Dr Pierce Salguero sits down with Nick Canby, visiting assistant professor at Brown University and a clinical psychologist specializing in meditation and psychedelics. Together, we dive into Nick’s research on the self — what is it and what it’s like to lose it. Along the way, we mention some of the downsides of experiencing oneness and the complications of defining a mental health disorder.

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Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Previous episode on meditation challenges with Willoughby Britton and Jared Lindahl

• List of Publications from the Varieties of Contemplative Experience study

• Canby et al., "The Teacher Matters: The Role and Impact of Meditation Teachers in the Trajectories of Western Buddhist Meditators Experiencing Meditation-Related Challenges"

• Pierce's forthcoming volume, "Meditation Sickness: A Sourcebook on the Dangers of Buddhist Practice"

• Previous episode on madness and religious experience with Richard Saville-Smith

• Nick's clinical practice

• Nick's profile on Cheetah House

• Complete list of Nick's publications

Become a paid subscriber on blackberyl.substack.com to unlock our members-only benefits, including downloading:

• Article summarizing Nick's dissertation research on "loss of self" experiences

Pierce Salguero is a transdisciplinary scholar of health humanities who is fascinated by historical and contemporary intersections between Buddhism, medicine, and crosscultural exchange. He has a Ph.D. in History of Medicine from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (2010), and teaches Asian history, medicine, and religion at Penn State University’s Abington College, located near Philadelphia. website

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