#286 — The Paradox of Psychedelics

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sam Harris shares an audio essay exploring how psychedelics are, for many, the only way to glimpse "the vast firmament beyond the prison walls” of the “conceptual mind”—and often serve as the gateway to meditation. He also discusses how the very profundity of the psychedelic experience can distract us from the true purpose of mindfulness—the recognition that consciousness is always already free, in every moment. Also included are highlights from the</span> <a href= "http://wakingup.com/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Waking Up</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">app created for a recent Tim Ferriss podcast.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at</span> <a href= "http://samharris.org/subscribe"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">samharris.org/subscribe</span></a><span style= "font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That’s why Sam Harris created the</span> <a href= "http://wakingup.com/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Waking Up</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life’s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.</span></p>