Dr. John Vervaeke The Cognitive Science of Happiness with Mark Miller
32 snips
Mar 13, 2026 Mark Miller, a cognitive scientist who studies predictive processing, wellbeing, and meditation research, explains why common narratives of happiness mislead. He discusses predictive mind theory, linking ancient philosophy with modern neuroscience. Conversations cover meditation science, affect and craving, flow and play, and a course roadmap integrating theory with practical paths to flourishing.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
EEG Study On Expert Jhāna Meditation
- Mark describes participating in EEG research on advanced Buddhist jhāna meditators to link theory with neural data.
- He and collaborators are doing the first serious EEG studies on jhāna to integrate neuroscience with contemplative theory.
Start From The Predictive Mind Not Folk Ontologies
- Human flourishing is best understood by starting from first principles about how the cognitive system is organized rather than folk ontologies of 'happiness'.
- Mark Miller uses predictive processing to show organisms are epistemic agents whose core computational task is to model themselves and the world, revealing what supports or undermines flourishing.
Knowing Yourself Means Knowing Your Owner's Manual
- Humans are epistemic organisms whose primary computational job is to figure out who they are and what the world is like.
- That makes honesty, intellectual humility, and discernment fundamental virtues because they sustain accurate world-modeling needed for adaptation and meaning.