#227 - Knowing the Mind

In this episode of the podcast, Stephen Laureys interviews Sam Harris about meditation practice and the scientific study of the mind. They discuss why Sam began to practice meditation, the difference between dualistic and nondualistic mindfulness, the search for happiness, wisdom vs knowledge, our relationship with death, the Buddhist doctrine of rebirth, the hard problem of consciousness, the role of introspection in science, meditation and free will, the self and the brain, the difference between voluntary and involuntary actions, dangerous knowledge, the mystery of being, the power of hypnosis, and other topics. Steven Laureys, MD, PhD, FEAN (Fellow of the European Academy of Neurology), is a Belgian neurologist, neuroscientist, author, and speaker. He has written several publications including The Neurology of Consciousness: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuropathology and the well-received La Méditation, c’est bon pour le cerveau, which will be published in English as The No-Nonsense Meditation Book in April 2021 (UK) and June 2021 (US). Dr. Laureys also maintains a clinical practice at the University Hospital of Liège where his research focuses on understanding consciousness, meditation, and the mind. Website: drstevenlaureys.org Twitter: @drstevenlaureys Email address mentioned in the podcast for the purpose of sharing information about an NDE (Near Death Experience): [email protected]