Buddhism on Dan Arel — Secular Buddhism & Practice

Sam Harris and the mindfulness of hate

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Sam Harris is a grifter.

There is no other way to put it, even if that is a tough way to start a blog. For the last decade or so, Harris has moved away from his firebrand atheism to selling his mindfulness platform and his book Waking Up, which led to an app and more.

Now, does Harris practice mindfulness? Probably. I can see him meditating and maybe reflecting, and in reality, that’s fine. Even selling his app and books to his audience is fine; to each their own.

A sound bath for skeptics

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Today, at a conference I took part in a sound bath meditation, and found it incredibly relaxing and reduced my stress, anxiety, and even some pain in my back.

However, I don’t necessarily think that the sound both itself accomplished this, and as the every annoying skeptic I am, needed to research after.

What I found was limited scientific data about the effectiveness of a sound bath. One study noted:

“Tibetan singing bowl meditation may be a feasible low-cost low technology intervention for reducing feelings of tension, anxiety, and depression, and increasing spiritual well-being. This meditation type may be especially useful in decreasing tension in individuals who have not previously practiced this form of meditation.”

My journey towards mindfulness

Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I am reading some books right now well out of my normal genre. I think if people who knew me saw my bookshelf right now, they’d think I’d lost my mind.

In the past week, I have purchased, The Joy of Living, Confessions of an Atheist Buddhist, to name two of eight new books, and I just finished The Miracle of Mindfulness.

To start, no, I am not yet another white dude claiming to be Buddhist and walking around with prayer hands to everyone I see. That said, I am looking to many Buddhist practices around mindfulness, greatly inspired by Dan Harris’s book, 10% Happier.