What is consciousness, and how does the mind actually work? Thoughts, emotions, and the constructed self; models from psychology and neuroscience, and explorations at the meeting point of first-person practice, science, and philosophy of mind.
Meditation, False Insights, and Artificial Wisdom with Ruben Laukkonen August 2, 2026 - Host Michael Taft talks with neuroscientist Ruben Laukkonen about what extreme physical suffering can reveal about meditation, and why awakening may be less a grand attainment than “the grand disappointment.”… Read More »Meditation, False Insights, and Artificial Wisdom with Ruben Laukkonen
The Mystery of Consciousness with Michael Pollan July 16, 2026 - Host Michael Taft talks with bestselling author Michael Pollan about his new book, A World Appears, and the enduring mystery of consciousness. They explore the hidden biases of consciousness researchers,… Read More »The Mystery of Consciousness with Michael Pollan
Nonduality and the Ego with Jake Orthwein September 21, 2025 - Host Michael Taft talks with Jake Orthwein about the self as a construction, the distinction between no-self and emptiness, the crucial difference between having a functional ego and being identified… Read More »Nonduality and the Ego with Jake Orthwein
Sanity and Sainthood with Dr. Tucker Peck April 17, 2025 - Host Michael Taft speaks with meditation teacher, clinical psychologist, and author Dr. Tucker Peck about the the difference between developing a clear understanding of how your psychology works and feeling… Read More »Sanity and Sainthood with Dr. Tucker Peck
The Power of the Imaginal with Stephen Aizenstat November 4, 2023 - Host Michael Taft talks with "Boss Jungian of Planet Earth" Stephen Aizenstat about diving into the depths of our authentic creativity, finding purpose in the imaginal, the perils and promise… Read More »The Power of the Imaginal with Stephen Aizenstat
A Conversation with Kati Devaney July 13, 2023 - Host Michael Taft talks with neuroscientist and Executive Director of the Alembic, Kati Devaney about meditation, the neuroscience of meditation, psychedelics, and more. Read More »A Conversation with Kati Devaney
Meditation and the Bayesian Brain with Shamil Chandaria. December 17, 2022 - Host Michael Taft talks with philanthropist, serial entrepreneur, technologist, and meditator Dr. Shamil Chandaria about predictive processing as it relates to meditation, our phenomenal self model, recognizing our own fabrication… Read More »Meditation and the Bayesian Brain with Shamil Chandaria. 
John Vervaeke on Relevance Realization October 5, 2022 - Host Michael Taft speaks with professor John Vervaeke about relevance realization—the process by which we decide what matters in any given situation—and its application to meditation, how we gain an… Read More »John Vervaeke on Relevance Realization
Meditation, Insight, and Predictive Processing with Ruben Laukkonen January 3, 2022 - Host Michael Taft talks with neuroscientist and meditator Ruben Laukkonen about the phenomenology of the insight experience, how the sequence of deepening meditative practices maps onto the model of predictive… Read More »Meditation, Insight, and Predictive Processing with Ruben Laukkonen
Talking with People about Things, with David McRaney February 3, 2021 - Host Michael Taft speaks with science journalist, author, and podcaster David McRaney about how people do (and do not) change their minds, how brains form their view of reality, conspiracy… Read More »Talking with People about Things, with David McRaney
Dreams and the Spiritual Imagination, with Steve Aizenstat November 6, 2020 - Depth Psychologist Steve Aizenstat speaks with host Michael Taft about dreams, the living image of dreams and their innate intelligence, the healing and creative power of the deep imagination; how… Read More »Dreams and the Spiritual Imagination, with Steve Aizenstat
Effortlessness in Meditation, with Jud Brewer June 7, 2020 - Neuroscientist and mindfulness expert Jud Brewer speaks with host Michael Taft about his research into the four steps of Rigpa (with teacher and psychologist Dan Brown), effortlessness in meditation and… Read More »Effortlessness in Meditation, with Jud Brewer
