First allow me to share a recent experience. In the last two years, I sporadically practiced "mindful meditation" because I had friends who constantly preached of its great value and how they could reach incredibly clean, blissful, meaningful states of consciousness without administering any drugs.

Yesterday, I was just focusing on my breathing, tried my best to clear my mind entirely of brain chatter... Even such a simple exercise for me required a lot of practice and discipline. And then something magical happened.

I started getting overwhelmed with ecstasy, rushes of pleasure, and not those caused by altered blood pH from breathing too deep, but actual rushes. It felt like I was candyflipping, accompanied by a profound sense of awareness and appreciation of beauty. I was playing a special track for meditation and the music just made me burst in childish tears of happiness. Over and over.

When I came down, I was shaking uncontrollably, and felt rebuilt/reborn like the feeling my friend says he gets when he's coming off of mushrooms.

In order to become a good runner, it is not enough to just go outside and run one's heart out. Attention must be paid to technique. Running one's heart out is awesome, as was this experience, but I want to know how I can go deeper. What books should I read, what techniques should I practice? Where should I look?