Jhourney Alumni Impact Report - November 2024
Uploaded by
nate.lokersJhourney Alumni Impact Report - November 2024
Uploaded by
nate.lokers ife in HD: An investigation of
L
the jhanas’ impact on Jhourney
retreat attendees
Nadia Asparouhova + Jhourney
November 2024
Table of Contents
able of Contents
T
Executive summary
Introduction
What we wanted to learn
Glossary
Methodology & sample demographics
Survey
Interviews
Caveats and limitations
Part 1: Discovering Jhourney and the jhanas
People discover the jhanas through trusted connections
They don’t fit the meditator stereotype
They come from a mix of meditation backgrounds
Part 2: Gaining jhana access
There aren’t any hidden tricks to getting into jhana
Most people prefer calm to euphoric states
Despite their remarkable phenomenological qualities, jhanas seem to bring people closer to
themselves
In their words: what each jhana feels like
Memorable experiences on jhana
People generally had positive reactions to these experiences – including feeling
surprised
Part 3: Impact of the jhanas
There is an initial post-retreat “afterglow” that fades after a few days or weeks
Most who accessed the jhanas felt it was a transformative experience
Those who accessed the jhanas were more likely to report changes in thoughts and
behavior, vs. those who didn’t
Jhana access seems to make people kinder, calmer, and more aware of pleasurable
sensations
External lifestyle changes were more varied
Facilitators should pay special attention to those who don’t access jhana on retreat
Most people identified lasting benefits from the jhanas, even from one-time experiences
Part 4: Changes in meditation practice
Those who’ve accessed the jhanas are more likely to meditate more often
The jhanas are fun to practice!
Looking ahead: Areas for further research
About
Executive summary
he jhanas are a series of altered states that are accessed through sustained concentration,
T
which anecdotally appear to have therapeutic benefits. They are part of an “advanced
meditation” trend in the West that’s revived the jhanas in the last few decades. While interest is
growing, the practitioner community is still small and nascent, and the benefits claimed by
meditators have not yet been studied by researchers.
ur company, Jhourney, teaches the jhanas to beginners, using a pragmatic, secular approach.
O
Because we have unique access to this growing community of practitioners, we decided to ask
our alumni to tell us how the jhanas have impacted their lives, using a Google Form survey
(n=61) and a handful of followup interviews (n=10).
Our key findings include:
● The jhanas are strongly altered states that are phenomenologically comparable to
psychedelics. Because they are self-induced, and practitionersremain highly aware
throughout, some people find that the benefits of these states are easier to integrate
back into their lives afterwards.
● Most people seem to gravitate towards deeper jhanic states that offer calm and
equanimous, rather than euphoric, sensations– incontrast to media coverage of the
jhanas that focuses on the euphoric aspects.
● Accessing more than one jhana, as well as cultivating deterministic access,correlates
to a higher propensity for people to view their impact as “transformative.”
● Though our samples are small,those who accessed thejhanas while on retreat were
twice as likely to report changes in their relationships and lifestyle, and 1.5 times more
likely to report changes in their thoughts and beliefscompared to those who did not.
● Benefits reported by alumni includefeeling kinder,calmer, and more empathetic to
others, as well as more aware of pleasurable emotions and moments.
● Even one-time jhana access is often described as “transformative,” but some acute
benefits of, and access to, the jhanas can decay over time,especially given the daily
stressors of life. The initial retreat “afterglow”– a state where subjective effects are
especially strong – tended to fade after a few days to weeks. Despite this, most (77%)
who accessed the jhanas for the first time on retreat still described it as transformative,
because they were able to identify enduring benefits from the experiences they did have
(see below).
● People relate to the jhanas in different ways,whichis partly determined by ease of
access and how far they progressed. The primary categories that we heard were: as a
benchmarkthat helped them understand how pleasurablestates actually feel; as atool
for altering their mental states; as asafety net,where knowing they can access positive
emotions gives them confidence to explore deeper personal challenges; and as a
rofound and enduringperception shift, marked by a deepened clarity, which
p
fundamentally altered their relationship to reality itself.
● Accessing the jhanas often makes people want to meditate more,including
non-meditators, because they are associated with fun and pleasurable emotions. Those
who accessed the jhanas for the first time on retreat were nearly eight times as likely to
report meditating more often now, compared to those who did not. This could mean that
the jhanas are a useful on-ramp to other types of meditation.
Prior meditation experience doesn’t seem to affect benefits gained from the jhanas,
●
which further makes the case for the jhanas’ therapeutic potential.
● There were a small number of negative changes reported (6.5% of respondents, or n=4),
nearly all from those whodid notaccess jhanas onretreat. These included uncovering
new emotions or insights about themselves (such as anger or increased sensitivity), or
feeling disappointment about not having accessed the jhanas. In addition, some people
expressed frustration at not being able to access the jhanas in their post-retreat lives.
We suggest thatspecial attention should be paid tothose who donotaccess jhanas on
retreat,as well assetting appropriate expectationsand offering supportfor those who
may find the jhanas more difficult to access after the retreat.
ur sample was small and self-selected; we encourage others to further investigate and validate
O
our claims. Nevertheless, our insights give us confidence that we are only at the beginning of
understanding the full benefits of the jhanas. We hope this report can serve as a jumping off
point for jhana researchers and practitioners, and to help inform others’ agendas and program
design.
Introduction
here is a quiet renaissance underway in
T
meditation circles. A new wave of “advanced
meditation,” as some call it, promises access to a
range of unusual subjective experiences – from
the euphoric, to psychedelic, to voluntary loss of
consciousness – all of which are unlocked solely
through sustained concentration. In particular, the
jhanasare a series of eight altered meditative
states that have attracted growing attention from
media, researchers, and the public.
he jhanas were first described centuries ago, but
T
they have only recently been revived the West,
where meditation styles that downplay the role of
altered states – such as Zen, Vipassana, and
mindfulness – are more common. In those traditions, the mind is typically trained to be
nonreactive to all stimulation, rather than develop flow states of effortless, looping
concentration (as with the jhanas).
It was previously thought that only highly experienced meditators could access the jhanas after
years of practice. But new teaching methods have made them available to meditators of all
experience levels, some of whom have successfully accessed them in days or weeks. Jhourney
is proud to play a role in bringing advanced meditation to a wider audience. Since 2023, we’ve
hosted retreats to teach the jhanas to hundreds of people, with encouraging results.
hat advanced meditation makes it possible to access intense, altered states isn’t just a party
T
trick. Many meditators report benefits – feeling more calm and joyful; detachment from
cravings; improved outlook and relationships – that mirror what’s been reported about
psychedelics, MDMA, and ketamine therapy. Unlike drug therapies, the jhanas are also free and
legal to practice.
ut advanced meditation is new to researchers, and is still understudied. To our knowledge, no
B
one has yet studied the impact of these experiences on meditators in a structured way. One of
the issues cited by academic researchers is that, because this practice is so new to Western
meditators, it is challenging to recruit enough subjects who are able to reliably enter these
tates. (Hagerty et al, 20131; Yang et al, 20242) Jhourney is currently the only retreat company
s
that teaches these techniques in a pragmatic, results-oriented way to people of all meditation
backgrounds. This puts us in a unique and privileged position to be able to study and document
the impact of these techniques on meditators.
e decided to ask our retreat alumni to tell us about their experiences: what it felt like to access
W
these states, how their lives changed after the retreat (if at all), and how they practice today.
