The SHN #51: Meditation Dangers, Physique Training, and Rethinking "Work"

Welcome back to The Synergetic Health Newsletter! 

In this edition, we’ll look into the hidden risks of meditation and psychedelics.

After that, check out my guys who can help get you the body you’ve always wanted.

Then, a look into the modern work culture.

Finally, I’ll include some links to things I’ve found particularly interesting recently.

Joe Burt

🧘 Meditation, Psychedelics, and the Hidden Risks

For years, I've been a fairly dedicated meditator and explorer of psychedelic experiences, drawn to the promise of insights, feelings of oneness, and higher levels of happiness and well-being. Like many others in the modern mindfulness movement, I believed these practices were mostly risk-free - ancient wisdom backed by modern science as a panacea for the stresses and struggles of life.

However, I’ve recently discovered Dr. Willoughby Britton whose research has opened my eyes to a more complex reality. As director of Brown University's Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory, Dr. Britton has been studying the effects of contemplative practices like meditation on the brain and mental health. To my surprise, her research reveals that meditation and psychedelics, while beneficial for many, carry underappreciated risks of adverse effects for some individuals.

In a 2013 podcast interview with Tim Ferriss, Dr. Britton described how her 10-year "Varieties of Contemplative Experience" study uncovered 59 categories of meditation-related challenges, spanning changes in cognition, perception, emotions, motivation, sense of self, and social relationships. A striking 50% of people who tried meditation even once reported at least one negative effect, while 10% experienced impairments in functioning lasting on average 1-3 years. Hearing this made me reflect on my own practice.

While I always framed it as equanimity and non-attachment, I've noticed a flattening of my emotional spectrum over the years, positive and negative. Echoing a meditator from the study, I now wonder if rather than enlightened acceptance, I've been cultivating some dissociation from my feelings, my body, my relationships. A "healthy" practice taken too far?

The discussion also highlighted fundamental assumptions I never questioned about meditation's purpose and suitability for everyone. The "goal state" of emotionless calm makes sense within Buddhism but may not align with every individual and culture.

Even more concerning, the neurobiology of some meditation practices mimics dissociation - a trauma response of shutting down emotionally, numbing out. This helps explain Dr. Britton's finding that it's often the most dedicated meditators - those with perfectionist and high-achieving tendencies - who are most vulnerable to adverse effects as they diligently apply techniques not tailored to their needs.

So what are the solutions and safeguards? Dr. Britton advocates for:

1. Educating meditators to track their individual "indicators" of when a practice is leading out of their window of tolerance into dysregulation, and to adjust accordingly

2. Training meditation teachers in the range of adverse effects, with knowledge of trauma-sensitive and customizable approaches

3. Retreat centers offering flexible "off ramps" and support for those who decompensate

4. Expanding access to qualified therapists and peer supporters specializing in meditation-related challenges

Of course, meditation and psychedelics remain valuable tools with significant benefits for many. The key is engaging with discernment, humility and support to work with your unique mind-body system.

I'm grateful for finding Dr. Britton, her research, and the many meditators who vulnerably shared their experiences to bring these issues to light. Continuing this conversation is vital for the health of our contemplative communities. While sobering in some ways, this knowledge ultimately gives me renewed appreciation for the complexity and potential of these practices.

I plan to continue my meditation practice and remain open to more psychedelic experiences while also remembering that there are potentially negative effects from their use.

Learn more about Dr. Britton’s work with Cheetah House, dig deeper into all her studies on the subject, and watch her TED talk “Why a Neuroscientist Would Study Meditation.”

For additional discussion on this topic, the Financial Times recently released a four-part series called “The Retreat”. This investigative podcast looked into the “perils of meditation”, looking to answer if Vipassana retreats can cause psychological distress.

💪 Physique Optimization

When I first got into lifting weights as a sophomore in high school, it wasn’t so I could make it to the Olympics or live until I was 100. I simply wanted to grow muscles to look intimidating to other males and impressive to females.

I would argue the majority of people that start a new exercise program have a similar motivation— to look better.

Have a look at magazine covers, article headlines, supplement promises, and claims from internet wellness gurus. There is so much much money in the world of “getting the body you always wanted.”

While there is some good information shared, most of it falls well short of having a scientific foundation to actually help you achieve your beach physique.

RP Strength

Back when I was a beginning personal trainer in Manhattan, there were two “well-muscled” guys that worked for the same company as I did. Fast forward 15 years and Dr. Mike Israetel and Nick Shaw have built one of the biggest online exercise empires in the world, RP Strength.

Mike is a PhD in Sport Physiology and Prof. of Nutrition and Sport Science while Nick is the CEO of the company founded on evidence-based practices. Their team of coaches currently boasts 20 PhDs in the fields of Sports Physiology, Sports Performance, Sports Nutrition and even Cellular/Molecular Biology with an emphasis in Nutritional Physiology.

