In this episode we discuss how you’re wrong about what you think will make you happy. Research shows that the vast majority of people are terrible at predicting what will actually make them happy and even when you think you know what makes you happy, you’re often wrong. We break apart the core delusions that stop you from being happy, and we dig into a scientific analysis of the state of “enlightenment” to uncover that it’s not just something for Buddhist monks, but a measurable brain state that can achieved by anyone, anywhere with our guests Dr. Ash ElDifrawi and Dr. Alex Lickerman.
Dr. Ash ElDifrawi is a thought leader in clinical, social, and consumer psychology. He's been featured in The Economist, Forbes, Bloomberg, the WSJ and much more. Dr. Alex Lickerman is the author of The Undefeated Mind and physician. He is the former assistant professor of medicine, director of primary care, and assistant vice president for Student Health and Counseling Services at the University of Chicago. His work has been featured in The New York Times, TIME, USA Today and much more!What you think you need to be happy is wrong Your current beliefs about how to achieve happiness are “delusions” Most of the things you think will make you happy are “delusional beliefs"Does happiness come from getting the things you want?What happens when you lose the things that you’ve anchored your happiness to?It’s like a stick of gum - you get a hit, but then the taste and flavor fade over timeThe science shows that this is a neurological phenomenon - we habituate to any attachment we have. We start to take things for granted. It’s delusional to think that getting something you want is going to make you a happier person. Because of our psychology and our neurology - you can get stuck on a hedonic treadmill and you always come back to your baseline level of happiness. The question for happiness began with empirical study of science, psychology and researchBuddhist philosophers have been observing the mind for 2500 years, in many ways they were some of the earliest psychologists There has been an explosion of research on happiness and yet unhappiness is increasing, too much of the current research is too superficial How can the belief that happiness is about the avoidance of pain lead to more pain, suffering and unhappiness?The Nine “Core Delusions” that prevent you from being happy Any attachment, by definition it’s ability to provide you joy is temporary. All external attachments are eventually lost. All attachments are temporary. Every attachment contains the seed of future suffering. How do you get ENDURING INDESTRUCTIBLE HAPPINESS? Instead of temporary happiness?Could enlightenment be a reproducible life experience? “The default mode network” - the self referential part of the brain How do you “pierce the veil of illusion of the self?"Enlightenment, the scientific brain state of transdencent joy, is something that can be achieved by anyone, anywhere. It’s not just for buddhist monks. How can we reach for the state of awe in our every day lives? How can we move towards enlightenment in our everyday lives? Homework: Become mindful to the degree to which these core delusions determine how happy you are. When something makes you unhappy, ask yourself what has happened that has made you unhappy, what core belief has this event stirred up in you that has made you unhappy?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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