The Mind & Life Institute’s International Symposium for Contemplative Studies (ISCS) seeks to encourage and help shape a cohesive interdisciplinary field of contemplative studies in which basic and applied science, scholarship, education, the arts, and contemplative traditions collaboratively develop an integrated way of knowing.
In 2016 we gathered the most innovative thought leaders and present their ground breaking research in neuroscience, psychology, clinical science, the humanities, philosophy, and education – all with the goal of advancing our understanding of the mind, reducing human suffering, and enhancing our well-being.
Program Sessions
THURSDAY
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Opening Keynote: Opening Welcome and Meditation
Amishi Jha, Sharon Salzberg, Harold Roth
Topics: Body-based Practices | Contemplative Wisdom
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Opening Keynote, Contemplative and Neuroscientific Perspectives on Personal and Social Well Being: A Conversation with Matthieu Ricard and Richard J. Davidson
Richard J. Davidson, Matthieu Ricard
Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom | Mental Health | Self & Other
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Yoga of Sound: Indian Classical Music as Contemplative Practice
Srinivas Reddy, Ferhan Najeeb Qureshi
Topics: Body-based Practices | Contemplative Wisdom
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Sustainable Compassion Training—Extending Care Mode of Practice
John Makransky
Topics: Compassion & Empathy | Self & Other
FRIDAY
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Yoga with Mary Taylor and Richard Freeman
Mary Taylor, Richard Freeman
Topics: Body-based Practices | Contemplative Wisdom
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Practicing the Presence of Compassion: Contemplative Christian Traditions
Andrew Dreitcer
Topics: Compassion & Empathy | Contemplative Wisdom | Mindfulness
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Modern Interpretations of Zen Buddhist Teachings
Takafumi Kawakami Osho
Topics: Compassion & Empathy | Contemplative Wisdom | Self & Other
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Keynote: Mindfulness Therapeutics in the Promotion of Mental Health
Zindel Segal
Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom | Mental Health | Mindfulness
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Master Lectures: Neurobiological Underpinnings of Contemplative Practices: Is There Common Ground (and who cares)?
Judson Brewer
Topics: Body-based Practices | Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom | Mindfulness
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Master Lectures: Mindfulness-Informed Acceptance-Based Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety
Lizabeth Roemer
Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom | Education | Mental Health | Mindfulness
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Master Lectures: Understanding the Psychology Behind Compassion Meditation
Topics: Body-based Practices | Brain & Cognitive Science | Compassion & Empathy | Contemplative Wisdom | Mental Health | Mindfulness
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Daoist Contemplative Practice: Standing Meditation and Qigong
Louis Komjathy
Topics: Body-based Practices | Contemplative Wisdom
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
NCCIH Research Priorities and Funding Opportunities for Mind and Body Health
Partap Khalsa
Topics: Body-based Practices | Brain & Cognitive Science | Mental Health | Mindfulness | Stress & Resilience
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Master Lectures: Integrating Contemporary Behaviorist and Traditional Contemplative Approaches: Towards an Effective Technology of Behavior Change
Sarah Bowen
Topics: Contemplative Wisdom | Mental Health | Mindfulness | Self & Other
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Master Lectures: The Transdisciplinary Study of Contemplative Practices: Challenges and Opportunities
John Dunne
Topics: Contemplative Wisdom | Education | Interconnection
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Master Lectures: What’s ‘Critical’ About ‘Critical First-Person’ Perspectives?