What we wanted to learn
Our goals in pursuing this project can be mapped to a few major areas:
● H ow do we describe the jhanas’ impact on meditators?Are the benefits more
comparable tomindfulness meditation, where we’d expectto see incremental
improvements to mental health and wellbeing, or that ofpsychedelics, which can
occasion profound experiences that change how people view themselves and the world?
In conducting this investigation, we hoped to find an emergent vocabulary and
framework to describe the benefits of the jhanas.
● How do meditators use the jhanas?Outside observersoften wonder why – if the jhanas
are supposedly as intense as MDMA or an orgasm – practitioners don’t spend all day
self-stimulating into rapturous bliss. We wanted to know: how do people use the jhanas
in their daily lives, if at all? Are the jhanas closer to a “natural neuromodulator” that
nudges people into positively valenced states, or a one-off experience – like
psychedelics – that changes how they view the world?
● How consistent are phenomenological reports, and interpretations, of the jhanas?Other
altered states, such as psychedelic experiences, can be complex and bidirectional in
valence. While people have consistent ways of describing thephenomenologyof these
experiences, theirinterpretationof those eventsvaries widely, based on factors specific
to that person, such as prior life experiences and cultural context. We wanted to
understand whether people describe andinterprettheirjhanic experiences in similar
ways. We remained open to all types of changes reported by meditators, including
neutral or negative ones.
● Are there differences in impact between experienced vs. novice meditators?We’ve
previously found that prior meditation experience doesn’t seem to impact one’s ability to
access jhana (Asparouhova, 20243). But do novice meditators also gain similar benefits
1
Mike Hagerty et al, “Case Study of Ecstatic Meditation:fMRI and EEG Evidence of Self-Stimulating a
Reward System,”Neural Plasticity, 02 May 2013,https://doi.org/10.1155%2F2013%2F653572.
2
Winson Fu Zun Yang et al, “Intensive whole-brain 7T MRI case study of volitional control of brain activity
in deep absorptive meditation states,”Cerebral Cortex, vol. 34, no. 1, January 2024,
https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhad408.
3
Nadia Asparouhova, “Does meditation experience improve success with the jhanas?,” 27 June 2024,
https://nadia.xyz/meditation-experience.
f rom their experiences? If so, this would make the case for broadening access to the
jhanas to help people from a wide range of backgrounds – not just longtime meditators
– experience their benefits.
How can Jhourney further support its retreat attendees?Finally, we wanted to
●
understand how we’re doing! While we always conduct exit surveys after our retreats, we
don’t get as much insight into how our alumni come to regard these experiences in the
longer term. We wanted to know if there was anything we could do to further support our
alumni before, during, and after a retreat.
Glossary
or those who aren’t familiar with the jhanas, or contemplative practices more generally, here
F
are a few terms you’ll come across in this report:
● A fterglow:Refers to the positive sensations – andsometimes, altered subjective
experiences – that linger immediately after an impactful meditation experience, akin to a
runner’s high.
● Cessation:A “total absence of consciousness duringmeditation,” which is often
characterized by “the absence of any time experience or tiredness.” Sometimes referred
to as the “9th jhana.” (Laukkonen et al, 20234)
● Deterministic access:The ability to access the jhanasat will. We define deterministic
access as responding “yes” to the question:“Are youconfident that you can return to at
least one jhana in under an hour when you want to?”
● Jhana:A series of“sequentially ordered states of(a) intentional, effortlessly stable
concentration and aware absorption in which (b) negative mind states are reduced or
completely absent, while (c) factors including bliss, peace, and formless aspects are
developed and refined, and (d) the mind is inclined towards mental rejuvenation,
psychological and philosophical insight, and meditative endpoints.” (Terje and Sparby,
20245)
● Mystical experience:An experience that is characterizedby “feelings of unity,
sacredness, ineffability, peace and joy, as well as a sense of transcending time and
space and an intuitive belief that the experience is a source of objective truth about
reality” (Maclean et al, 20126). The term derives from Walter Pahnke’s Mystical
4
Ruben E. Laukkonen et al, “Chapter 4 - Cessationsof consciousness in meditation: Advancing a
cientific understanding of nirodha samāpatti,”Progressin Brain Research, vol. 280, 2023, pp. 61-87,
s
https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.pbr.2022.12.007.
5
Terje Sparby and Matthew D. Sacchet, “Toward a Unified Account of Advanced Concentrative Absorption
Meditation: A Systematic Definition and Classification of Jhāna,” Mindfulness, vol. 15, pp. 1375-1394, 22
May 2024,https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-024-02367-w.
6
Katherine A. MacLean et al, “Factor Analysis of the Mystical Experience Questionnaire: A Study of
Experiences Occasioned by the Hallucinogen Psilocybin,”Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, vol.
51, issue 4, December 2012, pp. 721-737,https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1468-5906.2012.01685.x.
xperience Questionnaire, an assessment developed for psychedelics research in the
E
1960s.
● On the mat / On the cushion:A phrase used by meditatorsto mean “during a dedicated
meditation session.”
Sit:Meditation session
●
e’ll also refer to various jhanic states throughout this report, which will be abbreviated as, e.g.
W
“J1” instead of “1st jhana.” A brief description of each jhana is as follows, which we’ve adapted
from Dhamma Wiki7:
he first four jhanas (J1-J4) are often referred to as the “form” jhanas, because they are felt in
T
the body and mind. The next four jhanas (J5-J8) are often referred to as the “formless” jhanas,
where the sense of body disappears or fades far into the background.
Methodology & sample demographics
e used a combination of a survey and interviews to help us answer our questions, with a
W
strong emphasis on open-ended responses, from which we hoped to develop an emergent
vocabulary and framework for describing the impact of the jhanas.
Survey
survey was emailed on August 8, 2024 to those who attended Jhourney retreats from August
A
2023 - July 2024. We collected answers via a Google Form, which were anonymous by default,
with the option to leave one’s name and contact information. We did not offer an incentive for
completing the survey.
7
Dhamma Wiki, “9 Jhanas,”https://www.dhammawiki.com/index.php/9_Jhanas.
e received 63 responses, which were timestamped between August 8 - September 2, 2024. We
W
further filtered this sample to only include those who completed their retreat (n=61).
A snapshot of this sample is as follows:
● 52% (n=32) accessed a jhana while on retreat
● Among those who accessed a jhana:
○ 59% (n=19) have accessed them since their retreat
○ 56% (n=18) currently have deterministic access to the jhanas; an additional 19%
(n=6) said they had deterministic access in the past, but not currently
● 54% (n=33) did an in-person retreat; 46% (n=28) did an online retreat
mong jhananovices(meaning, they had never accessed a jhana before) who first accessed
A
them on retreat (n=26):
● 19% (n=5) accessed J1 only
● 54% (n=14) accessed J1-J4
● 27% (n=7) accessed J5+
● The median estimated lifetime meditation experience (self-reported at the time of the
survey) was 300 hours, ranging from 10 to 5,000 hours overall
● 77% (n=20) said that gaining access to the jhanas was a transformative experience
Interviews
e additionally conducted followup interviews with a subset of survey respondents (n=10) to
W
better understand their experience. These interviews were held between August 30 - September
10, 2024. They were 45 minutes long and conducted remotely via Google Meet. We did not offer
an incentive for these interviews. Candidates were selected according the following criteria:
. T
1 hey completed the survey
2. They opted in to being contacted for a follow-up interview (i.e. gave us their name and
contact information)
3. They were new to the jhanas at the time of retreat (responded “Yes” to“Before embarking
upon the Jhourney retreat, would you describe yourself as new to the jhanas? (i.e. you had
never intentionally accessed a jhana before)”)
4. They accessed at least J1 (checked “J1” on“Whichjhanas have you accessed? Check all
that apply.”)
