The FitMind Podcast: Mental Fitness, Neuroscience & Psychology

The Illusion of Self: Nondual Meditation & Brain Science with John Dunne, PhD explores how our sense of identity is constructed moment by moment, drawing on Buddhist philosophy, neuroscience, and contemplative practice to explain why thoughts feel real and how seeing through them can fundamentally change our experience.

In this episode of The FitMind Podcast, we sit down with John Dunne, PhD—a leading scholar-practitioner bridging ancient wisdom and modern science—to examine the nature of mind, self, and awareness. Rather than treating thoughts as accurate reflections of reality, John frames them as useful but often misleading constructions shaped by the brain's attempt to predict and navigate the world.

We explore how meditation helps us "de-reify" thoughts—seeing them as mental events rather than truths—and why this shift may be central to reducing anxiety and depression. John also breaks down non-dual traditions like Mahamudra and Dzogchen, offering a clear lens into practices aimed not at changing experience, but at recognizing its underlying nature.

Topics include:

• How the brain constructs a sense of self through predictive models
• Why thoughts feel real and how to see through them
• The role of meditation in shifting our relationship to thinking
• Differences between gradual and non-dual approaches to practice
• What "effortless awareness" means and why it matters
• Scientific insights from studying advanced meditators

A grounded, intellectually rich conversation for anyone interested in understanding the mind more clearly, working with difficult thoughts, or exploring the intersection of neuroscience and contemplative practice.

FitMind Neuroscience-Based App: http://bit.ly/afitmind

Website: www.fitmind.org

Show Notes

0:00 | From astronaut dreams to inner exploration
2:40 | Introducing John Dunne and his background
5:30 | Identity crisis and discovering meditation
9:30 | Early practice: Vipassana, metta, and analytical meditation
14:30 | Questioning reality and the nature of self
19:30 | Concepts, language, and why thoughts feel real
25:30 | How the mind constructs identity moment to moment
31:30 | Mahamudra and Dzogchen: gradual vs non-dual paths
38:30 | Effort vs effortlessness in meditation
45:00 | Anxiety, depression, and predictive processing
50:30 | De-reification: seeing thoughts as thoughts
56:30 | Watching the mind vs being lost in it
1:01:30 | Brain studies with advanced meditators
1:07:00 | Non-dual awareness and "always-on" presence
1:12:30 | What enlightenment is (and isn't)
1:17:30 | Tukdam and the mystery of consciousness at death
1:22:30 | Science, meditation, and open questions
1:25:30 | Closing reflections

Meditation is evolving.

New technologies like neurofeedback, virtual reality, and AI are beginning to intersect with ancient contemplative practices, raising an important question: can technology help people learn meditation more effectively?

In this episode of The FitMind Podcast, we speak with Steve Haberlin, PhD, researcher, meditator, and author of Meta Meditation for Mental Health, about the emerging world of tech-assisted meditation.

Steve explains why most people stop using meditation apps within the first month, how neurofeedback devices can provide real-time feedback about mental states, and how AI may soon create highly personalized meditation training. We also explore what virtual reality adds to meditation, and why different meditation techniques affect the brain in different ways.

Throughout the conversation, Steve emphasizes the importance of balance. Technology may help more people access meditation, but the core practices that have been refined over thousands of years still remain essential.

Topics include:

• How neurofeedback devices provide real-time feedback during meditation
• Why most people stop using meditation apps within the first month
• How VR meditation creates presence and reduces distraction
• What an AI meditation teacher might look like in the future
• Why different meditation techniques affect the brain differently
• How technology can enhance practice without replacing traditional methods

A thoughtful conversation about the future of meditation and how ancient wisdom and modern technology may work together to make mental training more accessible, personalized, and effective.

FitMind Neuroscience-Based App: http://bit.ly/afitmind

Website: www.fitmind.org

Show Notes

0:00 | Neuroscience, meditation, and real-time feedback
1:23 | Introducing Steve Haberlin
2:46 | Steve's meditation journey and early practice
8:12 | What "meta meditation" means
9:19 | Why most people quit meditation apps
12:28 | What neuroscience reveals about meditation
15:51 | State vs trait change in long-term meditators
18:03 | Can technology shorten the meditation learning curve?
20:52 | What VR adds to meditation practice
23:21 | The rise of AI meditation teachers
27:00 | Using AI to design personalized meditation practices
30:25 | Why personalization matters in meditation
33:26 | Neurofeedback and learning meditation in real time
39:35 | The pitfalls of tech-assisted meditation
46:11 | Balancing traditional meditation with new technology
47:50 | Practical approaches for focus and anxiety
51:07 | Future innovations in meditation technology
54:42 | Balancing ancient wisdom with emerging tools
55:49 | Steve's book and closing reflections

Rites of Passage & the Wisdom in Collapse explores how personal crisis can function as initiation, drawing on contemplative practice, psychology, and wisdom traditions to explain why avoiding discomfort often deepens suffering and why meeting it skillfully can transform us.

In this episode of The FitMind Podcast, we sit down with Linda Thai, therapist and meditation teacher, to examine what it means to grow up as individuals and as a culture. Rather than viewing breakdown as failure, Linda frames it as a descent — a necessary stripping away of outdated identities and rigid patterns that allows for integration and renewal.

