Altered Traits
Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson · 2017
A psychologist and a neuroscientist cut through the hype to show what meditation actually rewires in your brain and body. The real prize isn't a blissful state on the cushion but altered traits: durable upgrades to how you handle stress, focus, and care for others.
A well-known evidence-based look at what meditation actually does to the brain and behavior.
Two of the ideas you’ll keep
The Clif summary of Altered Traits pulls out 7 insights. Here are the first two.
- Chase traits, not states: a calm session that fades by lunchtime is just an altered state. Aim instead for lasting changes in your baseline by practicing consistently, because the goal is who you become off the cushion, not how good you feel on it.
- Dose matters more than intensity. Benefits compound with cumulative hours, so a modest daily habit (even 10-20 minutes) beats occasional marathon sessions. Track total practice over months, not how each sitting feels.
The other 5 — and the full 10-minute summary — are in the app.
What’s inside: 10 chapters
The whole summary runs about 10 minutes, read or listened to.
- States Fade, Traits Endure
- The Deep Path and the Wide Path
- Why Most Meditation Studies Don't Count
- Taming the Stressed Brain
- Compassion You Can Practice
- Training a Wandering Mind
- Loosening the Grip of 'Me'
- What Meditation Does to the Body
- The Olympic-Level Meditators
- The Four Pillars of a Well Mind
Finish Altered Traits tonight.
Read or listen to the full summary in about 10 minutes, then keep the ideas with a minute of review a day. Start with the 2-minute quiz — no card required.
Close to Altered Traits
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Mindfulness in Plain English Bhante Henepola Gunaratana A clear, classic, widely recommended manual on insight meditation, perfectly summarizable as how-to. -
Real Happiness Sharon Salzberg A practical, step-by-step meditation workbook from a leading mindfulness teacher, ideal for actionable summaries. -
The Headspace Guide to Meditation and Mindfulness Andy Puddicombe From the Headspace founder, a hugely popular, beginner-friendly take-ten-minutes approach to meditation.