A snapshot of this sample is as follows:
● Most had completed a retreat in either February or May-June 2024. Everyone had
completed their retreat at least six weeks prior to being interviewed
● Participants were 70% male and 30% female
● Nearly everyone (n=9) had attended an in-person retreat
● Jhana access ranged from J1 through J7. 60% had accessed J1 through J4
1
● 00% said that gaining access to the jhanas was a transformative experience
● 50% had accessed the jhanas since their retreat
● 40% said they currently had deterministic access to the jhanas; another 30% said they
previously had deterministic access
Caveats and limitations
here are limitations to our analysis that we would advise readers to keep in mind as they read
T
through our findings:
● T he email survey was opt-in,and may not be a fully representative sample of all
Jhourney alumni, nor of those who practice the jhanas more generally.
● Our sample is small,especially with further segmentation,which limits the conclusions
we can confidently draw.
● Those in our sample had completed a retreat at various times throughout the prior
calendar year,though everyone who filled out thesurvey had finished their retreat at
least a month before. The impact reported may vary between someone who went on
retreat, say, a month ago, versus six months ago. Our sample was not large enough to
segment by this parameter.
● Jhana access was determined by self-report.Althoughthere is quite a bit of overlap
between jhana instruction manuals (Sparby and Sacchet, 20248), there is still no
widespread consensus as to what constitutes a jhana.
8
Terje Sparby and Matthew D. Sacchet, “Toward a Unified Account of Advanced Concentrative Absorption
editation: A Systematic Definition and Classification of Jhāna,” Mindfulness, vol. 15, pp. 1375-1394, 22
M
May 2024,https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-024-02367-w.
Part 1: Discovering Jhourney and the
jhanas
People discover the jhanas
through trusted connections
hanas are still very much in “word-of-mouth”
J
mode.Among those we interviewed, everyone had
learned about Jhourney or the jhanas from
someone they trusted, whether it was a friend or
an influencer online. Specifically, most had
discovered the jhanas via Twitter; Nick
Cammarata (a meditator who tweets about the
jhanas); Stephen Zerfas (Jhourney’s CEO); Scott
Alexander’s blog post about the jhanas, which was
itself a response to Nick Cammarata’s tweets
9
(Alexander, 2022 ); or a personal friend. Two peoplealso discovered the jhanas through the
writings of meditation teachers, namely Leigh Brasington, Ayya Khema, and Daniel Ingram.
hese responses support the intuition that there are two active communities driving interest in
T
the jhanas today, with some, but not complete overlap – one being tpot (or “This Part Of Twitter,”
a Twitter subculture) and its adjacent communities (such as rationalists and the tech industry),
and the other dharma leaders like Brasington or Ingram, who have stronger ties to longstanding
meditation communities.
They don’t fit the meditator stereotype
hose we interviewed appeared to be motivated by curiosity and novelty, more than spiritual or
T
self-improvement goals– though it’s possible thatthey were unaware of, or reluctant to share
with a stranger, their private motivations for going on a retreat.
early everyone said that they were primarily motivated by curiosity: the jhanas sounded cool,
N
and they wanted to try it. They had few or no expectations going into the retreat. Nearly half said
that if nothing else, they figured they’d get to enjoy a quiet week in a retreat setting.
9
Scott Alexander, “Nick Cammarata On Jhana,”AstralCodex Ten, 26 October 2022,
https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/nick-cammarata-on-jhana.
he novelty factor of the jhanas seemed to be a major draw. Several people were curious about
T
the descriptions of the jhanas they’d read and suspected they had felt something “jhana-like” in
their lives, whether during meditation or activities like intense exercise. They wanted to know if
the states they’d experienced were in fact jhanas, and if so, whether they could recreate them on
retreat.
thers were motivated by the idea of building a new skill. The jhanas had an air of mystery, and
O
people wanted to see what they were all about. We also spoke to a few “super meditators” who
had been on many different meditation retreats and recounted their interest in the jhanas in the
way a wine connoisseur might describe a new Burgundy or Chardonnay. It seemed they enjoyed
trying new meditation techniques as a hobby, which offer different ways of relating to their
minds.
They come from a mix of meditation backgrounds
veryone we interviewed – even those who had little to no meditation experience – had had at
E
leastsomeexposure to meditation, whether they hadattended a retreat many years ago or tried
a mindfulness app. A few people also said they enjoyed meditative activities like yoga, extreme
sports, or hiking.
verall, however, those we spoke to came from a mix of meditation backgrounds. This was not
O
a uniformly experienced group, which suggests that prior meditation experience is not a clear
prerequisite for accessing, nor benefiting from, the jhanas.
M
● ore than half (n=6) had never been on a meditation retreat before
● Half (n=5) said they meditated at least two hours per week in the 6 months leading up to
the retreat, while nearly half (n=4) said they didn’t meditate at all beforehand
mong those who had meditated before, nearly half said they had used a mindfulness app like
A
Calm or Headspace, while experienced meditators cited a variety of practices, including
Transcendental Meditation, “noting,” Vipassana, Compassion Cultivation Training, Judith
Blackstone, Zen, and Goenka. There was no clearly preferred school, method, or technique.
Part 2: Gaining jhana access
There aren’t any hidden tricks
to getting into jhana
hough the jhanas are often regarded as
T
mysterious and rare,we didn’t hear any strong
opinions about techniques emerge from our
conversations.Among those we interviewed
(note: not necessarily representative of all jhana
practitioners), it seemed like the basic technique
of “Find a pleasurable sensation and amplify it”
was what worked. Tapping into a specific
positive memory or experience seemed to be
especially helpful.
he jhanas are sometimes described as the “opposite of a panic attack,”10 a statement that is
T
meant to explain how pleasure can be amplified into euphoria to access J1 – in the same way
that anxiety is amplified into a panic attack. This “amplification” technique seems to work for
other types of emotions, as well. One meditator used this technique to skip the first three jhanas
and access J4 (characterized by peace and equanimity) first:
“The standard jhana teaching says to do xyz things; then you’ll be in J1. Then you do J2, J3,
et cetera. J1 and J2 sound fun, but I wasn’t sure that’s what I wanted long-term. I wasn’t
looking for an entertainment thing, like a roller coaster ride or an orgasm…I told my
Jhourney teachers that if I could just get into J4, I’d be thrilled.
10
Oshan Jarow, “What if you could have a panic attack, but for joy?,”Vox, 7 June 2024,
https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/354069/what-if-you-could-have-a-panic-attack-but-for-joy.
So they said: instead of trying to do J1, do your standard prep stuff, like calming the mind, to
try to get intoanyjhana. Then, instead of focusingon a sensation of pleasure and
magnifying it, just bring up the feeling of J4. That’s what I did, and it worked.”
wo people did mention that forgiveness meditation (a type of practice that emphasizes
T
forgiving others and yourself) was critical to helping them access and unblock emotions, which
then made it possible to get into jhana. Both described their challenges leading up to, and the
benefit of, forgiveness meditation in a similar way, which suggests that there may be a common
underlying pattern where this specific intervention could be useful for jhana access.
The biggest unlock for me was forgiveness meditation. I had talked to my teacher about
“
how I’d feel some good emotions start to happen, but it’d always get to this point where I’d
struggle to let go and surrender to it. It almost felt like something was blocking me from
getting into a feedback loop. He suggested leaning into forgiveness meditation, so I tried
that in addition to my regular meditation, and by Day 4 or so, I had a massive, unexpected
emotional unblock. From there, it was a pretty quick process to get into the jhanas.”