I’ve previously mentioned their Diet App, which is in a league of its own when it comes to managing your nutrition based on specific physique and/or performance goals.

For years I’ve also been using their muscle hypertrophy lifting programs as well, which they now have turned into the incredibly impressive Hypertrophy App.

If you follow these two tools to the letter, you are virtually guaranteed to achieve whatever (reasonable) physique goal you have for yourself. It’s like having the best performance nutritionist and personal trainer in your back pocket at all times. An easy recommend for me.

For people overwhelmed by the precise nature and cost of those applications, they also offer “simple” diet and exercise templates which require less time commitment.

One of my good buddies, Scott Hoon, does all their video content on the various online platforms. It’s no surprise to me, then, that their social channels have been going parabolic the last few years. This is due in part to Scott’s ability but also to the legit content and Dr. Mike’s humor— which may not be for everyone!

Here are some recent videos which may be interesting to you:

How to Stay Lean All Summer and Have Fun

Easily Build Muscle: The Simple Guide to Gaining Size

How to Lose Fat Easily Without Counting Calories

How to Make a Drastic Visual Change to Your Body ULTRA FAST

The Best Strategy to Get Bigger and Leaner Over Time

There is a ton more over at their YouTube channel. You can also follow Dr. Mike on Instagram and listen to the very thorough interview “Exercise Scientist’s Masterclass On Building Muscle”, with Mike, on the Chris Williamson podcast.

Throughout my career in personal training, my own lived experience, and my observation of the physical culture world, I’ve always been surprised how few people actually have a sound plan when it comes to their exercise routines. I am often guilty of this as well!

Most folks just show up to the gym, to class, or to the track without any real idea if what they are doing is actually going to yield the desired result. Having a plan, backed by science, is the only foolproof way to make progress. This is what makes having tools such as the ones offered by RP so helpful.

If you want some guidance on your exercise program, send me an email, I’d be happy to help.

💼 Rethinking “Work”

Paul Millerd, author of “The Pathless Path”, says that taking extended breaks or sabbaticals from work will soon be more and more common, as individuals yearn to find “the work” that really resonates with them.

A theme which comes up in many of the spiritual, self-help type books I read is that the longer you resist the soul’s call to follow your interests and what brings you energy and joy, the likelier you are to fall ill.

I believe that you are not here on Earth just to pick any old job that pays the bills and gives you peace of mind. Instead, it makes more sense to walk the path that lights you up, even if it can be scary.

If you're curious to explore an alternative approach to work and life, watch this excerpt from Rolf Potts' book 'Vagabonding', which beautifully encapsulates the essence of slow travel and the joy of living with less.

𝕏 Thread of the Week

🏋🏼‍♀️ Resistance Training as a Treatment of Depression and Anxiety in Young People: A research review published on May 6th of this year concluded that “resistance training is an effective intervention in reducing depression and anxiety symptoms in young people, delivered across a range of settings.” The review analyzed 43 years of randomized controlled trials (RCT’s) that included at least four weeks of training, with participants age 26 and younger. My N=1 experience with this agrees.

💻 Artificial Blue Light is Proliferating Chronic Disease & the Mental Health Crisis: Since I’m playing the hits, here is a link to another great article from Tristan Scott, who writes “Blue light from artificial sources is one of the most biologically disruptive toxins that exists in our modern world today.” Scott discusses how artificial blue light disrupts our circadian rhythm, is addictive by design, disrupts our neurotransmitters, and that a disrupted circadian rhythm has been linked to nearly all chronic diseases.

Scott, and others in the decentralized health community, have been discussing an upcoming product release called The Daylight Computer, which has “an innovative reflective screen technology that is blue light free and works with nature instead of against it.” Check out a discussion about the new technology here.

♫ Frequency Minded Music: If you’re looking to listen to something new, consider carefully crafted frequency music, like Listening to Smile. Ian Morris, its founder, “consciously composes the music with frequencies and tones known to create coherence and order. The music invites ease and flow into the cellular processes of the body and brainwave states of the mind.” There are plenty of tracks on Spotify to check out.

🔗 One Hitters

🌿 Breaking down AG1’s health claims (Takedown video)

🍖 All about connective tissue: the Swiss army knife of healing foods (X Post)

📱 Do we live in a social media technology addicted society? (Article)

✔️ That will do it for this time! Hopefully you got some value out of it. If you have any questions/comments/things you’d like to learn more about please don’t hesitate to reach out.

🔗 If you know anyone who loves learning about these types of topics, send them this link!

📰 To read all past newsletters, go here.

📖 Read “Accelerated SELF-Development” and the accompanying "Resources”