Laurie Anderson's Buddhism, Art, Meditation, and Death as Adventure [Full Uncut Interview] #212
30 December 2025

Laurie Anderson's Buddhism, Art, Meditation, and Death as Adventure [Full Uncut Interview] #212

How to Train a Happy Mind

About

One of our most popular episodes of all time is our interview with artist and musician Laurie Anderson. Today, we're sharing a new, unedited version with almost a half hour of additional material.

For anyone unfamiliar with Laurie’s work, many people consider her one of our planet’s greatest living artists. Her work spans spoken word and performance, top-charting albums and music videos, digital art, film, virtual reality, and the invention of ingenious instruments like the tape bow violin and the talking stick.

Laurie’s won a Grammy Award and many other honors, and she continues to be a huge inspiration for new generations of artists and musicians all over the world. She’s also a longtime student of Buddhism and meditation. 

In our interview, she talks about her personal path with Buddhism, her long relationship with Lou Reed, and how she coped with his death. She shares insights on how to approach art with a beginner’s mind, and how to stay present with suffering without letting it overwhelm you.

Episode 212: Laurie Anderson's Buddhism, Art, Meditation, and Death as Adventure [Full Uncut Interview]

If you’d like to practice with others and bring these ideas into your life, join our weekly meditation community with Scott.