What Should I Write About Next?

Dear Friends,

I started writing this blog on August 26, 2016, while I was a graduate student in counseling psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Early posts tracked my own exploration and deepening understanding of the psychological literature on meditation, with topics like Mindfulness and Your Mood, Mindfulness (Still) Works, Mindfulness and Pain Management, and culminating in a six-part series on the empirical research called What We Really Know (About Mindfulness).

Along the way, I reported the findings of my dissertation research on the experiences of people of color in primarily white meditation communities in a series called Mindfulness and the Problems of Whiteness.

And then, more and more, I started writing about my own experiences . . .

And for the past year and a half, these little missives have been a kind of “dear diary” of my own winding, sometimes perplexing, often inspiring path through the contemporary world of mindfulness, meditation, and dharma.

In that vein, I’ve written about retreat. About taking semi-monastic vows. About my relationship with Devon. About my conversations with Joseph Goldstein and my other teachers. About our book. And about the dreamlike, topsy turvy road to becoming a sort of teacher myself.

Since I started writing about myself and my experiences, a lot more people have started reading. And since I’ve started writing about myself and my experiences, a lot more people have started responding. Some of you have liked this “dear diary” stuff; others have thought it a little self-involved.

Which brings me to my question:

What would you like to see on this blog in the coming months?

Would you like me to keep going in this “dear diary” mode? Or maybe you want to hear more about the real-world applications of mindfulness and secular dharma, like the stuff we wrote about in our book. Or how about the ongoing dialogue between psychology and Buddhism? That could be interesting.

Or I could write about politics. And a Buddhist or semi-Buddhist or mindful response to the issues of our day.

So, friends, what’ll it be? I’ve embedded a survey below for easy answering. Or, as always, feel free to respond by email at craig@satimindfulness.com (you’ll get a vacation responder explaining that I only answer emails rarely, but I do like getting them).

Curious what you all have to say!
Craig