Ancient Buddhist texts mention mystical jhanas, euphoric states of consciousness, which lead to an intense joy journey ending in full-body peace.
Jhanas, experienced by monks during deep meditation, explore our mind’s depths, venturing beyond the physical world’s boundaries to offer enlightenment and peace.
Reaching the jhanas requires focus, dedication, and discipline but the personal growth and tranquillity rewards are massive.
Jhanas offer a more significant experience than mindfulness meditation or a runner’s high as it carries on beyond the meditation session and is deeply spiritual and psychologically enriching.
According to Matthew Sacchet from Harvard Medical School, a jhana state’s pleasure exceeds that of an orgasm. The jhanas, considered difficult to achieve, have been reintroduced in the West and gained popularity, especially among the Bay Area’s tech-savvy individuals.
As people unplug from their hyper-connected worlds and dive into deep, meditative jhanas, a tech-led meditation trend emerges, introducing alternative wellness paradigms in the West.
Jhourney, founded by Tech entrepreneurs Stephen Zerfas and Alex Gruver, aims to blend AI and EEG brain scans to aid novice meditators in accessing jhana states quickly. This innovative blend of technology and mindfulness could potentially revolutionise the world of meditation.
Zerfas, who had experienced jhana states during a personal crisis, and Gruver are developing an app to make achieving jhana states more accessible. Their goal is to help users harness their minds’ profound potential for a better life.
The founders hope to provide novices with live biofeedback through scalp-attached sensors so that they can experience jhana states and re-enter them at will. This capability would serve as an effective tool for mastering mental and emotional states.
To enable people to enter jhana states quickly, they created a learning environment where beginners learn how to enter the jhana state under experienced teacher’s guidance.
By making meditation both accessible and measurable, the founders believe this method could revolutionise meditation practices. Moreover, they’re optimistic about the project’s potential to demystify the jhana state and its scientific and spiritual merits.
