#705: Dr. Willoughby Britton — The Hidden Risks of Meditation, Overlaps with Psychedelic Risks, Harm Reduction Strategies, How to Choose a Retreat, Near-Death Experiences, and More

Brought to you by Momentous high-quality supplements, Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega fish oil, and Eight Sleep’s Pod Cover sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating. Willoughby Britton, PhD is a clinical psychologist, an associate professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University Medical School, and the director of Brown’s Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory. Her clinical neuroscience research investigates the effects of contemplative practices (meditation) on the brain and body in the treatment of mood disorders, trauma, and other conditions. She is especially interested in which practices are best- or worst-suited for which types of people or conditions and why. She is probably best known for her research on adverse effects—why they happen and how to mitigate them. Dr. Britton is the founder of Cheetah House , a nonprofit organization that provides evidence-based information and support for meditators in distress as well as meditation safety trainings to providers and organizations. Please enjoy! This episode is brought to you by Nordic Naturals , the #1-selling fish-oil brand in the US! More than 80% of Americans don’t get enough omega-3 fats from their diet. That is a problem because the body can’t produce omega-3s, an important nutrient for cell structure and function. Nordic Naturals solves that problem with their doctor-recommended Ultimate Omega fish-oil formula for heart health, brain function, immune support, and more . Ultimate Omega is made exclusively from 100% wild-caught sardines and anchovies. It’s incredibly pure and fresh with no fishy aftertaste. All Nordic Naturals’ fish-oil products are offered in the triglyceride molecular form—the form naturally found in fish, and the form your body most easily absorbs. Go to Nordic.com and discover why Nordic Naturals is the #1-selling omega-3 brand in the U.S. Use promo code TIM for 20% off your order. * This episode is also brought to you by Momentous high-quality supplements! Momentous offers high-quality supplements and products across a broad spectrum of categories, and I’ve been testing their products for months now. I’ve been using their magnesium threonate , apigenin , and L-theanine daily, all of which have helped me improve the onset, quality, and duration of my sleep. I’ve also been using Momentous creatine , and while it certainly helps physical performance, including poundage or wattage in sports, I use it primarily for mental performance (short-term memory, etc.). Their products are third-party tested (Informed-Sport and/or NSF certified), so you can trust that what is on the label is in the bottle and nothing else. 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Eight Sleep currently ships within the USA, Canada, the UK, select countries in the EU, and Australia. * [05:55] Where did Willoughby’s interest in meditation begin? [09:47] Discovering a link between meditation and insomnia. [11:51] Challenging assumptions about meditation as a purely beneficent practice. [13:29] Awakening is not a metaphor. [17:40] Can mindfulness be too much of a good thing? [19:46] My personal experience with meditation defying positive expectations. [28:04] Undesirable consequences of meditation are more common than you probably think. [30:03] What makes some people more vulnerable to the potential dangers of meditation than others? [45:53] Altered states as a deviation from baseline. [46:38] The impact of diet on meditation. [48:21] The neuroscience behind psychedelics and meditation. [52:53] The dangers of combining psychedelics and meditation. [54:36] Choosing and vetting the ideal meditation retreat. [59:39] When being a high achiever is a risk factor. [1:04:21] Does Willoughby currently practice any forms of meditation? [1:07:04] When meditation compromises cognition. [1:10:45] Duration of symptoms and duration of impairment. [1:11:41] Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD). [1:12:50] Differences between meditation-related and psychedelic-related adverse events. [1:15:31] The origin of Cheetah House. [1:17:52] Ideological power and scaffolding. [1:25:54] Willoughby’s self-care. [1:29:47] Resources for people seeking relief from meditation-related adverse effects. [1:34:43] Institutional betrayal and the empathy that comes from being humbled. [1:37:12] Advice for aspiring psychedelic healers. [1:39:33] Near-death experiences (NDEs). [1:50:18] Parting thoughts, and the Dalai Lama’s response to Willoughby’s meditation research. * For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show , please visit tim.blog/podcast . 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