Most people prefer calm to euphoric states
hanas market themselves easily. Much of the attention they’ve attracted on Twitter and from
J
media outlets is because they are frequently compared to rapturous states like MDMA or
orgasms. For a time, some people were concerned that having on-demand access to these
states would lead to “wireheading,” or endless self-pleasuring.
he story we heard from those we interviewed was quite different. Firstly, nearly half of the
T
people we interviewed got into a jhanaotherthanJ1 (the most euphoric state) first. Many spoke
fondly of a specific jhana that they had especially gravitated towards. J4, in particular, seemed
to have special meaning to several people. Interestingly, no one said that they most preferred J1
– again, in contrast to J1 receiving the lion’s share of public attention – and several people even
went out of their way to say that they didn’t really enjoy it, or try to skip through it when they
practice.
In other words, when given the choice between unfettered access to a buzzy, euphoric state, or a
calm, stable state, most people seem to choose the latter.
o explain why people seem to prefer these calmer states, we might liken the experience of J1
T
to going to a rave, and J4 to finding long-term companionship. The rave might be a fun and
emorable one-off experience, but most people would find them exhausting to attend every
m
night. Having a close and trusted companion, however – whether a spouse, close friend, or pet
– brings a very different sort of satisfying pleasure, which most people seem to gravitate
towards the long run, versus going to more raves.
Despite their remarkable phenomenological qualities, jhanas
seem to bring people closer to themselves
cross the board, everyone we spoke to confirmed that the jhanas foster unmistakably altered
A
states and experiences. Many people commented that their first contact with the jhanas was
“mindblowing,” and that they were surprised by the intensity. Several people explicitly compared
at least one jhanic state to a mystical or psychedelic experience. (To quote one person: “That
was a lot higher than I’ve ever been in my life, and I’ve done a lot of drugs.”)
“I was surprised just by the fact that there was a clear ‘before’ and ‘after’ to it. The way it
came on like a drug experience and faded really quickly surprised me a lot.
I t felt like the kind of emotional opening I’d only had on psychedelics before, but it came
through a totally different vehicle, which was having my eyes closed. And all the stuff that
came up for me was unbidden. I didn’t go in seeking any form of emotional release, but I
found it anyway.”
hen one imagines getting into an altered state – drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana, taking
W
psychedelics – we may think of an experience that takes us out of our usual selves. Being
drunk, high, or tripping often serves an excuse to act in ways that we wouldn’t typically.
owever, because the jhanas are aself-inducedalteredstate, they seem to have the opposite
H
effect, as meditators remain highly aware throughout the experience. Being able to observe the
moments leading into, and trailing out of, a jhanic state seems to enable many people to better
integrate their experiences in jhana with the rest of their lives.
“I had two particularly memorable experiences [with the jhanas]. The first time, it felt like I
was taken to some other place, like an outward vision quest that you get once in a lifetime.
The second time was the exact same thing as the first in terms of what happened, but this
time I experienced it as who I am, in a much freer way. I realized I didn’t need to change
who I am – trying to become more ‘spiritual’ to have these experiences. Instead of being
taken to another place, I realized that the place is the here and now. It felt like a more
meaningful integration: a personal acceptance of myself.”
“It felt like a lot of release. The last time I felt this way was on a psilocybin trip. But I wasn’t
fully conscious during that experience; I think that’s why I wasn’t able to keep anything
from it later. Whereas this permanently changed my access to emotions.”
any people spoke of howfamiliarthe jhanas were.Either they realized that they had actually
M
experienced a jhana before, or there was simply a feeling of awe in recognizing how accessible
these experiences had been all along.
I didn’t realize I had accessed the jhanas before, throughout my entire life. It gave me
“
confidence that these states aren’t just accessible when I’m doing an activity like hiking, but
that I can pull them into my experience in my daily life.”
hese reports raise new questions about what it means to be in an “altered state,” and how that
T
definition might change once we disentangle its connotation from substance use and
recreational settings. Instead of comparing the jhanas to taking an external substance like
MDMA, for example, perhaps it would be more accurate to compare them to a runner’s high.
While a jhana might be subjectively more intense than a runner’s high, they are comparable
because a person remains highly aware during both experiences. To compare a jhana to a
runner’s high isn’t meant to minimize its altered qualities, however, but rather to suggest that
everyday experiences might be more “jhana-like” than they seem, yet go unnoticed – and that
this itself is a surprising insight.
In their words: what each jhana feels like
e asked people to describe what each jhanic state feels like. Their descriptions were
W
remarkably consistent with one another, though two people seemed to have reversed
experiences of J2 and J3, compared to how they are usually described.
e have only included summaries and example quotes for J1-J4 below, as most people we
W
spoke to had only accessed these states, but we included a few bonus quotes about J5 and J6
as well. We did not receive enough responses about J7 and J8 to include them here.
Memorable experiences on jhana
ooming out to our general survey, we asked alumni to describe their most significant
Z
experiences with the jhanas, and what their reactions were to those experiences.
ur alumni described phenomenologically remarkable experiences, some of which seemed to
O
match the criteria – as defined by psychometric tests that are used by researchers, such as
Hood's Mysticism Scale or Mystical Experience Questionnaire – of a mystical experience. For
example, they described a feeling of indescribable beauty, oneness with all things, or
overwhelming awe and gratitude.
“I've heard people describe experiences as ‘beautiful’ before, and I always thought that was
a lazy way to describe something. Then I experienced J6 and the only word for it was
beautiful. The best sensation I can ever remember experiencing, up there with the feelings
of looking at my baby fall[ing] asleep. Entirely different, but both are just overwhelmingly
amazing.”
“When I entered J1 for the first (and only) time, on retreat, I felt a really intense joy and
feeling of unification with all beings.”
I reached a formless state in the jhanas after spending a long amount of time in the 4th
“
jhana. ….Upon further deepening into the sit, I felt one of the deepest feelings of beauty I
have ever felt in my life. This brought me to the edge of tears.”
everal people compared their most significant experiences to something they had experienced
S
as a child:
The intensity of the love felt like an altered state, and it was associated with a relatively
“
obscure childhood memory about the feeling of being around a kind, loving [athletic] coach
I had.”
“The first access to jhanas 3 and 4 left me with a feeling of contentment that I haven’t felt
since I was a child.”
And a few people said that their experience fundamentally changed their views of reality itself:
I had one experience on retreat where I felt my body flickering in and out of existence
“
while in a (not quite fully absorbed) eighth jhana. Really just changed my perspective on
the world, to realize that my basic impressions of ‘real’ things were just fabrications that
could be decomposed.”
eople generally had positive reactions to these experiences – including
P
feeling surprised
he vast majority of people had positive emotions associated with these experiences, such as
T
joy, excitement, awe, relief, gratitude, and calm.
ne of the most common emotions reported was feeling surprised, especially from those who’d
O
been previously skeptical or unsure of claims about the jhanas, who were now convinced of
their validity. Several people described realizing that they could access these states on demand
as “empowering.”
A mixture of gratitude (for being able to fully experience love, both giving and receiving),
“
of release (for being able to cry fully), surprise (WTF just happened), and excitement (that I
am filled with love even though I don't experience it on a daily basis).”
“[I] discover[ed] that if I put in the time, I can find deep positive equanimity whenever I
choose.”
“Accessing [a] state of deep inner peace and stillness help[ed] me understand what this
feels like and how I can always return to this state.”
“Easy access to unconditioned positive emotions has been a game changer.”
