Daniel Ingram (author)
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Daniel M. Ingram is an American author and researcher on Buddhism and meditation.{{Cite news|author=Holden, Michael|url=https://www.esquire.com/uk/latest-news/a25651175/the-other-side-of-paradise-how-i-left-a-buddhist-retreat-in-handcuffs/|title=The Other Side Of Paradise: How I Left A Buddhist Retreat In Handcuffs|date=December 26, 2018|work=Esquire}} A physician, Ingram worked in emergency medicine before retiring in his late forties. Ingram is the author of the 2008 book Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha: An Unusually Hardcore Dharma Book,{{cite journal |last1=Simpson |first1=Daniel |title=From me to we: Revolutionising Mindfulness in Schools |journal=Contemporary Buddhism |date=2 January 2017 |volume=18 |issue=1 |pages=47–71 |doi=10.1080/14639947.2017.1301032 }} in which he argues that enlightenment is an attainable goal. He describes becoming an arahat on a retreat in April 2003,[https://www.dharmaoverground.org/dharma-wiki/-/wiki/Main/Daniel+Ingram Daniel Ingram - Wiki] a step that few Buddhist teachers take, and one that has been met with some criticism within the religion.{{cite journal |last1=Anālayo |first1=Bhikkhu |title=Meditation Maps, Attainment Claims, and the Adversities of Mindfulness |journal=Mindfulness |date=September 2020 |volume=11 |issue=9 |pages=2102–2112 |doi=10.1007/s12671-020-01389-4 |doi-access=free }}
Ingram describes Mahasi Sayadaw and Bill Hamilton as important influences.{{r|book|p=17}} With Kenneth Folk, he is associated with the "Pragmatic Dharma" movement.{{cite journal |last1=Gleig |first1=Ann |title=From Buddhist Hippies to Buddhist Geeks: The Emergence of Buddhist Postmodernism? |journal=Journal of Global Buddhism |date=2014 |volume=15 |pages=15–33 |doi=10.5281/zenodo.1306187 }} He leads the Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium,{{Cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/354069/what-if-you-could-have-a-panic-attack-but-for-joy|title=What if you could have a panic attack, but for joy?|first=Oshan|last=Jarow|date=May 6, 2024|work=Vox}} a group that seeks to study spiritual experiences through scientific methodologies.https://theeprc.org/executive-summary/ "The Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium (EPRC) is a multidisciplinary, multinational alliance of researchers, clinicians, and patrons who share a vision of bringing scientific methods and clinical sensibilities to the rigorous, ethical, ontologically-agnostic study of emergent phenomena...we use the neutral term 'emergent phenomena' to describe a range of effects and experiences, both potentially beneficial and challenging, that would often be referred to as 'spiritual', 'mystical', 'energetic', 'magical', etc. in less scientific and less clinical contexts." He has co-authored several scientific papers on meditation experiences.{{cite journal |last1=Chowdhury |first1=Avijit |last2=van Lutterveld |first2=Remko |last3=Laukkonen |first3=Ruben E. |last4=Slagter |first4=Heleen A. |last5=Ingram |first5=Daniel M. |last6=Sacchet |first6=Matthew D. |title=Investigation of advanced mindfulness meditation 'cessation' experiences using EEG spectral analysis in an intensively sampled case study |journal=Neuropsychologia |date=November 2023 |volume=190 |pages=108694 |doi=10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108694 |pmid=37777153 |pmc=10843092 |hdl=1871.1/5cdd1195-31bf-4eeb-8689-0d96a367a204 |hdl-access=free }}{{psc|date=February 2025}}{{cite journal |last1=Woollacott |first1=Marjorie |last2=Riddle |first2=Justin |last3=Hermansson |first3=Niffe |last4=Sacchet |first4=Matthew D. |last5=Ingram |first5=Daniel M. |title=Fire Kasina advanced meditation produces experiences comparable to psychedelic and near-death experiences: A pilot study |journal=Explore |date=November 2024 |volume=20 |issue=6 |pages=103056 |doi=10.1016/j.explore.2024.103056 |pmid=39244904 }}{{psc|date=February 