Welcome to Valid Cognition! I publish a new article on spirituality once or twice per month. If you’d like to see new articles when they’re published, please join the newsletter and they’ll show up right in your email inbox.

About the Site

The general aim of Valid Cognition is to explore the nature of spirituality and the spiritual path. I hope the site can help address questions such as the following: What is spirituality? Why should we practice it? How should we practice it?

The perspectives here are informed by my own Buddhist background, but do not assume any particular set of prior beliefs. In fact, I feel I’m writing more directly to spiritually inclined people who do not have a strongly defined sense of the nature, aims, and boundaries of spirituality than those who do.

Why “Valid Cognition”?

“Valid cognition” is a translation of the Sanskrit word pramāṇa. Pramāṇa refers to the accurate apprehension of reality: seeing a dog in front of you when there is really a dog in front of you, or correctly remembering where you left your car keys. More broadly, “Pramāṇa” is a general term for the tradition of the study of knowledge (epistemology) in the Hindu and Buddhist traditions.

I chose “Valid Cognition” as a traditional term that also captures pretty precisely the intent of this site: to help shine a careful, rigorous light on spirituality and spiritual truth.

About the Author

My name is Fred Meyer. I’m a lifelong practitioner in the Shambhala and Buddhist traditions. I work to meditate regularly, and am cofounder of a company, Medivate, to help people bring regular meditation into their lives as well.

I’m also a web developer, specializing in WordPress. Outside work and spirituality, I like jazz, stand-up comedy, and stand-up paddleboarding.