Cognitive neuroscientist Ruben Laukkonen talks about the rarest states of consciousness and how the mind builds itself through predictive processing.

Delson Armstrong, author and meditation teacher, speaks about the deepest levels of meditation and how to decondition a craving mind.

Anna Abraham, PhD, discusses the psychological and neurophysiological bases of creativity and other aspects of the human imagination.

Nick Littlehales, elite sport recovery coach, discusses some unconventional ways of refining sleep to improve performance.

Donald Hoffman, PhD, cognitive scientist and author, discusses how reality isn’t as it seems and why we should question everything.

Andrew Holecek, author and meditation teacher with decades of experience, speaks about his 3-year silent retreat and what he’s learned about enlightenment

Miguel Nicolelis, MD, PhD, neuroscientist and physician, talks about the advances and applications of brain-machine interface technology, and what this means for the future of the human mind.

Edward Slingerland, PhD, expert on the cognitive science of ancient philosophies, discusses Wu Wei, or “effortless action” and its use in daily life.

Neuroscientists and professors Drs. Stephen Macknick & Susana Martinez-Conde discuss the wide overlap between neuroscience and magic, and how everyday life is essentially an illusion.

Elena Antonova, PhD, neuroscientist and senior lecturer at Brunel University London, talks about the brains of long-term meditators and the 4 stages of meditation practice development.

Antonio Damasio, MD, PhD, neurologist, psychologist and best-selling author, speaks about the evolution of the mind and the origin of consciousness.

Sidarta Ribeiro, PhD, neuroscientist, author and professor, discusses the evolution of sleep and the importance of remembering your dreams.

Ramses Alcaide, PhD, electrical engineer, neuroscientist, CEO and developer discusses the benefits, pitfalls, and ethical concerns of brain-computer interface technology.

Amishi Jha, PhD, neuroscientist and professor of psychology, talks about her research on the neural basis of attention and the effects of mindfulness-based training programs on people in high-stress situations.

Apkar Apkarian, PhD, professor of physiology, anesthesiology, and physical medicine discusses how chronic pain works in the brain and his research on the placebo effect.

James Cooke, PhD, neuroscientist, writer and speaker, discusses consciousness, nonduality and how psychedelics alter the brain.

Shauna Shapiro, PhD, professor at Santa Clara University, clinical psychologist, and expert in mindfulness talks about the science supporting self-compassion.

Elliot Roe, a leading expert in mindset optimization and clinical hypnotherapy, talks about the commonalities of the minds of peak performers in various fields.

Massimo Pigliucci, PhD, one of the most influential modern Stoics, goes in-depth on this ancient practice that can dramatically improve mental fitness.

Sharon Salzberg, world-famous meditation teacher and bestselling author, speaks about her training with legendary teachers in Asia and how to achieve sublime states of mind.

Robert Lustig, MD, MSL, endocrinologist and bestselling author, discusses the brain mechanisms being hacked by addictive products and what we can do about it.

Dr. Roger Walsh, professor of psychiatry, philosophy and anthropology at the University of California, Irvine talks about newly discovered states of consciousness.

Dr. Adam Gazzaley, neuroscientist and Founder of the Neuroscape lab, speaks about the “cognition crisis” and his inventions for training attention.

Robynne Chutkan, MD, a gastroenterologist and the Founder of Gutbliss, describes how we can optimize our gut-brain connection for a healthier mind.

Mantak Chia, a Taoist meditation master, describes ancient techniques for cultivating more mental and sexual energy.

World-renowned neurologist Dr. David Perlmutter describes how to optimize your diet for better brain health.

Famous meditation teacher Bhante Vimalaramsi gives meditation and life advice for lasting happiness.

Neuroscientist and psychiatrist Dr. Tara Swart delves into peak performance, workplace productivity, and the future of neurotechnology.

Expert Charlie Morley discusses the science and potential of lucid dreaming.

Dr. Rick Doblin, Founder of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), talks about recent research into psychedelics and their use for exploring the mind.

Psychologist and bestselling author Rick Hanson explains the science of rewiring our brains with neuroplasticity.

Cyndi Lee, a famous yoga teacher, author, and Founder of the OM Yoga Center in New York talks about deep contemplative practice.

Commander Mark Divine, ex-Navy SEAL Commander, serial entrepreneur, and NY Times bestselling author, talks about cultivating mental toughness.

Dr. Harriet De Wit, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Chicago, discusses the exciting potential of psychedelic drugs for enhanced mental health.

Dr. Steven Hayes, a famous psychologist who invented Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), talks about how to liberate your mind from suffering.

Gretchen Rubin is the New York Times bestselling author of several books about happiness and human nature, and in this episode she explains how to engineer a better life using the power of habits.

Dr. Jay Sanguinetti, Chief Scientific Officer at Alchemas and Associate Director of the Center for Consciousness Studies, discusses his ultrasound technology for enhancing mindfulness and cognition.

Dr. Daniel Brown is an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School and Senior Meditation Master in Indo-Tibetan Bon & Buddhism for 50 years, having been taught directly from the Dalai Lama.

