Buddhist Geeks

Jack Kornfield trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India and Burma. He has taught meditation internationally since 1974 and is one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West. In his first visit to the podcast, Jack joins host Vincent Horn to describe the map of meditation practice called The Progress of Insight, and to share his thoughts on th...

Emily Horn and Vincent Horn are meditation teachers and partners in life and the Buddhist Geeks. In the final part of this reflective series, they explain events leading up to the current Buddhist Geeks Dojo project as well describe the forthcoming Fall Training Period (“FTP”) inside the Dojo. The FTP will be a chance to spend the entire month of October either establishing a regular practice, goi...

Emily Horn and Vincent Horn are meditation teachers and partners in running the Buddhist Geeks organization. In the first part of this special series, Emily and Vincent describe the growth of Buddhist Geeks from a podcast to a conference to a community. They share some of the design principles that have shaped earlier projects and continue to shape their thinking today. And finally they do a live...

Evan Thompson is an author and philosopher in the fields of cognitive science, philosophy of mind, phenomenology, and cross-cultural philosophy. Continuing a discussion between Evan and host Vincent Horn, this episode moves into an exploration of sleep states and the themes in Evan’s book "Waking, Dreaming, Being". Describing characteristics of the hypnagogic state, common dreaming, lucid dreaming...

Evan Thompson is an author and philosopher in the fields of cognitive science, philosophy of mind, Phenomenology, and cross-cultural philosophy. Speaking with host Vincent Horn, Evan discusses his academic interest and background in Buddhist studies, and the intersections between Buddhist philosophy, contemplative practice, and cognitive science. This is part one of a two part series. Episode Link...

Adreanna Limbach is a meditation teacher with the Interdependence Project, and Lodro Rinzler is a practitioner and teacher in the Shambhala Buddhist lineage. In this conversation recorded during the 2015 Aspen-Snowmass Wanderlust Festival, host Vincent Horn, Lodro, and Adreanna discuss the challenges of making meditation accessible to a mainstream audience. Episode Links: Adreanna Limbach ( http:/...

David Vago, Rael Cahn, and Sonia Sequeira are contemplative scientists and co-organizers of the upcoming conference called “Advances in Meditation Research: Genetics, Neuroscience and Clinical Applications”. The group joins host Vincent Horn to describe the themes that will be explored at the conference, the current state of meditation research, and how they each relate to the subject as practitio...

Michael Heim is an American author, educator, and Tai Chi instructor known as a philosopher of cyberspace and virtuality. In the conclusion to their conversation, host Vincent Horn and Michael discuss integrating the virtual with the physical. From the thought-experiment of performing a virtual Japanese Tea Ceremony to imagining a virtual Tai Chi experience, they explore how to use the new tools o...

Michael Heim is an American author, educator, and Tai Chi instructor known as a philosopher of cyberspace and virtuality. In this conversation with host Vincent Horn, Michael shares his insights on the intersection of philosophy and the world of Virtual Reality. He gives a brief history of commercial VR, provides updates on the third wave of VR development, and discusses the challenges we will fac...

Carolyn Rose Gimian is the compiler and editor of The Collected Works of Chögyam Trungpa and the recently published Mindfulness in Action: Making Friends with Yourself through Meditation and Everyday Awareness. In this conversation with host Vincent Horn, Carolyn speaks about the role of mindfulness in the teachings of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, her relationship and work with Chögyam Trungpa, and h...

The Buddhist Geeks Conference has been a meeting place for contemplative thinkers, scientists, and technology experts since 2011. During this Q&A for the Contemplative Technology panel from the 2014 conference, conference goers expand the conversation to include tech-induced human evolution and the possibility of shortcuts on the path to enlightenment. This is part two of a two part series. Listen...

The Buddhist Geeks Conference has been a meeting place for contemplative thinkers, scientists, and technology experts since 2011. In this panel discussion from the 2014 conference, Vincent Horn hosts a panel filled with contemplatives, technologists, and research scientists to discuss the past, present, and possible future of the field of Contemplative Technology. This is part one of a two part se...

Vincent Horn is part of a new generation of teachers who are translating the wisdom traditions of the past into 21st century code. In this talk from a recent San Francisco Consciousness Hacking Meet-Up, Vincent introduces himself to the group and describes the questions that have led to a new project: Mindtraining.io . What does it mean to meditate in the digital age? What does the contemplative p...

