I’ve meditated on and off since age 17. Then one day I found Dr. Dawson Church’s work. He inspired me and helped me build his EcoMeditation practice into a daily habit.
Fast forward over the next decade, and I still use his system more than any other.
Bliss Brain is Dawson’s newest upgrade to the EcoMeditation based on the latest neuroscience research. In this chat, we talked extensively about the PRACTICAL reasons that Olympians, Fortune 100 CEOS, entrepreneurs, and the world’s most effective leaders prioritize this flavor of meditation.
Episode highlights
A few minutes of meditation in the morning positively impacts your ENTIRE day Share on XFlow State (induced my meditating) increases strategic problem solving by 500% (according to a McKenzie study) Share on XOur own worry is the modern humans' biggest predator Share on XThose that cannot regulate their emotions get blown around by life Share on XPodcast Sponsor Banner
About Dr. Dawson Church
Dawson Church, PhD, is an award-winning science writer with three best-selling books to his credit. The Genie in Your Genes (YourGeniusGene.com) was the first book to demonstrate that emotions drive gene expression. Mind to Matter, (MindToMatter.com) showed that the brain creates much of what we think of as “objective reality.” Bliss Brain (BlissBrain.com) demonstrates that peak mental states rapidly remodel the brain for happiness. Dawson has conducted dozens of clinical trials, and founded the National Institute for Integrative Healthcare (NIIH.org) to promote groundbreaking new treatments. Its largest program, the Veterans Stress Project, has offered free treatment to over 20,000 veterans with PTSD over the past decade. Dawson shares how to apply these health and performance breakthroughs through EFT Universe (EFTUniverse.com), one of the largest alternative medicine sites on the web.
Top things you’ll learn from Dawson Church
- “You don’t have time to do something that’ll increase your problem solving ability 5-fold?”
- Executives working in the flow state are FIVE times more effective (according to a McKinsey study)
- Neurofeedback speeds up complex problem solving and new skill mastery by up to 490% (DARPA research)
- Flow state can positively shift brain function for 48 hours
- EcoMeditation is for self-proclaimed “failed meditators”
- Slowing breathing casues heart <> brain coherence
- Visualizing empty space in body puts you into alpha brainwaves
- The 7 categories of meditations
- Why so few people stick with meditation (and tips to overcome that)
- How long it takes even experienced meditators to “quiet their mind”
- The ways meditation beneificially reshapes your brain
- Optimists live an average of 10 years longer
- Different brainwaves, their benefits, and biological processes that occur when activated
- Delta
- Theta
- Alpha
- Beta
- Gamma
- Gamma brainwaves are the pinnacle of peak performance and flow
- 7 neurochemicals of ecstasy
- Anandamide: the body’s natural THC
- Dopamine: the body’s natural cocaine & heroin
- Serotonin: the body’s natural magic mushrooms
- Oxytocin: the body’s natural love drug
- Beta-endorphins: the body’s natural morphine
- Noradrenaline: the body’s natural coffee
- Nitric oxide: the body’s natural Viagra
- Little-known functions of these neurochemicals
- Oxytocin actually plays a role in th emale erection
- Beta-endorphins are 3X-10X more potent than morphine
- The right amount of noradrenaline is a wonderful nootropic
- How researchers quantify meditation sessions
- DIY at home with the Muse headband and the Mind Monitor app
- The most important component of any meditation system (as validated by data)
- How to get the benefits of neurofeedback at home, without state-of-the-art research gear
- Optimizing for happiness over material gain increases likeklihood of acquiring the fancy stuff faster
- EFT Tapping quickly calms the emotional parts of the brain
- “Like a magic eraser for PTSD”
- 2/3 of people that experience trauma grow from it and become more resilient
- EcoMeditation benefits
- 130% immunity increase (salvary IgA)
- Stem cell proliferation increases
- Telomeres lengthen
- Learning and memory improve
- Strengthens sheaths around neurons leading to faster thinking
- Emotional regulation circuit grows up to 22% in just 8 weeks
- Many common issues today stem from not having enough mass in certain parts of the brain
- Meditation shrinks parts associated with mere survival, and increases regions of effectiveness and performance
- Our brain can actually GROW with age
- Flow state triggers
- Novelty
- Challenge (the perfect amount)
- Do something simple like taking a different route home
Resources mentioned
- Portable EEG Device: Muse Headband
- Book: The Prophet
- Book: Mind to Matter
- Person: Jack Canfield
- Book: Meditations
- Course: A 21 Day Walk With Your Higher Self (coming soon)
- Course: A Short Path to Oneness (coming soon)
Connect with Dawson
This podcast is brought to you by
Nick Urban is a Biohacker, Data Scientist, Athlete, Founder of Outliyr, and the Host of the Mind Body Peak Performance Podcast. He is a Certified CHEK Practitioner, a Personal Trainer, and a Performance Health Coach. Nick is driven by curiosity which has led him to study ancient medical systems (Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hermetic Principles, German New Medicine, etc), and modern science.
Music by Luke Hall
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Great content! Keep up the good work!