2025}}{{cite journal |last1=Galante |first1=Julieta |last2=Grabovac |first2=Andrea |last3=Wright |first3=Malcolm |last4=Ingram |first4=Daniel M. |last5=Van Dam |first5=Nicholas T. |last6=Sanguinetti |first6=Joseph L. |last7=Sparby |first7=Terje |last8=van Lutterveld |first8=Remko |last9=Sacchet |first9=Matthew D. |title=A Framework for the Empirical Investigation of Mindfulness Meditative Development |journal=Mindfulness |date=May 2023 |volume=14 |issue=5 |pages=1054–1067 |doi=10.1007/s12671-023-02113-8 }}{{psc|date=February 2025}}{{cite journal |last1=Wright |first1=Malcolm J. |last2=Galante |first2=Julieta |last3=Corneille |first3=Jessica S. |last4=Grabovac |first4=Andrea |last5=Ingram |first5=Daniel M. |last6=Sacchet |first6=Matthew D. |title=Altered States of Consciousness are Prevalent and Insufficiently Supported Clinically: A Population Survey |journal=Mindfulness |date=May 2024 |volume=15 |issue=5 |pages=1162–1175 |doi=10.1007/s12671-024-02356-z |doi-access=free }}{{psc|date=February 2025}} Ingram is married and lives in rural Alabama.{{cite news |last1=Warren |first1=Jeff |title=The Anxiety of the Long-Distance Meditator |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/17/the-anxiety-of-the-long-distance-meditator/ |work=Opinionator |date=17 December 2012 }}
''Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha''
Ingram's book Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha (MCTB) was first released in 2008. A second version was released in 2018 and is freely available online.
=Contents=
The book is divided into six parts. Part I is about the fundamentals of practice, part II is about common pitfalls, part III is about the jhanas, part IV is about insight practice (as opposed to shamatha) part V is about enlightenment, and part VI is about his personal story.
In the book, Ingram describes first beginning meditation practice after attaining an Arising and Passing Away (A&P) experience at a concert, without any meditation. Shortly after this, he went on his first nine-day retreat in Massachusetts, at the urging of his friend Kenneth Folk, in August 1994.
=India=
In the chapter "Thank U, India", he describes going on his second meditation retreat in Bodh Gaya, Bihar in January 1995. It was a seventeen-day intensive course at a Thai monastery, with other experienced Western meditators such as Christopher Titmuss.{{r|book|page=462}} This is where he first attained stream entry.
As he was considering going to medical school at the time, the retreat also involved volunteering at a local health clinic for the impoverished. After a month in Bihar, he visited the neighborhood of Kalighat in Kolkata, West Bengal to continue doing public health work. He stayed there for the next 5 months at an outdoor street clinic in the northern slums of Kolkata.
Reception
Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha was reviewed on the blog Slate Star Codex, which described it as "a lucid guide to issues surrounding meditation practice and a good rational introduction to the Buddhist system."Alexander, Scott. [https://slatestarcodex.com/2017/09/18/book-review-mastering-the-core-teachings-of-the-buddha/ Book Review: Mastering The Core Teachings Of The Buddha]. Slate Star Codex. September 18 2017. Naval Ravikant recommended the book in an appearance on Tim Ferriss's podcast.[https://tim.blog/naval-ravikant-on-the-tim-ferriss-show-transcript/ Naval Ravikant on The Tim Ferriss Show — Transcript] In 2020 Bhikkhu Anālayo published a negative assessment of Ingram's work in the journal Mindfulness, which Ingram responded to on the podcast Guru Viking.{{cite web | url=https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep73-daniel-ingram-dangerous-and-delusional | title=Ep73: Dangerous and Delusional? - Daniel Ingram }}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.integrateddaniel.info/ Official site]
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Category:American spiritual writers