Discover the science behind the Finders Course
Just want to quickly scan through some of the data? You can download a PDF of the presentation by clicking here.
The research project has generated a massive amount of data on Fundamental Wellbeing over the last 12 years. It seems appropriate to include a small taste of it for those of you who are interested in it. A great deal more is available on the center’s website (http://nonsymbolic.org).
Since 2014 the project has been running a first-of-its-kind experiment known as the Finders Course to collect psychological and physiological data on people before and after their transition to Fundamental Wellbeing. As this book goes to press, the data from eleven Finders Course experiments have been analyzed (2014-2018). Four hundred and fifty-five participants have successfully completed the program. Of these, three hundred and nineteen (or an incredible 70%) of those who completed it reported a transition to Fundamental Wellbeing. And, a majority of the remaining participants reported at least temporary glimpses of Fundamental Wellbeing during the program.
Of these, three hundred and nineteen (or an incredible 70%) of those who completed it reported a transition to Fundamental Wellbeing. And, a majority of the remaining participants reported at least temporary glimpses of Fundamental Wellbeing during the program.
At this point the program has included people from six continents and dozens of countries, including many who speak English as a second language. Ages have ranged from twenty-one to eighty-one. People came from a wide range of backgrounds and professions. A broad range of gold standard psychology measures was used to collect data from each cohort, including the following:
The table below shows the percentage change for participants who completed the program for several of the major measures. Some measures were rotated in and out over time, so not all measures were given to each participant. If you’re familiar with these measures from other research, the changes will seem huge to you. They are. Overall the program has a massive impact on participant wellbeing. Also note the large drop in the personality trait Neuroticism. Personality traits are supposed to be relatively durable over time, so a drop like this over a four-month program is remarkable. Importantly, all changes are highly statically significant (p < 0.00001).
| Measure | Percent Change |
|---|---|
| Depression (CES-D) | -47% |
| Loneliness (PERMA) | -46% |
| Percent of Time Unhappy (FEQ) | -46% |
| Negative Affect (PERMA) | -41% |
| Stress (PSS) | -34% |
| Neuroticism (NEO-FFI) | -32% |
| Attachment-Related Anxiety (CRQ) | -26% |
| Persistent Anxiety (STAI Y-2) | -21% |
| Percent of Time Happy (FEQ) | +35% |
| Satisfaction with Life (SWLS) | +21% |
| Positive Emotion (PERMA) | +20% |
| General Happiness Scale (GHS) | +20% |
Another way to look at the data is to ask if there is a difference between participants who reported a transition to Fundamental Wellbeing (Fundamental Wellbeing) or not by the end of the program. The no Fundamental Wellbeing, or no or temporary Fundamental Wellbeing, category includes both those who experienced temporary Fundamental Wellbeing as well as no glimpses of Fundamental Wellbeing at all. Recall that most people in this category would have experienced at least some glimpses of Fundamental Wellbeing.
Longitudinal research, including at least one project that spanned decades, have shown that glimpses of Fundamental Wellbeing are often regarded by people as among the most transformative and significant experiences of their lives. In fact, we do see quite remarkable improvements in the no or temporary Fundamental Wellbeing group. However, it is not nearly as profound as changes experienced by those reporting Fundamental Wellbeing.
If a glimpse was as transformative as a full transition to Fundamental Wellbeing, we’d expect to see the two groups being close together in their numbers. In fact, they are quite far apart. It’s very clear that the group that experiences Fundamental Wellbeing is in a very different place in terms of their experience of the world than the group that does not. Importantly, the difference between the groups on every measure is highly statically significant (p < 0.00001).
