Inside the Jhourney

Learn how to practice jhana using the technique we've seen lead 60-70% of meditators into jhana on retreat, the common mistakes, and why facilitation compresses the timeline. Most meditation plateaus aren't effort problems; they're feedback problems. If you're not seeing signs of progress, it's time to switch things up, not power through.

Jhana is a skill, and like learning any skill, your learning strategy matters more than effort. Here are three strategies for learning—retreat-first, daily practice, or periodic intensives—each optimized for different lifestyles.

What does neuroscience say about jhana? A review of the research from 2013 to 2025—what the studies show, what they don't, and what we still can't claim.

Learn about our “super secret” master plan and longterm vision on superwellbeing.

We surveyed 58 retreat participants and found those with nuanced self-awareness (compared to overconfidence) were more likely to access jhana. Learn the importance of cultivating a learner’s mindset.

Why do people mean such different things when they say "jhana"? David Braun traces how a fifth-century commentary called the Visuddhimagga introduced a second, narrower definition of jhana—one that reshaped Buddhist meditation for centuries and created the confusing landscape practitioners encounter today. A carefully sourced guide for anyone trying to make sense of conflicting claims about meditation's deepest states.

Peak meditative states can unlock life-changing experiences. However, like all transformative practices, they come with potential risks, including adverse effects. This post is a deeper look at meditation safety, our specific protocols to mitigate risks, and what we've observed so far.

Why aren’t the jhanas more popular? A combination of historical accident and difficulty to learn.

Our first alumni impact report.

Considering a Jhourney in-person retreat? Learn exactly what to expect, how best to prepare, and practical tips to ensure a deeply meaningful meditation experience. Discover how taking intentional steps can maximize your retreat benefits.

Learn how our in-person and online retreats compare in helping participants reach the jhanas. Discover which format fits your meditation practice and preferences.

Difficulty sparking a pleasant sensation can be a barrier to jhana access. Learn how forgiveness meditation can help you release negative emotions and enter jhana.

Discover how our online retreat schedule adapts to multiple time zones.

Meditation instruction often says to have “no goal” or drop notions of “improvement”. At Jhourney we couldn’t disagree more with these statements. There is always a goal to meditation.

We’re innovating to make life-changing meditation accessible to everyone. Let’s look at the results so far, discuss risks with traditional approaches, and how we’ve designed our retreats to minimize these risks.

Our vision of accessible, life-changing meditation involves two things: groundbreaking tech and world-class instruction. We made great progress on both in 2023.

Recap of progress and plans at the end of H1 2023.

We collected 40 hours of biodata over the course of a weeklong silent jhana retreat.