lab ( http://www.brittonlab.com ) Willoughby Britton at the Buddhist Geeks Conference, on the Problem with Meditation ( http://blogs.laweekly.com/stylecouncil/2011/09/buddhist_geeks_considerable_to.php ) Cheetah House ( https://cheetahhouse.wordpress.com )

Willoughby Britton, contemplative scientist and neuroscience researcher, spoke at the Buddhist Geeks Conference 2012 about mixing Dharma with scientific enterprise. Scientific research of meditation is undoubtedly one of the forces behind the proliferation of the Dharma, and offers much promise as a “Dharma technology”. However, Britton asserts that significant challenges remain before we can harness the full power of scientific enterprise. Episode Links: Willoughby Britton at Brown University ( http://research.brown.edu/myresearch/Willoughby_Britton ) Britton Lab ( http://www.brittonlab.com )