Dr. Andrew Hill is a neuroscientist, entrepreneur, and biohacker. He's the Founder of Peak Brain Institute, a brain fitness center, and Lead Neuroscientist at TruBrain, a nootropics company. He discusses a wide range of brain topics, including neurofeedback, brainwaves, and nootropics.

Dr. Erik Won, a Harvard-trained U.S. Navy Flight Surgeon and former CTO at Boeing, delves into the science behind an innovative therapy for treating PTSD called magnetic e-resonance therapy (MeRT).

Clinical psychologist and meditation teacher Dr. Tucker Peck talks about the synthesis of western psychology and eastern mind training, as well as the waking up vs. growing up paradigm.

Donald Hilton, M.D., a neurosurgeon and internationally recognized expert on the neuroscience of pornography, describes how porn affects the brain.

Sean Fargo, a meditation teacher and Founder of Mindfulness Exercises, talks about his rigorous training as a Buddhist monk and how it transformed his mind.

Famous neuroanatomist Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor talks about the brain hemorrhage that led to her stroke of insight, the inner workings of a human brain, and how to become your best self.

4x USA Memory Champion Nelson Dellis discusses the mechanics of memory and tells us how to remember (and forget) anything.

Bestselling author, podcaster, and meditation teacher Michael Taft discusses frameworks for understanding the mind and methods for deep mind training.

Harvard psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar discusses the science of happiness and how we can all lead happier lives.

Author, lecturer and black belt, Dr. Tamara Russell talks about her training in Shaolin Kung Fu and the neuroscience of martial arts and mindfulness.

Michelle Zellner is the Founder of Better Beings and author of The YOU Revolution. We discuss behavioral change and how to think about nutrition for an optimal mind.

Dr. Steve Taylor talks about self-transcendence and peak experiences (famously coined by psychologist Abraham Maslow) and gives a psychological view of what causes them to occur.

Dr. Melanie Greenberg is a clinical psychologist and consultant who wrote the bestselling book The Stress-Proof Brain. We discuss getting off of autopilot, the neuroscience of stress, and some direct tips for creating your own stress-proof, or at least stress-resistant, brain.

Bob Roth is the CEO of the David Lynch Foundation, bringing TM to millions of people worldwide, and has taught the technique to numerous celebrities, including Oprah and Tom Hanks.

Laura Bakosh is the Co-Founder of Inner Explorer, which has brought mindfulness to over 1 million students. Previously, Laura worked in GE's healthcare division for 13 years before co-founding her mindfulness and mental health organization and has spoken at major venues like TEDx and Wisdom 2.0.

Daniel is an advanced meditator and controversially a self-described Arahant (one who has become fully "enlightened" in Buddhist terms). He holds an M.D. and M.Sc. in Epidemiology from UNC Chapel Hill.

Diana Winston is the Director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA Semel Institute’s Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC). She wrote The Little Book of Being and was called "one of the nation's best-known teachers of mindfulness” by the LA Times.

Dr. Judson Brewer, M.D., Ph.D. is a psychiatrist, neuroscientist, author, and Founder of MindSciences, Inc. He has used his skill set to research and develop treatments for addiction using mindfulness meditation.

Jiro Taylor is the Founder & CEO of the Flowstate Collective, a company dedicated toward helping leaders, CEOs, and entrepreneurs achieve self-mastery. He went from studying Zen Buddhism in Japan to making millions in the corporate world before finding a balanced and fulfilling life.

Dr. Willoughby Britton is a neuroscientist at Brown University studying the neurocognitive effects of mindfulness-based interventions for mood and anxiety disorders. In this episode, we discuss the potential dark sides of meditation practice.

Dr. Ash Sangoram is a neuroscientist, neonatologist, former assistant Stanford Golf coach, and the Founder of GoaLoGolf, an elite performance training company. Ash is also an experience insight meditation practitioner, and he is integrating these principles with science and elite performance.

Loch Kelly is a meditation teacher and psychotherapist who combines western science and psychology with ancient eastern methods for training the mind. He's the Founder of Open-Hearted Awareness Institute and author of Shift Into Freedom and The Way of Effortless Mindfulness.

Anne-Laure Le Cunff is the Founder of Ness Labs, a venture studio dedicated to products that help people be happier and healthier. Previously Anne-Laure worked for Google on their digital health products team, and she is currently completing a Master of Science in Applied Neuroscience at King's College London.

Dr. Nichols is a scientist, activist, community organizer, and author of the bestselling book Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do.

Neil Pasricha is the bestselling author of six books including The Book of Awesome, The Happiness Equation and most recently You are Awesome. His books are New York Times and #1 international bestsellers and have sold millions of copies across dozens of languages.

Ben Pakulski, a.k.a. BPAK is the CEO of Muscle Intelligence and a former IFBB professional bodybuilder who won the Mr. Canada competition in 2008. In this episode of the FitMind Podcast, we discuss how Ben got into yoga as a 320-pound muscle man, achieving mental fitness through meditation, covert influence, the attention economy, and tips for optimizing the mind.