The “% Difference” column in the table below might seem confusing to you. It is calculated on the difference between the ending score for each group. So, for example, let’s say the total score for a happiness measure was between 0 (miserable) and 100 (gloriously happy). If the Fundamental Wellbeing group’s final score was 100, and the no or temporary Fundamental Wellbeing group’s final score was 50, the Fundamental Wellbeing group would be 100% happier than the no or temporary Fundamental Wellbeing group. You can see a lot more about these types of changes on our academic website, in some of my detailed presentations.
| Measure | % Change Fundamental Wellbeing | % Change No or Temporary Fundamental Wellbeing | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CES-D) | -60% | -25% | -60% |
| Loneliness (PERMA) | -58% | -27% | -56% |
| Percent Time Unhappy (FEQ) | -56% | -29% | -56% |
| Negative Affect (PERMA) | -51% | -25% | -49% |
| Stress (PSS) | -41% | -19% | -41% |
| Neuroticism (NEO-FFI) | -39% | -18% | -43% |
| Anxiety (STAI Y-2) | -25% | -14% | -26% |
| Percent Time Happy (FEQ) | +37% | +30% | +41% |
| Satisfaction (SWLS) | +24% | +14% | +27% |
| Positive Emotion (PERMA) | +21% | +16% | +25% |
| General Happiness (GHS) | +22% | +15% | +25% |
In addition to using gold-standard psychology questionnaires, participants were also asked some general questions, such as if they had more inner peace after the program. The results from some of those questions are in the table below. These numbers are not the amount of increase, just the number of people that reported more or less of a given experience as a result of the course.
| Question | Increased |
|---|---|
| Inner Peace | 88 |
| Mindfulness | 83 |
| Gratitude | 82 |
| Happiness | 80 |
| Emotional Balance | 79 |
| Contentedness | 78 |
| Positive Emotions | 78 |
| Question | Reduced |
| Reactivity | 83 |
| Negative Thoughts | 82 |
| Negative Emotions | 81 |
| Anxiety | 77 |
The two tables below compare the scores for participants who reported transitioning into Fundamental Wellbeing versus those who did not. Although most categories are the same, notice that the lowest score in the Fundamental Wellbeing list is well above the highest score in the no or temporary Fundamental Wellbeing list. Also notice the categories that are different. The Fundamental Wellbeing list includes two categories that the no or temporary Fundamental Wellbeing list does not: Emotional Balance and Contentedness. Conversely, the no or temporary Fundamental Wellbeing list also has two unique categories: Gratitude and Tolerance of Others.
Consider the difference between these four items. Two of them are nearly impossible to will yourself to control: Emotional Balance and Contentedness. Although many people try to force states like these to occur, ultimately these just happen. They really cannot be willed or forced to occur without causing their opposite.
Now consider the other two items from the no or temporary Fundamental Wellbeing list: Gratitude and Tolerance of Others. While wonderful attributes, these can be forced. You can make yourself feel gratitude, for instance. Of course, these can also naturally arise, but in many ways these two items highlight a key difference in Fundamental Wellbeing.
The traits that comprise the psychological experience of Fundamental Wellbeing often just arise with no additional action needed. It is literally a new norm that appears in one’s experience, not something that has to be actively maintained in each moment. It becomes as natural as breathing.
Another thing to note in the tables below is that, even for the highest category in the no or temporary Fundamental Wellbeing list, the Fundamental Wellbeing group has a higher reported percentage. In other words, participants reporting Fundamental Wellbeing at the end of the course also reported higher levels of both Gratitude and Tolerance of Others. Also, notice how rapidly the top scores for the no Fundamental Wellbeing group drop off compared to the participants who reported Fundamental Wellbeing.
| Question | Fundamental Wellbeing | No or Temporary Fundamental Wellbeing |
|---|---|---|
| Inner Peace | 92% | 79% |
| Emotional Balance | 88% | 58% |
| Mindfulness | 88% | 72% |
| Happiness | 87% | 62% |
| Contentedness | 87% | 58% |
| Question | Fundamental Wellbeing | No or Temporary Fundamental Wellbeing |
|---|---|---|
| Inner Peace | 92% | 79% |
| Gratitude | 86% | 72% |
| Mindfulness | 88% | 72% |
| Tolerance of others | 85% | 64% |
| Happiness | 87% | 62% |
What about items that are ideal to have go down, like negative thoughts and emotions? Here again we see key differences between the two groups, and our previous observations hold up. The lowest score for the Fundamental Wellbeing group is still above the highest score for those who didn’t report experiencing it, there are huge differences in the percentage reporting being in the various categories between the two groups, and so on.
