Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Is the way your brain pursues happiness actually making you miserable? John Vervaeke and cognitive scientist Mark Miller explore the cognitive science of happiness and predictive processing.
In this conversation, John introduces Mark Miller, cognitive scientist, former student, collaborator, and instructor at the University of Toronto. Together they explore the foundations of human flourishing through the lens of modern cognitive science and ancient philosophical insight. The discussion examines why popular culture often misunderstands happiness and why a deeper understanding of cognitive architecture is necessary for genuine wellbeing.
Drawing from predictive processing theory, Mark explains how human beings are fundamentally epistemic agents who constantly construct models of the world. This architecture allows for insight, wisdom, and flourishing, but it also leaves us vulnerable to confusion, addiction, and self-deception. The conversation explores how contemporary crises such as depression, misinformation, and the opioid epidemic are connected to deeper problems in how we understand ourselves.
The discussion also introduces Mark’s eight-week Lectern course Generations of Joy: The Cognitive Science of Happiness, which explores cutting-edge research across meditation science, cognitive neuroscience, philosophy, and contemplative practice. The course examines topics including the predictive mind, addiction and despair, depression and the meaning crisis, meditation and self-transcendence, play and flow states, wisdom, and the cultivation of flourishing.
Mark Miller is a cognitive scientist and researcher specializing in predictive processing, wellbeing, and the cognitive science of happiness. He teaches in the psychology and cognitive science programs at the University of Toronto and conducts research with the Center for Consciousness and Contemplative Studies at Monash University. He is also affiliated as a visiting researcher at Hokkaido University where he contributes to interdisciplinary research on artificial intelligence, neuroscience, and human nature.
Mark Miller
Website
https://www.markdmiller.live/
Cognitive Science
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/cognitive-science/
Philosophical Psychology
tandfonline.com/toc/cphp20/current
Socrates
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/socrates/
Support this work and join the Lectern community on Patreon
patreon.com/johnvervaeke
Want to explore these ideas in depth?
Join the Lectern platform and enroll in the course Generations of Joy
lectern.johnvervaeke.com/courses/generations-of-joy
00:00 Welcome to the Lectern
03:30 Mark’s background and research homes
04:30 Course preview Generations of Joy
06:00 Cutting edge meditation science
08:00 Ancient philosophy meets cognitive science
10:30 Defining happiness beyond media narratives
12:30 First principles cognitive framework
15:30 Humans as epistemic agents
17:45 Knowing your owner’s manual
18:00 Meaning wisdom and insight
27:00 Addiction despair and course roadmap
28:00 Flexibility and reframing
29:00 Week one the predictive mind
31:00 Dogen on ignorance
33:00 Neuroscience of emptiness
35:00 Weeks two through eight overview
40:00 Why the course matters
43:00 Interlocking crises and relevance
47:30 Doomscrolling drugs and misinformation
50:00 Discernment versus spiritual buffet
51:00 Meditation risks ethics and education
53:30 Off the shelf spirituality critique
Follow John Vervaeke
Website johnvervaeke.com
Twitter https://x.com/DrJohnVervaeke
YouTube youtube.com/@johnvervaeke/videos
Patreon patreon.com/johnvervaeke
Thank you for watching.
Is the way your brain pursues happiness actually making you miserable? John Vervaeke and cognitive scientist Mark Miller explore the cognitive science of happiness and predictive processing.
In this conversation, John introduces Mark Miller, cognitive scientist, former student, collaborator, and instructor at the University of Toronto. Together they explore the foundations of human flourishing through the lens of modern cognitive science and ancient philosophical insight. The discussion examines why popular culture often misunderstands happiness and why a deeper understanding of cognitive architecture is necessary for genuine wellbeing.
Drawing from predictive processing theory, Mark explains how human beings are fundamentally epistemic agents who constantly construct models of the world. This architecture allows for insight, wisdom, and flourishing, but it also leaves us vulnerable to confusion, addiction, and self-deception. The conversation explores how contemporary crises such as depression, misinformation, and the opioid epidemic are connected to deeper problems in how we understand ourselves.
The discussion also introduces Mark’s eight-week Lectern course Generations of Joy: The Cognitive Science of Happiness, which explores cutting-edge research across meditation science, cognitive neuroscience, philosophy, and contemplative practice. The course examines topics including the predictive mind, addiction and despair, depression and the meaning crisis, meditation and self-transcendence, play and flow states, wisdom, and the cultivation of flourishing.
Mark Miller is a cognitive scientist and researcher specializing in predictive processing, wellbeing, and the cognitive science of happiness. He teaches in the psychology and cognitive science programs at the University of Toronto and conducts research with the Center for Consciousness and Contemplative Studies at Monash University. He is also affiliated as a visiting researcher at Hokkaido University where he contributes to interdisciplinary research on artificial intelligence, neuroscience, and human nature.
Mark Miller
Website
https://www.markdmiller.live/
Cognitive Science
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/cognitive-science/
Philosophical Psychology
tandfonline.com/toc/cphp20/current
Socrates
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/socrates/
Support this work and join the Lectern community on Patreon
patreon.com/johnvervaeke
Want to explore these ideas in depth?
Join the Lectern platform and enroll in the course Generations of Joy
lectern.johnvervaeke.com/courses/generations-of-joy
00:00 Welcome to the Lectern
03:30 Mark’s background and research homes
04:30 Course preview Generations of Joy
06:00 Cutting edge meditation science
08:00 Ancient philosophy meets cognitive science
10:30 Defining happiness beyond media narratives
12:30 First principles cognitive framework
15:30 Humans as epistemic agents
17:45 Knowing your owner’s manual
18:00 Meaning wisdom and insight
27:00 Addiction despair and course roadmap
28:00 Flexibility and reframing
29:00 Week one the predictive mind
31:00 Dogen on ignorance
33:00 Neuroscience of emptiness
35:00 Weeks two through eight overview
40:00 Why the course matters
43:00 Interlocking crises and relevance
47:30 Doomscrolling drugs and misinformation
50:00 Discernment versus spiritual buffet
51:00 Meditation risks ethics and education
53:30 Off the shelf spirituality critique
Follow John Vervaeke
Website johnvervaeke.com
Twitter https://x.com/DrJohnVervaeke
YouTube youtube.com/@johnvervaeke/videos
Patreon patreon.com/johnvervaeke
Thank you for watching.
