Adapting Mindfulness to the AI Age,
with Mo Edjlali

What happens when mindfulness becomes too comfortable?

In this thought-provoking episode of FOMO Sapiens, Patrick McGinnis sits down with Mo Edjlali, founder of Mindful Leader and author of Open MBSR, to explore how mindfulness must evolve to meet the challenges of the AI era.

Once a successful tech entrepreneur, Edjlali’s world collapsed during the 2008 financial crisis, prompting a radical inward journey that redefined his life. Today, he leads one of the largest mindfulness organizations in the world—and he’s calling out the field’s complacency.

He argues that most modern mindfulness, especially through apps, has become “comfortainment”, pleasant but shallow. Instead, true mindfulness demands effort, humility, and silence. Through his “Open MBSR” framework, Edjlali envisions a more critical, connected, and secular approach that helps people develop real self-awareness and navigate the overwhelming pace of technological and social change.

From AI’s growing impact on mental health to the importance of community-based practice, this episode redefines what mindfulness really means in 2025.

Meet Mo Edjlali:

Mo Edjlali is the founder and CEO of Mindful Leader, the world’s largest provider of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction training—an eight-week evidence-based program teaching meditation and stress management. A computer engineer turned mindfulness innovator, his journey began after a tech venture collapse led him to discover meditation’s transformative power. With experience spanning NASA, Fortune 500 companies, and two decades in technology, he brings analytical precision to contemplative practices. 

Under his leadership, Mindful Leader has certified over 550 workplace facilitators and created “Meditate Together,” the field’s largest community meditation platform. His new book “Open MBSR” challenges current mindfulness systems, offering a revolutionary framework for accessible practice.”