Dan Harris on Mainstreaming Meditation

Dan Harris's path to advocating for meditation began with a moment of intense vulnerability on national television. In 2004, while anchoring on *Good Morning America*, he experienced a panic attack in front of an audience of millions. This on-air incident became a pivotal turning point in his life and career. The panic attack was a wake-up call for Harris, who later attributed it to a period of depression and self-medicating with drugs like cocaine and ecstasy after returning from covering wars in the Middle East. A doctor explained that his drug use had increased the adrenaline in his brain, significantly raising the odds of a panic attack. Initially a skeptic of all things "touchy-feely," Harris began exploring meditation as a way to manage the incessant voice in his head that had fueled both his ambition and his anxiety. This journey led him to write the best-selling book "10% Happier," which details his transformation and makes a case for meditation in a way that appeals to others who may be cynical. Leveraging his journalistic background, Harris approached mindfulness from a pragmatic and science-backed perspective. His work, including the book, podcast, and app, focuses on making meditation accessible and demonstrating its potential to improve well-being without requiring a complete lifestyle overhaul. Research suggests meditation can lower blood pressure and even rewire the brain. After a 21-year career with ABC News, where he co-anchored *Nightline* and the weekend edition of *Good Morning America*, Harris left the network in 2021. He departed to dedicate his full attention to his growing "10% Happier" company.