“Very empowering to know I can access jhanas.”
round 6.5% of all survey respondents (n=4) had a reaction to their most significant experience
A
that might be classified as neutral. They described feeling overwhelmed or confused, or said
that the experience had unlocked new emotions.
“I was initially shaken from the sit. No other experience in my entire life was like what I had
[just] experienced.”
“I was pretty unnerved but also extremely curious about what was going on, and if I could
go deeper.”
“Lots of grief for how I’ve been treating myself.”
e also asked survey respondents to describe how they processed their experiences. Nearly
W
half said they didn’t do anything at all. One-quarter of all respondents said that they journaled or
reflected about it on their own; another quarter said that they continued to meditate and explore
their practice.
bout 10% of respondents (n=7) said that they discussed the experience with friends or loved
A
ones, while roughly the same number (n=6) spoke to a Jhourney staff member. An implication of
this finding might be that people talk to their friends and loved ones at least as much as retreat
staff members to process their experiences. Their non-retreat support network can play just as
important of a role in integration as designated teachers.
Part 3: Impact of the jhanas
There is an initial post-retreat
“afterglow” that fades after a
few days or weeks
ife immediately after the retreat wasn’t all just
L
buzzy euphoric highs. Those we interviewed were
just as likely to say that they felt something like
calm, peace or equanimity as they did “really
good” or pleasurable. Many people brought up
specific situations that would have typically been
challenging – family visiting, heavy travel, hectic
work schedules, interacting with strangers – that
were noticeably easier to navigate after their
retreat.
“Everything felt different for about four to five days, to a week after. Especially the very first
day after the retreat. I remember thinking I felt – not entirely like a changed person, but as
if I’d discovered a different lens or aperture. Especially in my interactions with other people.
I could read and see their emotions in a way that I realized I could have done before, but
hadn’t wanted to acknowledge previously. My attention would snap to things I’d never
noticed before, like birdsong or colors in nature.”
“I went directly into teaching a very intense, all-day class, which typically has a lot of stress
and immediate deadlines. It felt easier than usual to rebuff invitations to get upset.”
“I felt a level of peace and groundedness that I would liken to coming out of the mountains
after a week, or the end of a really long ultramarathon. Quieting down that top-down
processing for long enough that you’re able to feel so much more present. It was definitely
up there, if not stronger, than anything I’d felt before.”
ver time, however – ranging from a few days to a few weeks – this afterglow seemed to fade,
O
as the demands of life crept back in. (Note that “afterglows” are a heightened subjective state
where the mind is particularly relaxed, and sensory experiences, like colors and sounds, may be
enhanced, which are distinct from long-term benefits. They are widely reported on by meditators
and understood to be a temporary boost.)
his decay effect was also quite notable among survey respondents, where we asked them to
T
describe how their feelings towards their “peak experience” had changed over time.
There wasn’t an exact point where I thought I could feel the difference. It probably took
“
about 2 weeks to recognize I was in a different place. I had kept up my practice for an hour
per day for at least the first month, and in that first week, I maintained the intensity. By the
second week, that intensity had started to drop off, the clarity of each jhana started to fade,
and those after-effects had started to fade a bit as well.”
“The experience feels a bit less accessible now several months out and less obvious.”
“It feels less special after time has passed.”
ome people expressed frustration at their inability to get back to these states, which we saw
S
echoed in both the survey responses and interviews.
“Overall this experience became less impactful for me. This is mostly due to the fact that I
wasn't able to consistently replicate the experience.”
“I'd like to be able to go back to that ‘place,’ but to do so without the benefit of retreat
concentration powers I've had to work a lot at just building up my skills.”
“Perhaps a bit more frustrated over time as it became clear [that] simple access was not
forthcoming.”
There was a tragic sense that I’d seen a glimpse of the jhanas, but couldn’t find it again. I
“
spent a long time dealing with that sense of clinging and loss, like I had messed up a great
gift. I'm still not completely sure I understand how to relate to that experience - the insights
that came from it were hugely valuable and I know there's a ton more to "gain" from
continuing that journey, yet I also know that clinging to it or "pursuing" it isn't the right
response either. I guess I finally landed [on] a sort of reluctant patience that I'll find my
way back at some point.”
ot being able to access the jhanas after a retreat could be a potential disadvantage of working
N
with self-induced altered states. With psychedelics, for example, accessing an altered state is
uch more deterministic: taking an external substance all but guarantees that one will have
m
some kind of memorable experience. It’s also understood that one doesn’t typically take
psychedelics on a regular basis, which might lead someone to cherish the experience more
deeply. But because the jhanas feel more “natural” to induce, the positive aspects that come
with increased ease of access –“Wow, I can generatethese states anytime!”– can also lead to
frustration –“Why can’t I access this again?”– ifthe conditions aren’t optimal.
hat said, most people still reported that gaining access to the jhanas was a transformative
T
experience, even if they hadn’t accessed the jhanas since (see next section).This suggests
that it is possible to identify long-lasting benefits from even one-time experiences with the
jhanas. Setting expectations appropriately on retreat, as well as helping people identify and
process insights from their retreat experience, could mitigate feelings of disappointment or
frustration.
“Even though I haven't experienced a true Jhana state since the retreat, I don't feel deficient
in any way or…that I need to experience them again for them to have value. I know those
states are there, inside me, whether I can reach the full depth to feel them or not….I'm fine
with not knowing when or where that will take place. Just the practice and process
continues to add immense value to my everyday life, and in many ways feel like repeated
echoes of that experience on retreat.”
“[I] understand that this state is my natural state of being and aspir[e] to bring more of it
into my everyday presence.”
“I felt super light, radiant joy over time as more happiness seeped into all aspects of my
life.”
Most who accessed the jhanas felt it was a transformative
experience
mong those who had never accessed the jhanas before the retreat, 77% (n=20) said that
A
gaining access to the jhanas was a transformative experience. While our samples are small, we
did notice some differences between those who responded “yes” versus “no” to this question.
ifferences in characteristics between jhana novices who accessed them while on retreat, who
D
did vs. didn’t find them transformative
ound them transformative
F id not find them
D
(n=20) transformative (n=6)
Jhana access Accessed more than one Accessed only one jhana
jhana (85%, or n=17) (67%, or n=4)
Deterministic access es (55%, or n=11); in the
Y No (67%, or n=4)
past but not currently (30%,
or n=6)
ave accessed jhanas since
H Yes (65%, or n=13) No (83%, or n=5)
retreat
hile we would encourage others to validate our findings, these differences may suggest that
W
meditators are more likely to report transformative impact from the jhanas if they have
accessed more than one jhana, and/or are able to cultivate deterministic access.
Those who accessed the jhanas were more likely to report
changes in thoughts and behavior, vs. those who didn’t
In our survey, we asked respondents to tell us about whether they’d noticed any internal (ex.
thoughts and beliefs) or external (ex. relationships or lifestyle) changes since their Jhourney
retreat. We phrased this question neutrally – using the term “changes” instead of, say, “benefits”
or “challenges” – so as not to bias respondents towards positive or negative experiences.
Questions asked on survey about internal and external changes
ave you noticed any internal changes (e.g. your thoughts and beliefs) that you would
H
specifically attribute to your experiences at, or resulting from, the retreat?Please describe.
ave you noticed any external changes (e.g. your interactions with others; lifestyle changes
H
such as sleep, diet, or activities you typically enjoy) that you wouldspecifically attribute to
your experiences at, or resulting from, the retreat?
hough our samples are small, we noticed a difference in rates of change reported by those
T
who did, vs. did not, access jhana on retreat.
