Miguel Farias is a writer, teacher, and researcher. He holds a doctorate in Experimental Psychology from the University of Oxford, where he has lectured and tutored for the past twenty years. He is the co-author of The Buddha Pill: Can Meditation Change You? and the lead editor of The Oxford Handbook of Meditation. He has written for the BBC and New Scientist.

The Buddha Pill Podcast is produced by the academic podcast agency and has been funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation. 

The episode features contributions from:  

• David Yadden

An Associate Professor and the Roland Griffiths Professor of Psychedelic Research at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His research focus is on the psychology of spiritual experiences and the neuroscience of psychedelic and psychedelic-like mental states.

Yaden, David, & Newberg, Andrew (2022). The Varieties of Spiritual Experiences: 21st Century Research and Perspectives. Oxford University Press.

• Gavin Flood

A professor of Hindu studies and comparative religion, Oxford University

Flood, Gavin. (2004). The Ascetic Self: Subjectivity, Memory, and Tradition. Cambridge University Press.
Flood, Gavin (2021).  Hinduism and Meditation: Tantra.

• David Leech

A philosopher of religion and a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Religious Studies, University of Bristol. He holds a PhD in the Philosophy from Cambridge University and is currently working on a book about ‘Heart Intelligence’.

Tallon, Andrew (1997). Head and Heart: Affection, Cognition, Volition, as Truine Consciousness. New York: Fordham University Press.

Steinbock, Anthony J. (2021). Knowing by Heart: Loving as Participation and Critique. Evanston, Illinois: Northwestern University Press.

Erickson, Robert A. (1997). The Language of the Heart, 1600-1750.  Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.

Steinbock, Anthony J., (editor) (2022). Phenomenology and Perspectives on the Heart.  Springer Nature.

• Pierce Salguero

A Professor of Asian History and Health Humanities at Penn State University’s Abington College. He holds a Ph.D. in History of Medicine from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and is the host of the Blackberyl podcast.

Salguero, Pierce (editor) (2026). Meditation Sickness: A Sourcebook on the Dangers of Buddhist Practice. University of Hawaii Press.

Salguero, Pierce (2025). A Lamp unto Yourself: A Beginner's Guide to Asian Spiritual Practices, from Advaita and Buddhism to Yoga and Zen. Beacon Press. 

• Georgios Halkias 

Director of the Centre for Buddhist Studies and the Glorious Sun Professor in Buddhist Studies, at the University of Hong Kong.

Halkias, Georgios (2021).  Buddhist Meditation in Tibet: Exoteric and Esoteric Orientations. Oxford University Press. 

Halkias, Georgios (2013). Luminous Bliss: A Religious History of Pure Land Literature in Tibet. University of Hawaii Press.

The Tibetan Book of the Dead (translated by Gyurme Dorje) (2007). Penguin Books. 

Miguel Farias is a writer, teacher, and researcher. He holds a doctorate in Experimental Psychology from the University of Oxford, where he has lectured and tutored for the past twenty years. He is the co-author of The Buddha Pill: Can Meditation Change You? and the lead editor of The Oxford Handbook of Meditation. He has written for the BBC and New Scientist.

The Buddha Pill Podcast is produced by the Academic Podcast Agency and has been funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation 

The episode features contributions from:  

• Jessica Frazier 

A lecturer in theology and religion at Trinity College, Oxford, and a fellow of the Oxford Centre for Hindu studies

Frazier, Jessica (2021). The Self in Meditation: The Art of Self-Transformation. In Miguel Farias, David Brazier, and Mansur Lalljee (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Meditation. Oxford University Press.

Forman, Jed (2024).Out of Sight, Into Mind: The History and Philosophy of Yogic Perception. Columbia University Press.

• Peter Sedlmeier

An emeritus Professor of Psychology at Chemnitz University of Technology, Germany. He has published widely on the psychological effects of meditation.

Sedlmeier, Peter. (2022). The Psychology of Meditation: Varieties, Effects, Theories and Perspectives. Hogrefe Publishing.