Harold Roth
Topics: Body-based Practices | Contemplative Wisdom | Education
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Tibetan Sound Meditation
Alejandro Chaoul
Topics: Body-based Practices | Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Engaged Contemplative Practice in Islamic Sufism: Vocal Emphasis
Alan Godlas
Topics: Body-based Practices | Contemplative Wisdom | Mindfulness
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Liberation Through Memory and Storytelling
Sheila Peltz Weinberg
Topics: Contemplative Wisdom | Mindfulness | Self & Other | Social Change
SATURDAY
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Yoga with Mary Taylor and Richard Freeman
Mary Taylor, Richard Freeman
Topics: Body-based Practices | Contemplative Wisdom
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Practicing Meditation Through Sacred Texts and Prayers
Sheila Peltz Weinberg
Topics: Body-based Practices | Contemplative Wisdom | Mindfulness
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Engaged Contemplative Practice in Islamic Sufism: Silent Emphasis
Alan Godlas
Topics: Body-based Practices | Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Moving Together From Colorblindness to ColorInsight: Contemplative Inquiry, Research and Practice in the Work of Transformative Justice
Rhonda Magee
Topics: Compassion & Empathy | Education | Mindfulness | Self & Other | Social Change
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Master Lectures: Minding Mindfulness: Issues, Models, and Findings in the Scientific Study of Meditation
Clifford Saron
Topics: Body-based Practices | Brain & Cognitive Science | Compassion & Empathy | Contemplative Wisdom | Mindfulness | Stress & Resilience
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Ethical Know-How and Christian Contemplative Practices: A Case Study from Late Antiquity
Niki Clements
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Master Lectures: School Systems, Educational Reform and Mindfulness Training
Robert Roeser
Topics: Contemplative Wisdom | Education | Mindfulness | Social Change
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Daoist Contemplative Practice: Standing Meditation and Qigong
Louis Komjathy
Topics: Body-based Practices | Contemplative Wisdom
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Master Lectures: The Missing Link of Leadership Development: Cultivating Awareness in Action
Jeremy Hunter
Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom | Education | Stress & Resilience
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Master Lectures: Embodying Change: Buddhism, Feminism, and Contemplative Education
Erin McCarthy
Topics: Contemplative Wisdom | Education | Social Change
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Practicing the Presence of Compassion: Contemplative Christian Traditions
Andrew Dreitcer
Topics: Compassion & Empathy | Contemplative Wisdom | Mindfulness
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Meditation Practice: Settling the Heart and Mind
Sharon Salzberg, Roshi Joan Halifax
Topics: Body-based Practices
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Engaged Contemplative Practice in Islamic Sufism: Vocal, Silent, Living
Alan Godlas
Topics: Body-based Practices | Contemplative Wisdom | Mindfulness
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Letter from the Future
Sheila Peltz Weinberg
Topics: Body-based Practices | Contemplative Wisdom | Interconnection | Social Change
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Evening Conversation – The Promises and Perils of Mainstreaming Mindfulness (Ticketed Event)
Susan Bauer-Wu, Jeremy Hunter, Carolyn Jacobs, Amishi Jha, Sharon Salzberg
Topics: Contemplative Wisdom | Education | Mindfulness
SUNDAY
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Yoga with Mary Taylor and Richard Freeman
Mary Taylor, Richard Freeman
Topics: Body-based Practices | Contemplative Wisdom
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Practicing the Presence of Compassion: Contemplative Christian Traditions
Andrew Dreitcer
Topics: Compassion & Empathy | Contemplative Wisdom | Mindfulness
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Sustainable Compassion Training—Extending Care Mode of Practice
John Makransky
Topics: Compassion & Empathy | Self & Other
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Meditation Practice: Cultivating Love and Compassion
Roshi Joan Halifax, Sharon Salzberg
Topics: Body-based Practices | Compassion & Empathy | Mindfulness | Self & Other
2016 International Symposium for Contemplative Studies Session
Closing Keynote: What is Mindfulness? An Embodied Cognitive Science Perspective
Evan Thompson
Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Interconnection | Mindfulness | Self & Other
Gallery
Keynote Speakers
Keynote speakers are leaders in the field, chosen based on the history of their contributions to the field and the relevance of their work to the conference. They give their lectures, presentations, or panel discussions at a prime time, with no conflicting concurrent sessions or conference events. Keynotes are held in a space that can accommodate all conference attendees.
Richard J. Davidson, PhD
William James and Vilas Research Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry and Founder & Director of the Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Founder and Chief Visionary for Healthy Minds Innovations, Inc.
