Ready to begin or deepen your meditation practice? Join Dan Harris and world-class meditation teachers on the 10% with Dan Harris app here: https://app.danharris.com/membership --- Most of us treat addiction, chronic pain, and emotional distress as three separate problems. Researcher Eric Garland has spent 20 years building a single evidence-based therapy — rooted in mindfulness — that addresses all three at once. Eric Garland, PhD, is a professor and addiction researcher at the University of Southern California and the developer of Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE). His work has been funded by over $90 million in federal research grants across 16 clinical trials. In this conversation, Eric Garland shares: - Why addiction, chronic pain, and depression all involve the same breakdown in the brain's reward system — and how mindfulness reverses it - The "STOP" technique: a simple practice for catching an addictive habit before it happens - How to use "zooming in and zooming out" to reduce pain by up to 30% in the moment — comparable to five milligrams of oxycodone - What reappraisal is, how it quiets the stress response at the neurological level, and the A-B-C-D framework for doing it - Why savoring everyday pleasures isn't just pleasant — it's a clinical tool that rewires the brain and reduces cravings - How self-transcendent awareness fits into all of this — and why it may be the most underrated part of the protocol MORE has been shown to reduce opioid misuse by 45%, cut cravings by 50%, and reduce chronic pain by 25% — with effects lasting nine months after an eight-week program. --- Subscribe to watch more 10% Happier videos: https://www.youtube.com/tenpercenthappier Follow Dan Harris on Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/danharris/ https://www.tiktok.com/@danbharris https://www.facebook.com/DanHarrisABC https://twitter.com/danbharris https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-harris-91ba5716b/ --- Timestamps: 0:00:00 Introduction 0:01:00 Eric's origin story: from childhood meditation to clinical research 0:03:00 The career pivot that launched 20 years of addiction and pain research 0:05:00 How MORE was developed — and how Eric ended up needing it himself 0:07:00 The elevator pitch for MORE 0:08:00 Who MORE is designed for — and who can benefit from its principles 0:09:00 What mindfulness means in the MORE protocol 0:10:00 The cognitive processing model of addiction — why habits become automatic 0:12:00 How mindfulness interrupts the automaticity of addictive behavior 0:14:00 Mindfulness practices in MORE: breath, body scan, and expanding awareness 0:16:00 Non-dual awareness and self-transcendence — what they mean and why they matter 0:22:00 How self-transcendence practically helps with addiction and pain 0:26:00 The "bigger, better offer" — using awareness as a natural reward 0:27:00 The STOP technique for catching addictive habits in the moment 0:29:00 Mindfulness of craving — and what people discover when they actually look 0:30:00 How pain is processed in the brain — and why the mind is a volume knob 0:31:00 Zooming in and zooming out: the MORE pain meditation technique 0:34:00 The clinical data: pain reduction, opioid misuse, and lasting effects 0:35:00 What reappraisal is — and its roots in Stoic philosophy and CBT 0:37:00 The neuroscience of reappraisal: what happens in the brain 0:38:00 When to use reappraisal — shame spirals, catastrophizing, and chronic pain 0:39:00 The A-B-C-D framework for reappraisal in everyday life 0:44:00 Savoring: why it's the key to rewiring the brain's reward system 0:47:00 How to actually practice savoring — throughout any ordinary day 0:52:00 Why the brain is wired to focus on threat — and how savoring rebalances it 0:53:00 The full MORE outcome data: addiction, pain, depression, PTSD, and cost savings 0:54:00 Where to learn more: moretherapy.com --- #meditation #mindfulness #addiction #mentalhealth #chronicpain --- This episode is sponsored by: **Cozy Earth** — Premium bedding, loungewear, and more. Use code HARRIS for up to 20% off at https://www.cozyearth.com **Fabric by Gerber Life** — Term life insurance for busy parents, done entirely online in under 10 minutes. Apply at https://www.meetfabric.com/Happier **LinkedIn Ads** — Reach the right professionals with LinkedIn's targeting tools. Spend $250 and get a $250 credit at http://www.linkedin.com/happier **Northwest Registered Agent** — LLC formation, registered agent service, and free business resources. Get started at https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/Happier-free