Welcome to the Making Sense podcast.

This is Sam Harris.

I've had a few encounters recently on other people's podcasts and on social media that

have made me think that many people are confused about some of the views I express on this

podcast.

Those of you who are using the waking up app probably have a better understanding of what

I'm up to, but I get the sense that many making sense listeners really don't know where

I'm coming from much of the time.

So clearing up this confusion requires that I say a few things about the role that meditation

has played and continues to play in my life.

First, let me say that unless you're deep into it, the term meditation almost certainly

conjures the wrong ideas in your mind.

Meditation has no necessary connection to Eastern religion, say, much less to beads

or incense or any of the trappings of new age spirituality.

Unless you're unusually well informed about it, when I use the term meditation as I do

from time to time on this podcast, I would bet that 99% of you get the wrong idea.

Meditation is just a bad word for the recognition of specific truths about the mind.

It's a process of discovering what is already true of your own mind.

Of course, the discoveries one makes here are directly relevant to living a more satisfying

life, which is the important part, and that's why I spend so much time recommending that

people look into this.

But the benefits aside, more and more I'm realizing that many of you can't understand

...