All of the categories are shared between the groups, except for two. A large reduction is reported in internal mental chatter in the Fundamental Wellbeing group but not in the no Fundamental Wellbeing group. As outlined in this book and many of our other materials, the reduction of internal narrative is a key component of Fundamental Wellbeing. The other difference is a reduction in conflict that shows up as one of the categories for those who do not experience Fundamental Wellbeing, though at a far lower level than for those who do.
| Question | Fundamental Wellbeing | No or Temporary Fundamental Wellbeing |
|---|---|---|
| Negative thoughts | -90 | -63 |
| Reactivity | -88 | -71 |
| Negative emotions | -88 | -64 |
| Mental internal chatter | -85 | -52 |
| Anxiety | -85 | -61 |
| Question | Fundamental Wellbeing | No or Temporary Fundamental Wellbeing |
|---|---|---|
| Reactivity | -88 | -71 |
| Negative emotions | -88 | -64 |
| Negative thoughts | -90 | -63 |
| Conflict | -83 | -61 |
| Anxiety | -85 | -61 |
We were fortunate to have this project be the first in modern history that could reliably, safely and rapidly produce a transition in such a high percentage of people into Fundamental Wellbeing, and thus allow tracking the before and after changes. No matter how this data is examined, it is clear that these are two groups of people who are experiencing the world through very different internal lenses. Both groups improved significantly across major scientific measures of wellbeing, emotion, personality, and more. In fact, if the experimental protocol had only produced the changes seen in the group that did not report Fundamental Wellbeing, it would have been a smashing success.
As incredible as the changes for all participants were, the results reported by Finders across the entire spectrum were significantly and measurably higher. It’s completely clear which group you’d want to be in, given the opportunity. The good news is that you can be!
The Finders summarizes what the project has learned about Fundamental Wellbeing since its inception. It is written for people who experience Fundamental Wellbeing, but also in a way that is accessible to seekers, and the general public. There truly is no other text like it. It's a remarkably comprehensive look into "Finder's" lives, and also contains the cross-culture, pan-tradition classification for Fundamental Wellbeing that the project is famous for.
Buy on Amazon Buy on IndieBound“If a Nobel Prize existed for Psychology, the work done by Jeffery Martin and his team and described in this book would be a strong contender. The book is about people who have managed to fulfill one of the most sought after but rarely achieved human needs—true happiness, a deep fundamental sense of wellbeing.”
"In The Finders, Dr. Martin has made a real contribution. First he's defined a whole new class of folks' experiences: the enlightened, the illuminati, the deeply fulfilled, which is oft discussed and little understood. So, a careful and traditional transcending study of it is long overdue. While we've heard of these folks, by looking carefully at their experiences, he's been able to categorize their experiences, with clear, albeit complex and flexible, categories. To do so his interviews were thorough and have led to intelligible analyzes. This is a decade-long project and well worth his time and our study. An important book!"
"I’ve devoted most of the last 50 years of my life to practicing and teaching meditation, and for the last decade, interviewing people who report having experienced a “higher” state of consciousness, or a Persistent Non-Symbolic Experience as Jeffery likes to call them. When I first learned to meditate, some friends accused me of self-indulgence, mistaking my daily periods of inner-directedness for escapism. I soon proved them wrong by becoming much more outgoing and productive though my daily practice of “recharging my batteries”. I now feel that the world’s problems are symptomatic of humanity’s general failure to tap the unlimited source of energy and intelligence that lies within. This may have been tolerable in other ages, but we have now reached the point where credible voices warn of global societal breakdown, if not the extermination of most life on earth, including our own species, unless radical changes are made. Nothing can be more radical than spiritual development. The Latin root of “radical” means root. Working with the root or cause of a thing is much more effective than tinkering with symptoms and effects. Genuine spiritual development is an experiential exploration of the root of our existence. If a significant percentage of humanity were to undergo such development, our world would be transformed. This appears to be happening. Interest in spirituality and profound spiritual breakthroughs are epidemic. But who is to determine what is genuine? Science endeavors to do so regarding everything external instruments can measure but has generally dismissed the experiences of mystics as fancies unworthy of their attention. Can subjective states be scrutinized empirically? Are people experiencing these states more fully aligning with nature’s intelligence? If so, could sufficient numbers of them transform our culture and our technologies and reverse the destructive trends that threaten us all? Jeffery Martin has made and continues to make a significant contribution to answering these questions, and in the process, enabling others to answer them for themselves. He is bridging the unnecessary and unproductive gulf between science and spirituality and devising practical applications for his research as it unfolds. I think his work is among the most significant taking place on the planet today.