Richard Davidson received his PhD from Harvard University in Psychology and has been at Wisconsin since 1984. He has published more than 573 articles, numerous chapters and reviews, and edited … MORE
Carolyn Jacobs, MSW, PhD
Smith College School for Social Work
Board Member
Carolyn Jacobs, MSW, PhD, is Dean Emerita and Elizabeth Marting Treuhaft Professor Emerita of the Smith College School for Social Work. Dr. Jacobs was a member of the School’s faculty … MORE
Amishi Jha, PhD
University of Miami
Convening Faculty, Fellow, Grantee, Planning Committee Member, Research and Programs Council Member
Amishi Jha is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Miami, and Director of Contemplative Neuroscience for the Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative, prior to which she was an … MORE
Rhonda Magee, JD
University of San Francisco
Mentor
An internationally-sought-after mindfulness teacher and keynote speaker, and a thought and practice innovator of mindfulness-based social justice principles, concepts and practices, Rhonda V. Magee, M.A., J.D., is Professor of Law … MORE
Matthieu Ricard, PhD
Karuna-shechen
Convening Faculty, Fellow
Matthieu Ricard, Ph.D., is a Buddhist monk at Schechen Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal. Born in France in 1946, he received his Ph.D. in Cellular Genetics at the Institut Pasteur under … MORE
Sharon Salzberg
Insight Meditation Society
Sharon Salzberg is a meditation pioneer and industry leader, a world-renowned teacher and New York Times bestselling author. As one of the first to bring meditation and mindfulness into mainstream American culture over … MORE
Zindel Segal, PhD
University of Toronto-Scarborough
Convening Faculty, Fellow, Planning Committee Member
Zindel Segal, PhD is Distinguished Professor of Psychology in Mood Disorders at the University of Toronto Scarborough. He pioneered the use of mindfulness meditation for promoting wellness in the area … MORE
Evan Thompson, PhD
University of British Columbia
Convening Faculty, Fellow, Grantee, Reviewer
Evan Thompson is a writer and Professor of Philosophy at the University of British Columbia, where he is also an Associate Member of the Department of Asian Studies and the … MORE
Master Lecturers
Master Lecturers are distinguished scientists, scholars, leaders, and contemplatives. They give their lectures, presentations, or panel discussions in a highlighted time slot that is concurrent with one or two other Master Lectures.
Judson Brewer, MD, PhD
Brown University
Niki Clements, PhD
Rice University
John Dunne, PhD
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Jeremy Hunter, PhD
Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of Management
Erin McCarthy, PhD
Research Consultant, Mind & Life Institute; St. Lawrence University
Convening Faculty, Fellow, Planning Committee Member
Lizabeth Roemer, PhD
University of Massachusetts, Boston
Robert Roeser, PhD, MSW
Pennsylvania State University
Convening Faculty, Planning Committee Member, Research and Programs Council Member, Reviewer
Clifford Saron, PhD
University of California, Davis
Convening Faculty, Fellow, Planning Committee Member
Contemplative Faculty and Artists
Contemplative faculty guide participants through practices that integrate their first-person knowledge with conference themes, interspersing contemplative practice sessions with time for personal reflection.
Alejandro Chaoul, PhD
Founding Director of the Jung Center’s Mind Body Spirit Institute
Convening Faculty, Fellow, Reviewer
Alan Godlas, PhD
University of Georgia
Takafumi Kawakami Osho
Shunkoin Temple
Louis Komjathy, PhD, CSO
University of San Diego
Genine Lentine
poet
Nathan Wirth
Photographer
Program Planning Committee
The Program Planning Committee (PPC) is a committee of invited specialists from diverse disciplines and perspectives who bring their expertise to curate and produce the content for ISCS. In addition to developing the overall theme and narrative arc of the program, the PPC actively participate and serve in leadership roles throughout the conference.
Judson Brewer, MD, PhD
Brown University
Amishi Jha, PhD
University of Miami
Convening Faculty, Fellow, Grantee, Planning Committee Member, Research and Programs Council Member
Erin McCarthy, PhD
Research Consultant, Mind & Life Institute; St. Lawrence University
Convening Faculty, Fellow, Planning Committee Member
Robert Roeser, PhD, MSW
Pennsylvania State University
Convening Faculty, Planning Committee Member, Research and Programs Council Member, Reviewer