Jhana novices who reported internal or external changes, who did vs. did not access the jhanas
Accessed jhana (n=26) Did not access jhana (n=17)
Noticed internal changes 92% (n=23) 59% (n=10)
Noticed external changes 84% (n=21) 41% (n=7)
Jhana access seems to make people kinder, calmer, and more
aware of pleasurable sensations
Among those who accessed jhana, the most common internal changes reported were:
● mbracing and being kinder to themselves(n=7)
E
● Quieter, calmer mind(n=6)
● More awareness of pleasure in their day-to-day experience(n=6)
● Increased awareness of how they feel or relate to their body(n=6)
“There is less mental chatter overall, I spend more time with other senses. Pleasantness is
closer by and deeper.”
[T]he retreat showed me how powerful our experience depends on where we choose to
“
point our attention, together with the understanding that there really is love permeating all
things somewhere in the background, even if seemingly faint.”
“Less feeling of scarcity around positive emotions as it's easier to find unconditioned access
to them.”
“[M]y harsh inner critic has lessened.”
“My immediate reaction to certain events has changed. I can’t really describe why; I’m just
more compassionate and kinder to myself. The default voice in my head is nicer.”
e also presented survey respondents with a list of twenty statements and asked them to rate
W
on a 5-point scale how their response to these statements hadchangedsince the retreat. For
example, they were presented with a question such as, “My life has a clear sense of purpose.”
and asked to respond with one of the following:Muchmore true - Somewhat more true - No
change - Somewhat less true - Much less true.
ecause we weren’t sure which types of changes to expect, we drew questions from several
B
different psychometric assessments associated with wellbeing and spiritual experiences,
including the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ-30), GAD-7 Anxiety Scale, and Mindful
Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS).
rom our list, the statements corresponding to the biggest self-reported changes – meaning, the
F
greatest deviations from the average distribution of responses overall – were associated with
positive emotions, being satisfied with one’s life,andfeeling less nervous and anxious, which
corroborate to our findings from the open-ended responses above:
● I am kind to myself when things go wrong.[more true]
● When I summon a positive feeling – such as joy or gratitude – I feel it distinctly in my
body.[more true]
● I am aware of my emotions when I experience them.[more true]
● I am satisfied with my life.[more true]
● I often feel nervous, anxious or on edge.[less true]
● I find myself preoccupied with the future or the past.[less true]
he statements where people were most likely to reportfewer or no changeswere associated
T
withhaving a mystical experienceandsearching formeaning in life.
● I have the sense of being “outside of” time, beyond past and future.
● My personal self has fused into a larger whole.
● I am searching for meaning in my life.
External lifestyle changes were more varied
hen it came to external changes, there were fewer strong effects reported, with a longer tail of
W
observations.
he most commonly reported change (n=6) was being kinder and feeling more empathetic
T
towards other people, especially family members. Other changes reported were meditating
more often (n=4) and a reduction in, or absence of, cravings (n=4), including alcohol and junk
food. A few people (n=4) noticed changes in sleeping patterns, though some were sleeping less
versus more, and their confidence was low as to whether these changes were attributable to
their experiences with the jhanas.
I have a deeper connection with my family than I had before, partly because of the
“
realization that life is short and is mostly made up of our interactions with others.”
“My sense of genuinely felt (as opposed to just the intellectual idea of) compassion for
others increased noticeably.”
My craving for alcohol has basically totally disappeared. I'll still drink at social events
“
sometimes, but there's very [little] element of craving [or] attachment. When I'm practicing
2+ hours a day consistently I notice the same thing happen with junk food — zero craving!”
Sometimes I would eat out of anxiety or boredom. But now, I just think, “This cookie is
“
nowhere near as good as J1. I can just go do that, so why am I eating this cookie?” I’ll still
eat desserts, but this feeling of easy access to positive emotions has reframed my perspective
on when and where to see conditional happiness.”
Facilitators should pay special attention to those whodon’t
access jhana on retreat
inally, across all survey respondents, a small number (6.5%, or n=4) reported changes that were
F
not wholly positive. Generally, these changes were related to either uncovering new emotions or
insights about themselves (such as anger or increased sensitivity), or feeling disappointment
about not having accessed the jhanas. Two respondents clarified that these changes, while
difficult, were still valuable overall.
Interestingly, nearly all of these respondents (n=3) either didnotaccess jhana, or weren’t sure if
they did. When one considers the potential challenges associated with attending a jhana retreat,
we might imagine negative effects associated with the jhanas themselves. But just as important
might be those associated withnotgetting into jhana,as participants may struggle with
disappointment or uncovering difficult insights in the process.
ecause jhana retreats are sometimes viewed as more goal-oriented than a typical meditation
B
retreat, increased expectations (whether internally or externally imposed) could leave some
meditators especially vulnerable. It is important for retreat facilitators to be aware of these risks
and help participants find value in their retreat experience, regardless of jhana access.
Most people identified lasting benefits from the jhanas, even
from one-time experiences
ur follow-up interviews gave us an opportunity to learnhowpeople valued their experiences
O
with the jhanas, as well as how they used the jhanas in their daily lives, if at all.
esponses were more varied than expected. Everyone seemed to have their own way of
R
articulating the jhanas’ benefits and utility. While theirphenomenologicalexperiences with the
jhanas were quite consistent, it seems that each person interpreted thesignificanceof those
experiences in different ways – though everyone we spoke to had a positive interpretation.
ome of these benefits include insights of varying personal significance gained from
S
experiences on retreat. Several people felt that the jhanas had caused a fundamentalperception
shiftin their relation to their environment and dailyexperiences, giving them a new sense of
clarity and helping them recognize that a persistent state of non-suffering is possible. Others
felt that the jhanas had given them abenchmarkforpleasure,where directly experiencing a
positive mental state helped them understand what “good” looked like in their day-to-day life,
even if they hadn’t always found their way back.
ther people continued invoking the jhanas’ benefits in their everyday lives, even after the
O
retreat. Some used their jhana practice as atool,which they invoked regularly (even if they didn’t
always access jhana) to improve their mood and outlook. Others described the jhanas as a
safety net.Knowing that they could generate positiveemotions on demand made it feel safer to
explore difficult insights or emotions that they had previously been avoiding. Jhana access
released them from a scarcity mindset regarding positive emotions, because they trusted they
could bring themselves back to these states if they needed to.
How meditators described the impact of the jhanas on their lives, based on 1:1 interviews (n=10)11
Type of utility Benefit Examples
Benchmark (n=6) ave them a reference
G “ Jhanas are a thing you can never un-know
point for what positive is there, like the first time you had fried
states truly feel like cheese. Now you know there’s fried cheese
in the world, and that’s gonna be there for
the rest of my life. And you can always
make fried cheese if you really want to.”
“ The time involved for me to get into the
jhanas currently is too much for my
day-to-day. But even if I don’t go all the way
into a jhana, it’s reassuring to know that
this brainstate exists, and I can get into it in
principle. Just knowing that that’s there, it’s
a subtle knowledge you carry with you
forever. That part of my brain is there, and I
can visit it if I want.”
“[My experience with J1] is a useful anchor
11
Note that these categories are not mutually exclusive. Several people described their relationship to the
jhanas in multiple ways.
t o return to. It gave me super tangible
evidence that okay, there is something here,
I’m not just sitting on a cushion every night
convincing myself I’m a better person. Your
way of seeing the world is fundamentally
altered. I can think about that experience
and be in a different space afterwards.”