"Dr. Jeffery Martin’s work on Persistent Non-Symbolic Experience is among the most promising recent developments in contemporary consciousness research and I am thrilled that it is beginning to see the light of day. Both coherent with age-old wisdom yet also stretching prevailing boundaries and assumptions about the manifestation of these developmental stages, Fundamental Wellbeing needs to be an essential component in any 21st century consciousness studies curricular or research program. I look forward to incorporating it in my own work."
"This easily readable, yet profound, book is based on in-depth interviews of people who have managed to see through their “narrative” selves, the made-up drama which gives a sense of coherency but also too often is mistaken for the actual living person experiencing much more than any mere story could ever tell. Those free from the limitations of believing that their own narrative is all they are, including free from the all too often incessant-inner clamor that continually constructs and reinforces their personal stories, along with the concomitant suffering attached to these stories, are labeled as “Finders” for having seen through this fundamental delusion endemic within the modern world. They are, instead, enabled to experience the suchness of themselves and the world more directly without the clouding of words. Freedom from being encapsulated in such isolating-individualistic self-stories, however, does not always come without cost -- and this book courageously faces both the upsides and downsides of finding oneself one with verbally unmediated experience of what is. Reminiscent of Alan Watts’ 'The Book on the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are,' but speaking to a new generation and grounded in people’s actual experiences, this book provides a useful guide for those seeking, as well as those already living in ways congruent with, such radical freedom and its related responsibility."
"Dr. Jeffery Martin's work on non-symbolic states of awareness has helped create the most lucid map for understanding higher states of consciousness. I have personally gained a deeper understanding of the universality of human sacred experience from his research and have been able to replicate and publish it. For anyone who is interested in getting scientific knowledge of the range and evolution of human experience in the direction of expanded awareness and ultimately that which wisdom traditions call 'enlightenment' Jeffery's book and research are must reads."
"The Finders is a fascinating description of the ways in which people can find their greatest sense of well-being. The research is fundamental to understanding how experiences of fundamental wellbeing occur and provides new insights that will propel ongoing investigations. Essential for anyone striving for this type of well-being."
"Jeffery Martin’s “The Finders” distinguishes itself from all other treatments I have read on the subject of “advanced / enlightened consciousness” via its straightforward, matter-of-fact and relentlessly empiricist approach. The key question at hand is, roughly speaking, “what the heck is going on with these people who claim or appear to have unusual states of consciousness characterized by extraordinary levels of well-being, consciousness and insight,” and two primary sources of data are brought to bear on this question: Extensive interviews and studies of people from around the world who apparently occupy such states of consciousness, and experimentation with combinations of various ancient and modern techniques for effecting such states of consciousness among the participants in early incarnations of the author’s “Finder’s Course” experiments. Via creative but mainly bottom-up analysis of these data sources, Dr. Martin arrives at a rough ontology of “advanced, non-ordinary conscious states” — which he refers to as a whole by the blanket term “Persistent Non-Symbolic Experience” (PNSE) — arranging them into a series of numbered types 1, 2, 3, 4, etc., each of which is viewed as a cluster of experiential and behavioral characteristics. Differently from nearly all religious/spiritual approaches to the same themes, in Dr. Martin’s perspective, more advanced types are not viewed as morally “better”, and the pathway from lower to higher stages is not viewed as rigid or universal — the whole scheme is viewed as an approximative theory that explains the currently available data better than anything else presently available. The style of the book is straightforward and information-rich, eschewing both detailed data analytics (which can be found in the author’s more technical materials on the topic) and the evocative story-telling that characterizes most popular works on similar topics. The Finders should be of deep interest to anyone with more than a passing degree of curiosity in the extraordinary (and in many senses extraordinarily positive) persistent states of consciousness that some humans have found themselves in, and also to anyone who is interested in potentially exploring such consciousness-states themselves. The author’s “Finders Course” is mentioned in an appropriate way, but in no way heavy-handedly; the findings described in the book are intriguing independently of the existence of this program. As one would expect from an early-stage scientific investigation of such a large and subtle topic, many questions are raised. The psychological, cultural and circumstantial factors on which an individual’s path into PNSE depends are touched on but only in a preliminary way. There is not yet a detailed cognitive model of what may be going on inside the minds and brains of individuals experiencing various sorts of PNSE — though various clues are given. The extent to which insights and perspectives characteristic of different types and stages of PNSE may be viewed as extraordinarily truthful versus in some way delusional, is also not systematically addressed. But these lacunae are not criticisms of the book — rather, Dr. Martin should be congratulated for treating the topic in a way that makes these followup questions so easy to formulate in precise ways."