Dr. Keely Kolmes is a psychologist with over 20 years of experience providing psychotherapy. They are also the founder of Bay Area Open Minds and consult nationally and internationally on digital ethics and technology issues for clinicians.

Dr. Frates is the Founder of Wellness Synergy, an award-winning professor at Harvard Medical School, and co-author of Life After Stroke. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College and then Stanford Medical School. We discuss the importance of nutrition, exercise and sleep for achieving a healthy mind and body.

Dr. Home is the Founder and CEO of MindKind Institute and has over 20 years of experience in personal leadership, mind-body practices and executive coaching. He is a consultant at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and teaches MBAs at Columbia and Yale.

Dr. Kauffman is a licensed psychologist with a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Stanford. She specializes in working with kids, teens and parents. We talk about the challenges of raising children in the digital age and the effects of technology on a developing brain.

Jevan earned a masters degree in Mind, Brain and Behavior Research, worked as a brain trainer and lived with Amazonian tribes. He wrote The Awakened Ape: A Biohacker's Guide to Evolutionary Fitness, Natural Ecstasy and Stress-Free Living. On this episode of the FitMind Podcast we discuss how the human mind evolved, what it’s like to live with indigenous tribes in the rainforest and how to find “natural ecstasy.”

Dr. Gackenbach is a dream researcher whose focus is lucid dreaming and other altered states of consciousness. She holds a Ph.D in Experimental Psychology and her most recent research focuses on video game players and the development of consciousness. In this episode of the FitMind Podcast we discuss virtual worlds, like video games, dreams and VR, and the different effects they have on the mind.

Richard Lang is the primary teacher of a popular meditation technique known as Headless Way. He was a close friend of Douglas Harding, the philosopher who first invented this method, and is also coordinator of UK charity Shollond Trust.

Dr. Cortland Dahl is a leading scientist at The Center for Healthy Minds, the top meditation research lab in the world. He also has decades of meditation experience and is the Co-Founder and Chairman of Tergar International, a global network of meditation groups and centers. We talk about what science has to say about unlocking the mind's full potential through meditation.

At the age of 21, Tami Simon founded Sounds True, a large multimedia publishing house with a mission to disseminate spiritual wisdom. She is also a renowned meditation instructor and wrote Being True: What Matters Most in Work, Life, and Love.

Dr. Mark Leary is a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University who has made significant contributions to his field. We discuss when and why self-awareness evolved in humans and how this causes problems today.

Robert Waggoner is the former president and an active member of the International Association for the Study of Dreams (ISAD). An expert on the science and practice of lucid dreaming, he has written two books on the subject.

Marc Lesser is the CEO of ZBA Associates, the author of four books and holds an MBA degree from NYU. He was a resident of the San Francisco Zen Center for 10 years and helped develop Google's mindfulness and emotional intelligence program.

Scott Ste Marie is the founder of Depression to Expression, a mental health education company that has reached over 20 million people. We discuss the impact of social media on mental health, how to deal with depression, the importance of curiosity and more.

GMAC holds the record for surfing the largest wave in the world. We discuss flow states, what it's like surfing a 100-foot wave, and how to execute on a vision in life.

Jordan Brown is a mental health advocate and social worker who started Nerve 10 Mental Health.

Aiel Garten is a Canadian artist, scientist and psychotherapist who co-founded InteraXon and created Muse, a meditation biofeedback device that measures your brainwaves while you meditate.

Dennis Simsek, better known as The Anxiety Guy, is a former pro tennis player and passionate CBT practitioner with the #1 health podcast. In this episode, we discuss a wide variety of topics, including meditation, anxiety, affirmations, ideologies (and the importance of questioning them), and how to remove limiting beliefs.

David Gandelman is the Founder of Grounded Mind and teaches meditation at the DEN Meditation Studio in LA, Cornell, Parsley Health and other organizations. David's a hilarious guy with a fascinating background and a specialty in relationships.

Dr. Brian Luke Seaward is an expert in stress management, lecturing all over the world on TEDx, PBS and the White House. He's coached several Olympic athletes, various heads of state, Broadway actors, media personalities and CEOs.

Dr. Sara Lazar is a neuroscientist at Mass General Hospital and Harvard Medical School studying meditation and its effects on the brain. She is one of the world's leading researchers on the neuroscience of meditation.

Dr. Stan Beecham is a world-renowned performance psychologist working with business leaders and Olympic athletes to help them optimize their minds. He wrote Elite Minds: How Winners Think Differently to Create a Competitive Edge and Maximize Success.

Culadasa (John Yates, Ph.D.) combines Buddhist teachings with an emerging, scientific understanding of the mind. A neuroscientist with over four decades of meditation experience, Culadasa is the author of The Mind Illuminated and former director of Dharma Treasure.

William von Hippel, Ph.D., is an expert in evolutionary psychology and author of The Social Leap: The New Evolutionary Science of Who We Are, Where We Come From, and What Makes Us Happy.