Can a Computer Teach You to Calm Your Mind?

Shinzen Young is a meditation teacher who's almost 80 years old, but he says he feels like he's 8, 18, and 80 all at once. The 8-year-old in him is excited like a kid in a candy store because of all the amazing things happening with technology and meditation. He's working on something that might sound strange at first: using artificial intelligence (AI) to help people learn meditation. But he's not talking about just asking a chatbot for advice. He's building something much more sophisticated—think of it as an incredibly smart, interactive book that can guide you through meditation in any language, at any time of day or night, for as long as you need.

Shinzen believes this technology could make expert meditation guidance available to everyone in the world, not just wealthy people who can afford private teachers. The AI won't get tired, won't be unavailable, and won't take advantage of students the way some human teachers unfortunately have. He's especially interested in teaching "equanimity"—a skill that helps us handle both pleasant and unpleasant feelings without getting overwhelmed. He even thinks this skill might be built into our biology from millions of years of evolution. While Shinzen knows there are risks with new technology, he's optimistic that AI meditation guidance could be like "a subtle breath of the angels"—quietly helping bring out the best in humanity. His dream is to offer this for free to anyone in the world who needs it.

Let's Talk About It

1. Shinzen says he feels like three ages at once—8, 18, and 80. If you could feel like multiple ages at the same time, which ages would you pick and why? What's good about each age?

2. What do you think are the advantages of learning something from a human teacher versus learning from a really smart computer program? What might each one do better?

3. Shinzen wants to make meditation guidance free and available to everyone in the world, in any language. If you could make one skill or type of knowledge freely available to everyone on Earth, what would it be and why?

4. "Equanimity" means staying calm and balanced when dealing with both good and bad feelings. Can you think of a time when you or someone you know showed equanimity? What happened, and how did staying calm help?

After-Dinner Experiment

Try a family "equanimity practice" together. Set a timer for just two minutes. Everyone sits comfortably and pays attention to their breathing—noticing the air going in and out. When your mind wanders (and it will!), just gently bring your attention back to your breath without judging yourself. Afterward, share: Was it easy or hard? What did you notice? Did two minutes feel long or short? Try this for a few days and see if anyone notices feeling a little calmer during stressful moments. You're experiencing what millions of people around the world have practiced for thousands of years—and what Shinzen hopes to make available to everyone through technology.