"A wonderful introduction to just how different our minds can be."
"The Finder's project is at the forefront of individual and societal transformation. Dr. Jeffery Martin put together an accessible, evidence-based, guide that can help you explore, understand, and finally realize your full human potential."
"In this book Dr. Martin takes his place beside William James and Abraham Maslow to give us one of the most important and ground-breaking works on consciousness and human potential in recent memory."
"Dr. Jeffery Martin and his colleagues have produced a landmark study, one not only relevant to transpersonal psychology but to psychology in general. Maslow wrote of "self-actualized" persons. Dr. Martin goes a step further, describing the phenomenology of Maslow's highest level, namely the self-transcendent or enlightened. This book contains a schema by which its readers can more deeply appreciate the development of these men and women. It is not often that rigorous research can be inspirational, but Dr. Martin has come through. Indeed, readers on a spiritual path are now able to chart their own development on a continuum of experiences, one that many writers once pathologized."
Dr. Jeffery A. Martin has written a highly readable, enlightening account of his groundbreaking research into the Fundamental Wellbeing. His Finders Course is among the most universally accessible methods for introducing one to nonduality to emerge in years. It can help one with the initial and perhaps the most difficult step in realizing nonduality, that of experiencing oneself free of the incessant subconscious gossip of one's narrative self. His work contributes to the ongoing transformation of human society from the fear driven egoism, nationalism and prejudice, into the global culture of compassion, wisdom and happiness.
"The Finders is a riveting, ambitious and fun account by Dr. Jeffery A. Martin of some basic realities in our world, that human beings are seeking what he terms Fundamental Wellbeing and fulfillment, beyond labels, philosophical leanings and what many claim a unique spirituality that they possess. Jeffery has carried out a lot of work and in his book provides fascinating details that will appeal to many, even to their own surprise when they find out that what they are seeking is commonly sought out by many others. I highly recommend it for those of us who feel that there is something common in all of us, yet that our own uniqueness should be honored and celebrated."
"One would never enter a wilderness without a map and compass or a competent guide; Dr. Jeffery A. Martin is all those things for explorers of the psycho-spiritual domain. The Finders is simply one of the best descriptions of the process of personal growth and maturation to appear in recent years. The importance of this book extends beyond the individual, personal dimension, for it is likely that our survival as a species will depend on the degree to which we take the implications of The Finders to heart."
"It is a rare find to see a rigorous and well-designed, global longitudinal study of the transpersonal territory of human experience. This one explores the people called Finders, the folks who are inherently happy no matter what the circumstances. The report is written in a lucid, caring and accessible style. It never claims insights that have not been validated as of yet. Moreover, it introduces several novel and crucial distinctions and clarifications in the field of ongoing non-symbolic experiences and lasting, profound wellbeing. Are you a Seeker or a Finder, for instance, and how can one tell? Where are the Finders and what makes them different from most people who struggle to navigate life. Are there levels of “finding?” How come we get so attached to our Narrative-Self and what is life like free of stories? This is a must read for all those who explore the transpersonal field from whatever perspective, including any spiritual or religious leaning as well as atheist and agnostics. Dr. Martin’s overall thesis challenges much received knowledge and many widely-shared assumptions about how to “achieve” lasting contentment. It is also a life-affirming read for those skeptical of any belief system no matter how ancient. We, too, can become Finders as faith in some higher being or post-death salvation is not a requirement. The study shows that benevolence and total inner calm can be found in people across the globe and in all walks of life."