Sedlmeier, P. (2023). What mindfulness, and for whom? And why might it work? Springer Nature. 

Matko, K. & Sedlmeier, p. (2023). Which meditation technique for whom? An experimental single case study comparing concentrative, humming, observing thoughts, and walking meditation. Springer Nature. 
 

• Brendan Case & Michael Ferguson 

Brendan Chase is the Associate Director for Research of the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University.
Michael Ferguson is a pioneering Harvard neuroscientist and founding director of the Neurospirituality Lab, they are both interested in studying the Christian contemplative tradition.

Laird, Martin (2021). Western Christianity and Meditation. In M. Farias, D. Brazier & M. Lalljee (Eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Meditation (pp 144-162). Oxford University Press.

Palmer, G. (translator)(1951). Writings From the Philokalia on Prayer of the Heart. London: Faber & Faber.

The Desert Fathers: Sayings of the Early Christian Monks. Edited by B. Ward. Penguin Classics, 2003.

• Georgios Halkias

Director of the Centre for Buddhist Studies and the Glorious Sun Professor in Buddhist Studies, at the University of Hong Kong.

Halkias, Georgios (2021).  Buddhist Meditation in Tibet: Exoteric and Esoteric Orientations. The Oxford Handbook of Meditation: Miguel Farias (ed.) et al.

• Swami Ambikananda 

A Hindu monastic and the founder of The Traditional Yoga Association. She also is a Yoga and meditation teacher and the translator of Hindu scriptures.

The Uddhava Gita (2000), translated by Swami Ambikananda. London: Francis Lincoln. This is part of the Bhagavatha Purana and is said to be the final teaching of Krishna. 

Vasistha's Yoga (1993), translated by Swami Venkatesananda. New York: SUNY Press. This is a teaching of the Sage Vasishtha to the young Prince Rama who stood before him in a depressed state.  It is told by the Sage Valmiki.

Miguel Farias is a writer, teacher, and researcher. He holds a doctorate in Experimental Psychology from the University of Oxford, where he has lectured and tutored for the past twenty years. He is the co-author of The Buddha Pill: Can Meditation Change You? and the lead editor of The Oxford Handbook of Meditation. He has written for the BBC and New Scientist.

The Buddha Pill Podcast is produced by the Academic Podcast Agency and Perfect Motion and has been funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation

This episode features contributions from:  

• Swami Ambikananda 

A Hindu monastic and the founder of The Traditional Yoga Association. She also is a Yoga and meditation teacher and the translator of Hindu scriptures.

The Uddhava Gita (2000), translated by Swami Ambikananda. Francis Lincoln Ltd. This text is part of the Bhagavatha Purana and is said to be the final teaching of Krishna.

Vasistha's Yoga (1993), translated by Swami Venkatesananda. New York: SUNY Press. This is a teaching of the Sage Vasishtha to the young Prince Rama who stood before him in a depressed state.  It is told by the Sage Valmiki.

• Ivana Buric 

A neuroscientist and mindfulness teacher. She holds a PhD from the University of Radboud, Netherlands, and Coventry University, England, and currently is a Research Fellow at the University of Amsterdam.

Buric, I. (2025). Psychoneuroimmunology of Mindfulness: What works, how it works, and for whom?. Brain, Behavior, & Immunity-Health, 46, 101022.

Mind the hype: A critical evaluation and prescriptive agenda for research on mindfulness and meditation. Perspectives on psychological science, 13(1), 36-61. British Journal of Health Psychology - Van Dam, N. T., Van Vugt, M. K., Vago, D. R., Schmalzl, L., Saron, C. D., Olendzki, A., ... & Meyer, D. E. (2018). 

• David Brazier 

A Buddhist priest, lecturer, author, and psychotherapist. He holds a PhD from Keele University, England, and has published widely on Buddhism and Buddhism psychology.

The Feeling Buddha: An introduction to Buddhism. (Macmillan Publishers).
 
Who loves dies well: On the brink of Buddha’s Pure Land. (Mantra Books). 

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