In early December 2015, Mind & Life was honored to host a live chat with MLI Fellow and Law Professor Rhonda Magee that explored the following theme: Many who examine the growth of the field of contemplative practice see it as coming only from straight, middle-class whites and corporate America. How might we work to …
Continue reading “Mindfulness and Racial Bias: Resources For Deeper Understanding”
As contemplative approaches are being applied in educational settings with increasing frequency, early studies using self-report and academic outcomes suggest that these programs hold promise for the well-being of both teachers and students. However, the field currently lacks empirically rigorous measures to evaluate important real-world behavior and psychological change due to the cultivation of compassion, …
Continue reading “Developing Measures of Compassion, Empathy, Care, and Kindness”
In my own experience with meditation, I’ve often wondered about the difference between reading a thoughtful analysis or set of instructions, listening to an inspiring teacher, and sitting on the cushion to practice. These varied activities represent different ways of integrating information into our minds and bodies—in short, different ways of learning. Is one mode …
This past winter, it was my honor and pleasure to participate in a Mind & Life Research Workshop convened by the Contemplative Development Mapping Project (CDMP). The CDMP is a group of scholars, scientists, and practitioners who are personally and professionally committed to enriching our understanding of contemplative practices and experiences. This interdisciplinary “think tank” …
Surviving a cancer diagnosis and the treatment that follows requires overcoming significant emotional and physical hurdles. Even after a patient is cancer-free, he or she often continues to struggle with depression and anxiety from fear of cancer recurrence, and many also suffer from sleep disturbances. These ongoing challenges negatively impact well-being and quality of life, …
Continue reading “Mind–Body Interventions Affect Sleep and Oxytocin in Cancer Survivors”
Two contemplative neuroscientists consider meditation in light of a leading theory about brain function
Meditators often feel that their practice aids concentration. But do these subjective reports pan out in daily life?
A preview of Evan Thompson’s new book, Waking, Dreaming, Being: Self and Consciousness in Neuroscience, Meditation, and Philosophy
A pioneer in compassion-based medicine on death, dying, and our health care system
How a 13th-century myth illuminates the contemporary mission of Mind & Life
