Exploring Anattā: An Insight Meditation Society Online Program - 2025

This is an image of a buddha statue on a green background.
Thank you for your interest in the Insight Meditation Society online course Exploring Anattā with Jill Shepherd. This course will consist of three cohorts of students, and will require registered students to choose a time that they will attend live meetings with their cohort and teacher each week. To help us build the cohorts for this program, we are accepting applications for enrollment. If you are interested in registering for this program, please fill out the form below with your contact information, and please rank your first, second, and third choice for your cohort meeting time.

The IMS online team will reach out to applicants within 7 business days of the application being submitted to notify them if they have been accepted into the course, and what cohort time they can register for.

Course Description:
This six-week online course will explore what the Buddha was pointing to when he stated that experience is impermanent (aniccā), unsatisfactory (dukkha), and not-self (anattā). Focusing mostly on anattā, we will approach this key teaching in a variety of ways, to help understand how it leads to greater ease, happiness, and freedom in our lives. Each two-hour class will include a short dharma talk, guided and silent meditation, dyad (pairs) practice, and small group discussion. During the six weeks of the course, you are invited to maintain a regular sitting practice and to keep a practice journal to help inform the discussion during each meeting.

Course Time Commitment:
This course requires a minimum time commitment of 4 hours per week. Please be realistic about the amount of time needed to participate in the course, and make sure you will be able to meet the minimum time requirements. The time commitment for this course includes:
  • A weekly two-hour meeting online
  • At least two hours of individual study, including contribution to an online discussion board. Posting on the discussion board each week is required, in order to access the next week’s teaching materials.

Live Session Dates:
  • Week One: Saturday, July 5, 2025 ET or Sunday, July 6, 2025 ET
  • Week Two: Saturday, July 12, 2025 ET or Sunday, July 13, 2025 ET
  • Week Three: Saturday, July 19, 2025 ET or Sunday, July 20, 2025 ET
  • Week Four: Saturday, July 26, 2025 ET or Sunday, July 27, 2025 ET
  • Week Five: Saturday, August 2, 2025 ET or Sunday, August 3, 2025 ET
  • Week Six: Saturday, August 9, 2025 ET or Sunday, August 10, 2025 ET

Cohort Meeting Time Options:
Please provide the following information. 
1.First Name(Required.)
2.Last Name(Required.)
3.At what email address would you like to be contacted?(Required.)
4.Please rank the live cohort Zoom meeting times based on your preferred time to meet.(Required.)
1st Choice
2nd Choice
3rd Choice
Can't Attend at This Time
Saturdays 5:00 - 7:00 pm ET (This Cohort is Full)
Saturdays 8:30 - 10:30 pm ET
Sundays 6:30 - 8:30 pm ET (This Cohort is Full)
This program has four pre-requisites for all students. Please confirm you meet the following pre-requisites.
5.Have you attended at least two insight meditation retreats of seven days or longer?(Required.)
6.Do you have basic familiarity with the core Buddhist teachings such as the Four Noble Truths and the Four Establishments of Mindfulness?(Required.)
7.Do you have familiarity with attending Zoom meetings?(Required.)
8.Do you have familiarity with using an Online Learning Center (LMS)?(Required.)