Tool (n=5) sed instrumentally to
U “ I feel like I walked away with a proper
access positive states toolkit. In times of stress, it’s a comforting
more often thing, if I’m feeling a lot of anxiety, or
overwhelmed by having too much to do. If
I’m drowning, I have a hand to get out of the
water with.”
“ The toolbox has been more meaningful
post-retreat than my jhana experiences.
[Jhanas] feel like an “everyday friend” I can
rely on. Even if I’m not actually tapping into
a jhanic state, at least I’m tapping into the
path on the way there.”
“ It’s not that I did the retreat once and my
life was permanently changed. But if I do a
15-30 minute sit in the morning, my entire
life is boosted. I’m calmer, I can catch my
thoughts faster.”
erception shift
P hanged relationship to
C “ The Jhourney retreat reoriented my
(n=3) reality relationship to my own thought patterns,
where I’m located in my head, and how I
relate to every aspect of my own
experience. I realized there might be more
to everything. What else have I missed?”
Safety net (n=3) emoves scarcity
R “ It’s like doing bootcamp or spring training,
mindset regarding and then the incremental workouts become
pleasure. Gives them easier. If I hadn’t tried the jhanas and just
confidence to explore tried to meditate, it might not have worked
challenging insights as well.”
“ The changes don’t come from ongoing
practice, for me. But it’s easier to meditate
in other ways, knowing now that I can go
back to pleasant feelings if needed.
…Pleasure provides a home base to go
back to; I know I can generate it myself. It
gives me confidence and makes it easier to
o scary things. Now I can focus on what I
d
want differently in the world: I can face the
things I’ve been avoiding.””
egardless of how they described the jhanas’ ongoing benefits, many people noted that the
R
jhanas had provided a way to actuallyfeelandexperiencepositively valenced mental states,
instead of being told about them. Especially for those who described themselves as emotionally
blocked before going on retreat, the jhanas expanded their range of what was possible to feel –
whether that was equanimity, pleasure, or emotions more generally. Simply realizing that these
states exist, are a “real” part of who they are, and are theoretically possible to access again, left
a profound impact on those we spoke to, even if they hadn’t accessed the jhanas since.
“You can show someone a box of tools with a hammer, saw, and nails, and explain what to
do, but that doesn’t mean they know how to build a house. Not only was I shown the
toolbox and how to use the tools, but my jhana experiences integrated my understanding
for how to actually use them in a productive way.”
inally, several people explicitly said that the jhanas had a positive impact on their longstanding
F
mental health issues, including those related to anxiety and ADHD.
“I used to be afraid of flying, but now I’m fine on flights. My anxiety issues have been
reduced by more than 90 percent.”
For me, ‘clear your thoughts’ is medically impossible. But [the jhanas] gave me ‘something
“
to do’ that was beneficial. Without that, my brain turns inwards, starts getting scattered and
thinking about everything. It’s a productive form of hyperfixation [for my ADHD].”
“It felt like the embracing of my full self, in a way I’ve struggled to do my whole life. I
always tell people it was like 6 months of therapy in 30 minutes.”
Part 4: Changes in meditation practice
Those who’ve accessed the
jhanas are more likely to
meditate more often
ne of the most tangible external benefits of
O
learning the jhanas – evident in both the survey
responses and interviews – was that it made
people want to meditate more regularly.
rom our survey, among those who accessed the
F
jhanas for the first time on retreat, nearly half
(46%, or n=12) reported meditating more often
now, compared to before the retreat, and 85%
(n=22) said they still practice the jhanas regularly.
hanges in meditation practice before vs. after the retreat, between those who did vs. didn’t
C
access the jhanas
Meditates… Accessed the jhanas (n=26) id not access the jhanas
D
(n=17)
More often 46% (n=12) 6% (n=1)
The same amount 31% (n=8) 53% (n=9)
Less often 23% (n=6) 41% (n=7)
early everyone we interviewed had a daily or near-daily meditation practice, including those
N
who didn’t meditate at all before. Most meditated for at least 30 minutes per day, and over half
meditated for at least an hour per day. They usually meditated either in the morning or evening –
or both – as a way to start or close out their day. Many people cited work, or other distractions
of non-retreat life, as an obstacle to practicing more often.
“ Practicing the jhanas” meant that they would either access the jhanas, or practice the
techniques one would typically use to get into the jhanas – even if they didn’t successfully enter
an actual jhanic state. If not the jhanas, meditators practiced a long tail of other styles and
techniques, including gratitude, forgiveness, noting, nondual, and open awareness meditation.
Several people who were previously skeptical of, or disinterested in, meditation before the
r etreat said they were now curious and motivated to explore a range of other disciplines and
schools.
hose who had accessed the jhanas since their retreat did so mostly during dedicated sits.
T
Many said that they also tapped into jhanas, or light “jhana-like” states, throughout the day. They
were able to notice more moments in their day that were “jhana-like,” even if they didn’t always
enter the jhanas. Among those whohadn’taccessedthe jhanas since the retreat, nearly all still
practiced the techniques they would use to get into jhana.
Sometimes when I’m bouldering, I can feel my excitement build and push that up into a
“
jhana, then follow it all the way through. Hiking, walking around, being in a new place can
all spark that feeling. I try to acknowledge ‘jhanic spaces’ throughout the day. The more I
recognize them, the more they try to find me.”
“I went to a classical piano performance recently, and I found that I could slip into J4 there.
I’ve also hit J1 and J2 right after a hot yoga class, while lying down in shavasana.”
“I’m currently playing more with letting go of jhana access being such a goal for me. I think
it’s actually blocking me from getting that in a lot of ways. Instead I’ve been trying to enjoy
and focus on how it’s become a wonderful daily practice for me that I see value in,
regardless of what I’ve attained.”
The jhanas are fun to practice!
hy did people feel more motivated to meditate after learning the jhanas? They gave the same
W
reason as when we asked how the jhanas differed from other types of meditation: it’s fun!
any people spoke positively about the effortlessness of the jhanas, which made them want to
M
meditate more generally. Whereas other types of meditation could feel like a chore or obligation,
the jhanas are genuinely pleasurable: emotions are welcomed and amplified, rather than pushed
away.
“Vipassana’s core philosophy is that you achieve peace through detachment, whereas the
jhanas are about achieving peace through joy, which is just way more fun.”
“If you’d asked me to do a 2 hour sit before, I’d say: okay, I might not enjoy it, but it’ll be
‘useful.’ I can make the time. Now I’m like: yes, let’s go.”
“While meditation feels like a form of concentration and exertion of will, once you hit jhana
access, it feels like those difficulties go away and have their own momentum. It requires its
own form of concentration, but a very different kind. If meditation is a wobbly top, jhana is
like once you’ve spun the top, and it’s going of its own accord. You just need the littlest
exertion of effort to keep that momentum going.”
After I went on a [different] retreat a few years ago, my takeaway was: meditation is a
“
duty. It’s medicine you take, this is good for you. I didn’t keep up my practice after that. But
after this retreat, because the techniques are more joy-based, I was more excited to keep
up.”
“Probably the most meaningful thing that’s come out of the retreat for me was redefining
my relationship to meditation. It’s become a much more pleasant experience for me. My
practice has been very consistent since the retreat, which wouldn’t have been true in the
past. I find the time [now] not because I have to, but because I want to. I’ll realize that,
yeah, this is actually how I want to spend these 30 minutes.”
“I would’ve said before that I wasn’t a meditator; I’m too distractible. But the retreat gave
me the confidence to understand this is something I can do every day if I practice. It made
me want to make it part of my routine.”