Questioning Assumptions about Buddhism, with Evan Thompson February 15, 2020 - Evan Thompson discusses his new book, “Why I Am Not a Buddhist” with host Michael Taft. Topics include the myth of Buddhist exceptionalism, how Buddhist modernism presented a false picture… Read More »Questioning Assumptions about Buddhism, with Evan Thompson
Masters of Oblivion — Transcript of an Interview with Kenneth Folk December 15, 2019 - The following is a transcript of this podcast episode: https://deconstructingyourself.com/dy-003-masters-oblivion-guest-kenneth-folk.html Transcript Michael: Hello and welcome to Deconstructing Yourself, the podcast for modern mutants interested in mindfulness, meditation, awakening, and much… Read More »Masters of Oblivion — Transcript of an Interview with Kenneth Folk
The Cosmic Joke Transcript – with Kenneth Folk December 8, 2019 - The following transcript is of this podcast episode. Enjoy! https://deconstructingyourself.com/dy-002-cosmic-joke-guest-kenneth-folk.html Transcript Michael: Welcome to Deconstructing Yourself, the podcast for modern mutants interested in mindfulness, meditation, awakening, and more. My name… Read More »The Cosmic Joke Transcript – with Kenneth Folk
Meditation, Emotions, and the Bio-Emotive Framework with Douglas Tataryn July 14, 2019 - Host Michael Taft speaks with clinical psychologist and life coach, Douglas Tataryn, Ph.D. about meditation and psychology. Topics include his work with meditation teachers such as Culadasa, the "wake up,… Read More »Meditation, Emotions, and the Bio-Emotive Framework with Douglas Tataryn
Transcript – Culadasa on Meditation and Therapy June 5, 2019 - Note: you can listen to the original podcast interview here. Michael: Welcome to Deconstructing Yourself, the podcast for modern mutants interested in mindfulness, meditation, awakening, Mahamudra, and much more. My… Read More »Transcript – Culadasa on Meditation and Therapy
Culadasa on Meditation and Therapy June 2, 2019 - In this special episode, Culadasa talks about the domains of meditation and psychotherapy, where their areas of effectiveness overlap and where they don't. He also shares a powerful personal story… Read More »Culadasa on Meditation and Therapy
Meditation, Madness, and Psychology, with Tucker Peck March 7, 2019 - Tucker Peck, meditation teacher and clinical psychologist, talks with host Michael Taft about how whether awakening (both in the traditional "stream entry" sense or in other definitions) actually "fixes" a… Read More »Meditation, Madness, and Psychology, with Tucker Peck
Deconstructing the Heart Sutra, with Jayarava Attwood January 20, 2019 - Buddhist scholar Jayarava Attwood speaks with host Michael Taft about the history of the Pali Canon, how ideas about karma & dependent arising contradict each other, the shifting grounds under… Read More »Deconstructing the Heart Sutra, with Jayarava Attwood
What Can AI Tell Us about the Human Mind? – with Joscha Bach November 18, 2018 - Host Michael Taft speaks with Joscha Bach about artificial intelligence; the sense of self; building a civilizational intellect; what it is like to be a mind?; the relationships between motivation,… Read More »What Can AI Tell Us about the Human Mind? – with Joscha Bach
Nonduality, Stace, and the Analysis of Mystical Experience October 25, 2018 - by Michael W. Taft Walter Stace was a British civil servant who became an important author and a pioneer in the philosophy of mysticism. While serving in Ceylon (now Sri… Read More »Nonduality, Stace, and the Analysis of Mystical Experience
Nonduality, Freud, and the Oceanic Feeling October 11, 2018 - by Michael W. Taft Western psychology has also described something that seems to be the nondual state, although it appears to have been a direct import from India. Freud first… Read More »Nonduality, Freud, and the Oceanic Feeling
