In 2016, I began my meditation journey. I had recently started experimenting with psychedelics, which left me with many unanswered questions. After finishing high school, I decided to backpack through Australia and explore the meaning of life. While on my journey, I stumbled upon a copy of Waking Up, a fantastic secular introduction to spirituality and meditation.
From December 2022 - March 2023 I completed the r/StreamEntry beginner course, which has been a great way to recharge my practice and finally build a consistent meditation practice.
Starting in March 2023, I embarked on a quest to unlock the Jhanas.
From April 6 - April 14, 2024, I attended a Jhourney retreat.
Jhanas
Jhanas are meditative states characterized by extraordinary pleasure and bliss鈥攁n escalating pleasure loop comparable to an orgasm, MDMA, or the thrill of new love. Unlike the subtle uptick in well-being from mindfulness meditation, jhana bliss is profoundly more powerful, sometimes producing tears of joy.
Beyond the immediate experience, jhana practice produces lasting changes: improved emotional regulation, reduced reactivity, decreased fear and stress, and greater alignment between intentions and actions. Jhourney has developed methods to make these states accessible in days rather than decades.
Jhana Social Meditation
Sit in a circle as a group for a shared meditation experience. Take turns giving a single-word response to describe your current state. Go around the circle continuously, each person sharing what's predominant in their experience.
Your response should fall into one of these categories:
- Positive emotions: express feelings like "bliss" or "happiness"
- Unpleasant sensations: describe your method for approaching it, such as "relaxing" or "allowing"
- Breath focus: simply say "breathing"
More resources
Books & Guides
- Waking Up by Sam Harris - a fantastic secular approach to spirituality
- Waking Up App - A New Operating System for Your Mind
- Meditation from Cold Start to Complete Mastery
- (mis)Translating the Buddha
- Nick Cammarata On Jhana
- Dhamma Wiki
- Dharma Seed
Communities
- r/streamentry - a secular community aiming to achieve enlightenment
YouTube Channels
- Shinzen Young Videos
- Frank Yang
- Qualia Mastery - Building Your Toolkit for Navigating the State-Space of Consciousness