“It’s motivating if I can meditate and feel good at the same time.”
cynic might ask whether a meditation practice that gets people to meditate more regularly
A
actually has any intrinsic value, but those we interviewed spoke enthusiastically about what it
meant to be able to meditate more often – whether that was simply feeling more calm and
collected each day, or giving them the confidence to explore deeper questions about
themselves.
[The jhanas] feel really good. There’s some intrinsic value in having access to that
“
pleasure, but I see it more as a stepping stone to other altered states that may be more
useful for insight. Without the jhanas, though, I would’ve encountered hard things and
stopped, because I’d have been averse to those sensations.”
“Nondual meditation is a way to understand the way things really are. But for some reason,
the jhanas feel much more directly impactful to my life. The “small e” existence that’s
gonna live another 40 years and die is going to be way better because I know the jhanas
exist…. that instant, tangible benefit is particularly appealing.”
Looking ahead: Areas for further
research
verall, our findings demonstrate that the jhanas offer meaningful, enduring mental and spiritual
O
benefits that are distinct from simply attending a meditation retreat. We would love to see more
researchers and practitioners engage in a fuller exploration of all its potential benefits.
hile our investigation provided insight into our initial questions, it also left us with new
W
possibilities for further inquiry and research. Specifically:
● W hat is the effect of long-term, regular jhana access?Most who accessed jhanas
described it as “transformative,” but our investigation was mostly into the short-term
experiences of those attempting to learn the jhanas for the first time. Does accessing
jhanas regularly for months or years lead to other, noticeable effects on wellbeing?
● What does it mean to be in an “altered state,” and are there differences between
self-induced and externally induced altered states?
● When given the choice between euphoria and equanimity, many people seem to prefer
the latter.What does this tell us about pleasureand happiness, and activities
associated with the pursuit of these states?
● How can we make jhanas more accessible?Jhourney isa young company, and the
jhanas have only been covered a few times thus far by mainstream media. How might
we use modern tools (pedagogy science, personalized AI tutoring, biofeedback,
neurostimulation, or more) to make learning the jhanas faster and more reliable?
● How important is ongoing practice of the jhanas to realize their benefits?We identified
a few ways that people describe the benefits of the jhanas (as atool,benchmark,safety
net, orperception shift). Is there any hierarchyor directionality to these benefits? Should
meditators continue practicing the jhanas, or focus on translating their experiences into
deeper insights, in order to realize their benefits?
● The jhanas are often thought to be too difficult for novice meditators to learn, compared
to mindfulness techniques, yet many people said that gaining jhana access made them
extra motivated to meditate.How can we use the jhanasto encourage people to
establish a regular and enjoyable meditation practice?
● How can jhana teachers best support those who did not access the jhanas,or who have
trouble accessing them after the retreat – in terms of setting expectations appropriately,
troubleshooting during the retreat, and helping them find value in their experiences,
regardless of access?
About
adia Asparouhovais a writer and researcher who first wrote about the jhanas forAsterisk
N
magazine. Her work has been supported by Emergent Ventures, Schmidt Futures, Ford
Foundation, Ethereum Foundation, and others. She is the author ofWorking in Public: The
Making and Maintenance of Open Source Software(Stripe Press) andRoads and Bridges: The
Unseen Labor Behind Our Digital Infrastructure(Ford Foundation).
hourney(h
J ttps://jhourney.io)is an education and neurotech company making life-changing
meditation fast and enjoyable for everyone.
You might also like
- FWD: Try This Jhana Meditation: Why Master The Jhanas?100% (1)FWD: Try This Jhana Meditation: Why Master The Jhanas?8 pages
- Toward A Unified Account of Advanced Concentrative Absorption MeditationNo ratings yetToward A Unified Account of Advanced Concentrative Absorption Meditation20 pages
- 15 The Third Jhana - (Practising The Jhānas) - 1080pNo ratings yet15 The Third Jhana - (Practising The Jhānas) - 1080p31 pages
- 2024 - Toward A Unified Account of Advanced ConcentrativeNo ratings yet2024 - Toward A Unified Account of Advanced Concentrative21 pages
- Office of Health Education and Promotion Health Services (603) 862-3823 WWW - Unh.Edu/Health-Services Facebook/Twitter: UnhhealthNo ratings yetOffice of Health Education and Promotion Health Services (603) 862-3823 WWW - Unh.Edu/Health-Services Facebook/Twitter: Unhhealth32 pages
- Office of Health Education and Promotion Health Services (603) 862-3823 WWW - Unh.Edu/Health-Services Facebook/Twitter: UnhhealthNo ratings yetOffice of Health Education and Promotion Health Services (603) 862-3823 WWW - Unh.Edu/Health-Services Facebook/Twitter: Unhhealth32 pages
- Meditation Techniques and Its Effects: A PHD Course Work Seminar OnNo ratings yetMeditation Techniques and Its Effects: A PHD Course Work Seminar On25 pages
- Mastering The Jhanas Buddhist Geeks Talk Transcript Part 1No ratings yetMastering The Jhanas Buddhist Geeks Talk Transcript Part 18 pages
- Jhanas Advice From Two Spiritual FriendsNo ratings yetJhanas Advice From Two Spiritual Friends4 pages
- Meditation Guide: Benefits and Tips To Help You Begin Your PracticeNo ratings yetMeditation Guide: Benefits and Tips To Help You Begin Your Practice15 pages
- How To Meditate. An Illustrated Guide To Calming The Mind and Relaxing The Body PDF100% (1)How To Meditate. An Illustrated Guide To Calming The Mind and Relaxing The Body PDF132 pages
- Meditation. Articulo de Revisión West1979No ratings yetMeditation. Articulo de Revisión West197912 pages
- 101 Curious and Bizarre Meditation Experiences by Vern LovicNo ratings yet101 Curious and Bizarre Meditation Experiences by Vern Lovic180 pages
- 7 A Hidden Treasure The Relationship With The Hindrances - (Practising The Jhānas) - 1080pNo ratings yet7 A Hidden Treasure The Relationship With The Hindrances - (Practising The Jhānas) - 1080p33 pages
- Keren Arbel Summary Article The Four Jhanas As The Actualization of Insight100% (1)Keren Arbel Summary Article The Four Jhanas As The Actualization of Insight14 pages
- Agreements Multicultural Interactions (Rev2022)No ratings yetAgreements Multicultural Interactions (Rev2022)1 page
- Educational Philosophy of Sri Paramhansa Yogananda100% (1)Educational Philosophy of Sri Paramhansa Yogananda48 pages
- Effectiveness - of - A - Meditation Based - Stre20160703 12749 Ta48b4 With Cover Page v2No ratings yetEffectiveness - of - A - Meditation Based - Stre20160703 12749 Ta48b4 With Cover Page v29 pages
- The Lucid Dreaming Workbook A Step by Step Guide To Mastering Your Dream Life Digital DOCX Download100% (17)The Lucid Dreaming Workbook A Step by Step Guide To Mastering Your Dream Life Digital DOCX Download16 pages
- Impact of Yoga On Physical and Mental Health Proposal SampleNo ratings yetImpact of Yoga On Physical and Mental Health Proposal Sample3 pages
- Twenty Exercises From The Satipatthana SuttaNo ratings yetTwenty Exercises From The Satipatthana Sutta50 pages
- Spiritual Meanings of The Hebrew Alphabet Letters - Walking Kabbalah100% (6)Spiritual Meanings of The Hebrew Alphabet Letters - Walking Kabbalah15 pages
- Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga: "Yoga Begins With Listening." Richard FreemanNo ratings yetAshtanga Vinyasa Yoga: "Yoga Begins With Listening." Richard Freeman4 pages