We explore how modern life has largely removed meaningful rites of passage, how this absence contributes to addiction, burnout, and disconnection, and why surrender is often misunderstood. Linda describes maturation as a shift from avoidance to discernment, from compulsive striving toward restraint, reciprocity, and community.

Topics include:

• How rites of passage traditionally supported psychological development
• Why avoiding pain often becomes the source of suffering
• The parallels between personal collapse and collective crisis
• The difference between hustle culture and nourishment
• How community supports skillful engagement with discomfort

A grounded, reflective conversation for anyone navigating transition, identity shifts, or collective uncertainty and for those interested in how maturity develops through discomfort rather than in spite of it.

FitMind Neuroscience-Based App: http://bit.ly/afitmind

Website: www.fitmind.org

Show Notes

0:00 | Collapse, initiation, and why maturity matters
1:20 | Introducing Linda Thai
2:58 | Identity, displacement, and belonging
6:45 | Alaska, Buddhism, and discovering interdependent happiness
12:16 | From practice to vocation
17:46 | Addiction, avoidance, and sitting with discomfort
19:34 | Rites of passage and confronting shadow
24:30 | Rough initiations and collective descent
31:17 | Are retreats modern rites of passage?
33:40 | Vipassana and observing the thinking mind
36:29 | The wisdom in collapse
41:05 | Community, addiction, and modern disconnection
42:16 | Nourishment vs hustle culture
46:38 | What a nourished life looks like
50:33 | Suffering with grace
51:19 | Intention and living into maturity
52:37 | You can't think your way into a new way of living
53:19 | Closing reflections

The Science of Letting Go explores how meditation works in the brain, drawing on neuroscience, predictive processing, and contemplative science to explain how letting go reduces stress, softens self-related thinking, and changes perception over time.

In this episode of The FitMind Podcast, we sit down with PhD researcher Shawn Prest from Monash University about what's actually happening under the hood when we meditate. Rather than framing letting go as a vague emotional release, Shawn describes it as a measurable shift in how the brain assigns confidence to its highest-level models, including the sense of self.

They explore how the brain functions as a prediction system, why excessive certainty can create mental tension and suffering, and how meditation helps loosen rigid patterns by shifting perception toward more direct sensory experience. These changes can support greater equanimity, reduced reactivity, and long-term improvements in well-being.

Topics include:

• How meditation changes self-related brain activity

• What "letting go" means from a neuroscience perspective

• The difference between insight-based and absorption-based meditation paths

• Why equanimity feels relieving rather than dull or passive

A grounded, science-forward conversation for anyone curious about how meditation really works and why letting go can reduce suffering.

FitMind Neuroscience-Based App: http://bit.ly/afitmind

Website: www.fitmind.org

Show Notes

0:00 | Intro and why study the mechanics of meditation 

4:40 | From meditator to researcher

9:10 | The brain as a prediction machine

14:20 | Valence, well-being, and suffering

18:50 | Why computational models matter

24:30 | Hierarchies in the brain

31:10 | What letting go actually is

37:40 | Why letting go feels relieving

43:50 | Mental tension vs physical tension

49:30 | Modeling letting go computationally

55:50 | Applying letting go on a stressful day

1:02:30 | Trauma, caution, and meditation

1:09:20 | Jhana and insight paths

1:18:40 | Cessation and lasting change

1:27:30 | Equanimity as perception

1:34:40 | The future science of awakening

Clinical psychologist and contemplative science researcher Dr. Nicholas Van Dam joins us to explore the ethics of meditation and what scientific research reveals about how contemplative practices actually work. He examines how much practice is needed to see meaningful change, why challenging experiences can arise, and what current methods can and cannot reliably measure.

We discuss the importance of informed consent in meditation, the role of wisdom traditions alongside modern science, and why honesty and nuance are essential as these practices enter mental health, education, and digital platforms. Dr. Van Dam also shares how contemplative science can support deeper understanding, responsibility, and care as meditation becomes more widely adopted.

FitMind Neuroscience-Based App: http://bit.ly/afitmind

Website: www.fitmind.org

SHOW NOTES

0:00 | Science, wisdom traditions, and the modern search for meaning

1:46 | Introducing Nicholas Van Dam and the ethics of contemplative science

3:00 | Early life, religious roots, and the path into meditation research

5:35 | From brain science to real-world mental health impact

7:30 | Building an agnostic contemplative research centre in Australia

13:10 | Ethics, bias, and responsibility in meditation research

17:00 | Translating between science and wisdom traditions

20:45 | How much meditation is enough? What dose-response research shows

26:45 | Challenging meditation experiences and informed consent

33:00 | The "missing middle": maps, stages, and what comes after beginner programs

40:50 | Equanimity, emotion, and tensions with modern life and values

52:45 | Engagement vs efficacy: why some practices are easier to sustain

1:03:00 | Retreats, daily practice, sleep, and intensity trade-offs

1:13:00 | Neuroplasticity and the limits of brain-based explanations

1:17:15 | Neurofeedback, psychedelics, and the ethics of shortcuts

1:24:15 | Mapping inner experience and the future of contemplative science

1:32:15 | AI, teachers, and scaling wisdom without losing depth

1:38:20 | The future of contemplative science and FitMind's role

1:45:21 | Where to learn more

Contemplative Studies Centre Website: https://psychologicalsciences.unimelb.edu.au/CSC

Nicholas Van Dam's Personal Website: https://www.nicholastvandam.com