“Prior to starting the course I was quite severely depressed, probably bordering on suicidal. Lots of problems with parents and illness, business was very difficult and very bad. It just seems to be the past 5 to 8 years an uphill struggle every day.
Constant recriminations about, "I could have done it better. I should have done this. I should have done that. What if I'd have done this? what if I'd have done that?" On and on and on. The whole day seemed to be recriminations about what I had done, or hadn't done, or should have done, or could have done.
The rest of the time was then preoccupied with, "What if this happens? What happens tomorrow? What if we do this, do that, do the other, go down this road, go down that road, go down the other…" Just a constant battle of worry and anxiety all the time.
I have to think hard about that, because all of that is gone now. Absolutely gone. So quite a different place from where I was barely 6 months ago.
The change for me is almost incomprehensible. Everything is absolutely perfect. I have no desire to change anything. I feel quite comfortable. Things are as they are, and I feel quite looked after. I feel part of a huge whole of which you're me, and I'm you, and everything is. It's quite difficult to put words to.”
Finders Course Alumni and Mentor
“I was pretty much a happy person before the course, but now I am more in wellbeing and I have inner peace and joy. And am just experiencing life from a new awareness, a new consciousness.
How do you explain a transformation from happiness to extreme happiness. There's just an inner joy. It doesn't matter what's going on, what the life situation is.
I have infinite patience. All judgment has just totally dissolved. When you reach that state of oneness and beingness and realize we are all one, that all goes towards the inner peace, the patience, the stillness the calmness and the being.”
Finders Course Alumni and Mentor
“I was a very angry person. Very negative. Very much wanting to be left alone by everyone and everything, but in a negative sort of way. I didn't find a lot of pleasure in anything I did. I didn't see a lot of good about my life in general.
All that has fallen away. I have a very, very deep sense of happiness, of wellbeing. I'm not angry anymore. I released it all, and I just feel totally contented with life now.”
Finders Course Alumni
“When we began the course, I feel like I was in a really good place. The Finders Course helped to push me over that last hurdle to something I'd been looking for my whole life, this transcendent experience that I'd read about, and heard about, and all of my great heroes all had experiences with.”
Finders Course Alumni and Mentor
“Before I took the course I was pretty happy most of the time, but I could still get irritated with people sometimes when things didn't go my way. And, I definitely pretty much had an idea of how everything should go, so that would be a source of frustration.
With taking the course, I found a lot more acceptance of not only others, but also myself. And I became even happier. The times when things might disturb me are at a much lower level and don't hang around long at all. A lot of times it doesn't even bother me.
I'm just aware that, "oh, that would have bothered me in the past." I would talk to myself. I would say, "you shouldn't let this bother you, blah, blah, blah." I would do all this self talk, and now almost all the time its just automatic.
It's just an experience of feeling love. You can be in a group, and as each person talks I'm just feeling all this positive regard for them, and acceptance of what they are saying. It doesn't have to be what I think and feel. So, it's not like they're clones, but just this overall acceptance of each person.
God is in everything. That's the way I experience it. That everything that is, is that essence. Whether it's divine essence or just the essence of life.”
Finders Course Alumni and Mentor
“I took a long time to retire. The change is really quite significant...you don't have to do stuff anymore...there's this big hole…so…I started filling it up with…things…some of them were good and others weren't so good. My emotions were getting more intense, especially the negative ones…I could keep myself busy but that's not the point. There's this underlying…dissatisfaction…I knew I needed to do something. I wasn't going to spend the rest of my life like that.
This new place…includes both what I see and how I think things work…everything is more alive and brighter. I was eating my breakfast one day and was like wow, this tastes really good! Wait a second, this is the same breakfast I have everyday. What's different?
There's also more of a sense of me being here….Before, it was a bit like being a ghost…Now I feel I'm totally here…in the world, connected to the world…I also experience…that quietness where there seems to be more space in the brain cavity…maybe that's…not having the self referential thoughts going on. I don't react the same way…It's not triggering as much so that helps…because I think a lot of problems come from…responses as opposed to staying in the moment.”
Finders Course Alumni and Mentor