Dr. Reggie Ray is an author, teacher, and the Spiritual Director for the Dharma Ocean Community. In the conclusion to a recent conversation with host Vincent Horn, Reggie shares his thoughts on technology and human development, transhumanism, and the danger of not being human enough. This is part two of a two part series. Listen to part one BG 357: Shikantaza Practice. Episode Links: Dharma Ocean...

Dr. Reggie Ray is an author, teacher, and the Spiritual Director for the Dharma Ocean Community. In this conversation with host Vincent Horn, Reggie discusses the Shikantaza practice he has developed. He describes the basic instructions and experience of Shikantaza, the Tibetan practice elements he has incorporated, and the powerful effects of this hybrid practice on the spiritual life. This is pa...

Daniel Ingram is a Buddhist teacher and the author of Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha. In this keynote from the 2014 Buddhist Geeks Conference, Daniel speaks on the visual, auditory, physical, and psychological phenomena referred to as powers, or siddhis. He provides examples of power manifestation, why and how powers appear, and the effects of powers on the individual and community lev...

Susan Piver is a Buddhist teacher and a New York Times bestselling author. In this talk from the 2014 Buddhist Geeks Conference, Susan relates the genesis of The Open Heart Project, dispels common misconceptions about meditation practice, and shares her insights on the development of online practice communities. Episode Links: www. SusanPiver.com The Open Heart Project ( http://susanpiver.com/open...

Susan Kaiser Greenland developed the Inner Kids mindful awareness program for children, teens and their families. She is author of The Mindful Child: How to Help Your Kid Manage Stress and Become Happier, Kinder, and More Compassionate (Free Press, 2010). In this keynote from the 2014 Buddhist Geeks Conference, Susan shares some of the tools she uses to connect with students and teachers, and the...

Dr. Charles T. Tart has been involved with research and theory in the fields of Hypnosis, Psychology, Transpersonal Psychology, Parapsychology, Consciousness and Mindfulness since 1963. In this keynote from the 2014 Buddhist Geeks Conference, Dr. Tart shares research that supports the serious consideration of the paranormal and addresses the convergence of spirituality, science, and scientism. Epi...

Vincent Horn is a mind hacker & buddhist geek. In this keynote from the 2014 Buddhist Geeks Conference Vincent explores the unbundling of components like meditation and mindfulness from contemporary Buddhism. He then explores the process of re-bundling and what the future of both Buddhist and Buddhist-inspired models may look like as new combinations of knowledge come together in novel, and so...

JoAnna Harper is a Buddhist teacher with Against the Stream and Spirit Rock Meditation Center. In this episode JoAnna joins host Emily Horn to explore inclusivity and diversity in the Buddhist community, starting with an examination of how the Buddha taught inclusivity in the first sanghas. The conversation expands to highlight teachings and strategies that help foster open communication in divers...

Soryu Forall is a teacher and leader at the Center for Mindful Learning. The second part of Soryu’s conversation with host Vincent Horn delves into the spaces between tradition and innovation. Soryu shares his gratitude for the traditional teachings he learned in Asia, and explains how useful those teachings are today. This leads to an exchange of ideas on rebirth and karma, teaching secular mindf...

Soryu Forall is the Director of Mindfulness Education at the Center for Mindful Learning. He also leads a unique “modern monastery” training program for those who want to integrate awakening and responsibility. In this conversation with host Vincent Horn, Soryu describes life within the CML Residential program, what it means to come to an end of all feedback loops, and how awakening is directly li...

Mikey Siegel is a meditator, technologist, and pioneer in the field of “Enlightenment Engineering”. In this talk from the 2014 Buddhist Geeks Conference, Mikey explores the idea that enlightenment can be engineered through the use of applied contemplative science. Presenting various examples of technology applicable to a contemplative path, he states enlightenment is real, science can quantify it,...

Robin Arnott is an indie game designer and interactive artist. In this presentation from the 2014 Buddhist Geeks Conference, he speaks about applying game design to meditation. Robin first explains how a state of trance is central to both the experience of meditation and the experience of game play. He then shows how game mechanics might be utilized in meditation practice to support a trance, and...