Jhanas [1] are often described as an “advanced meditation practice,” a phrase that suggests that one must be a skilled meditator to access them – just as only a skilled outdoorsman would embark upon an expedition to the Arctic Circle. It implies that meditation exists on a spectrum of difficulty, with perhaps mindfulness apps like Calm and Headspace on one end, and jhanas on the other. Jhanas are a series of eight altered mental states, which progress from euphoria, to peacefulness, to ...