DY 023 – “Lucid Dreaming, Meditation, and Consciousness” – with guest Evan Thompson June 30, 2018 - In this episode, philosopher, author, and meditator, Evan Thompson speaks with host Michael Taft. Topics include: the meaning of awakening; lucid dreaming and noticing the construction of the waking state;… Read More »DY 023 – “Lucid Dreaming, Meditation, and Consciousness” – with guest Evan Thompson
Emotions, Stress, and Heartbreak – with Eve Ekman May 29, 2018 - In this episode emotions researcher and meditation teacher Eve Ekman speaks with Michael W. Taft about embodied emotions, the difference between suppression and healthy expression, impermanence of sensation and moment… Read More »Emotions, Stress, and Heartbreak – with Eve Ekman
Deconstructing Dependent Arising – with Leigh Brasington April 29, 2018 - Leigh Brasington speaks with host Michael W. Taft about Dependent Arising. Dependent Arising, also called Dependent Origination, is a Buddhist theory of reality that is famously complex, arcane, important, and… Read More »Deconstructing Dependent Arising – with Leigh Brasington
A Universal Theory of Awakening April 8, 2018 - by Michael W. Taft Full-blown awakening means to notice clearly that everything you experience is a brain-generated virtual representation arising in working memory. This is known in various traditions as… Read More »A Universal Theory of Awakening
Eddies in the Mind Stream, with Rick Hanson, Ph.D. March 1, 2018 - Rick Hanson and I discuss the tension between accepting how you're feeling and changing how you're feeling, spiritual bypassing, how to cultivate positive states of mind, the quivering potentiality at… Read More »Eddies in the Mind Stream, with Rick Hanson, Ph.D.
Consciousness, Spirituality, and Intellectual Honesty – with Thomas Metzinger December 28, 2017 - Thomas Metzinger and Michael W. Taft discuss having moral integrity with yourself, intellectual honesty in the pursuit of spirituality, the overlapping goals of science and spirituality, the possibility of a… Read More »Consciousness, Spirituality, and Intellectual Honesty – with Thomas Metzinger
The Craving Mind – with Judson Brewer October 24, 2017 - What do the neurocorrelates of enlightenment, the activation of the posterior cingulate cortex, and the extinction of craving all have in common? They relate to the work of Judson Brewer.… Read More »The Craving Mind – with Judson Brewer
What Is the Self? An Interview with Thomas Metzinger September 10, 2017 - by Michael W. Taft Thomas Metzinger is a German philosopher. As of 2011 he holds the position of director of the theoretical philosophy group at the department of philosophy at… Read More »What Is the Self? An Interview with Thomas Metzinger
Pattern and Nebulosity, with David Chapman August 7, 2017 - Scientist, programmer, and author David Chapman talks with Michael W. Taft about metarationality, emptiness and form, nihilism, tantrism, dzogchen, Kegan's stages of development applied to meditation, vampire romance novels, and… Read More »Pattern and Nebulosity, with David Chapman
Study Documents Range Of Challenging Meditation Experiences May 26, 2017 - from Brown University Though it has gained popularity in the West as medically and psychologically beneficial, meditation can produce a much wider variety of outcomes, not all of them calm… Read More »Study Documents Range Of Challenging Meditation Experiences
Masters of Oblivion, with Kenneth Folk May 21, 2017 - Pragmatic dharma teacher and host Michael W. Taft feel the power of the dark side, talk about nirvana, deconstruct the concept of nirvana, dive deep into the reality of death,… Read More »Masters of Oblivion, with Kenneth Folk The Cosmic Joke – with Kenneth Folk May 21, 2017 - Pragmatic dharma teacher Kenneth Folk and host Michael W. Taft look at suffering machines, ways to suspend the necessary conditions for suffering, The Terminator, state chasing, and getting the cosmic… Read More »The Cosmic Joke – with Kenneth Folk
Mindfulness Meditation Helps with Difficult Emotions January 2, 2017 - by Crystal Goh Over the last decade, the scientific community has produced numerous studies looking at how mindfulness practice influences our minds, our bodies and our behavior. Today, we are… Read More »Mindfulness Meditation Helps with Difficult Emotions
The Universe Is NOT One May 23, 2016 - Actually, it might be, but who knows? by Michael W. Taft If you’ve ever practiced in a nondual tradition, you’ve heard the phrase, “The Universe is ONE,” probably a few… Read More »The Universe Is NOT One
How Meditation Changes the Brain and Body February 18, 2016 - By Gretchen Reynolds for The NY Times Blog The benefits of mindfulness meditation, increasingly popular in recent years, are supposed to be many: reduced stress and risk for various diseases,… Read More »How Meditation Changes the Brain and Body
Willfully Altering Your Brain: An Interview with Michael W. Taft December 17, 2015 - Michael W. Taft was recently interviewed about mindfulness meditation by the fabulous David McRaney on his podcast "You Are Not So Smart." Click the white arrow in the red circle… Read More »Willfully Altering Your Brain: An Interview with Michael W. Taft
Mindfulness May Make Memories Less Accurate September 9, 2015 - From Medical Xpress Mindfulness meditation is associated with all sorts of benefits to mental and physical well-being, but a new study suggests that it may also come with a particular… Read More »Mindfulness May Make Memories Less AccurateAnxious? Meditation Can Help June 12, 2015 - Scientists, like Buddhist monks and Zen masters, have known for years that meditation can reduce anxiety, but not how. Scientists at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, however, have succeeded in… Read More »Anxious? Meditation Can Help
Never Believe Anything February 10, 2015 - by Michael W. Taft “I don't believe anything, but I have many suspicions.” ~ Robert Anton Wilson [dropcap]I[/dropcap] want to share with you, from my heart, something that I have… Read More »Never Believe AnythingMindfulness Can Literally Change Your Brain February 4, 2015 - By Christina Congleton, Britta K. Hölzel, and Sara W. Lazar for Harvard Business Review The business world is abuzz with mindfulness. But perhaps you haven’t heard that the hype is backed by hard… Read More »Mindfulness Can Literally Change Your Brain
Harvard study suggest mindfulness makes measurable changes in brain December 12, 2014 - By Sue McGreevey, MGH Communications Participating in an eight-week mindfulness meditation program appears to make measurable changes in brain regions associated with memory, sense of self, empathy, and stress. In… Read More »Harvard study suggest mindfulness makes measurable changes in brain
Flow State Machine: Hacking the Human Brain for Healing and Wellbeing September 19, 2014 - How one scientist is blending ancient philosophy with modern neuroscience to fight addiction by Michael W. Taft Heart racing and fists shaking, I stood ready to fight. I was moments… Read More »Flow State Machine: Hacking the Human Brain for Healing and Wellbeing Dan Harris: Hack Your Brain’s Default Mode with Meditation August 20, 2014 - Read More »Dan Harris: Hack Your Brain’s Default Mode with Meditation
Step on the Clutch July 30, 2014 - by Michael W. Taft I love espresso. But I remember sometimes “waking up” suddenly and finding myself right in the middle of a shuddering caffeine meltdown. I’d been writing on… Read More »Step on the ClutchDeconstructing the Perception of the Ego/self May 22, 2014 - by Michael W. Taft Philosopher Thomas Metzinger says, “Nobody ever had or was a self.” Sages and seers have historically instructed us that the ego “doesn’t exist,” and that we… Read More »Deconstructing the Perception of the Ego/self
Concentrative Or Nondirective Meditation? May 16, 2014 - Which Does Science Say Works Better? Concentrative or Nondirective meditation? Mindfulness. Zen. Meditation drumming. Chakra. Buddhist and transcendental meditation. It evokes eastern mystics and hip elites in California pretending to to… Read More »Concentrative Or Nondirective Meditation?
What’s the Downside to Mindfulness? November 15, 2013 - By Rick Nauert for Psych Central The concept of mindfulness has garnered significant attention as therapy based on mindfulness has been found to reduce anxiety, depression, and stress. Mindfulness as… Read More »What’s the Downside to Mindfulness?