Building on the conception of ‘ecological phenomenology’ that Maria Heim and Ram have developed, and which he has written about in his recent book, he will share that there is a deep ‘ecological’ conception of being human in the contemplative traditions that could provide a paradigm for looking at the disciplinary and reflexive phenomenology of …
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Keynote and Q&A: “Understanding Human Thought Through Dynamic Brain Systems”
Mind-wandering has recently come to occupy a central position in cognitive psychology and neuroscience. Most theories and research so far have examined it in terms of task-unrelated or stimulus-independent mental contents that occur at particular moments of time. A defining feature of mind-wandering, however, are its dynamics: how thought moves over time. In this talk, …
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Academic Conferences
Mind & Life research conferences provide a rich forum for interdisciplinary investigation of the mind and contemplative practices in diverse contexts. Innovative thought leaders present groundbreaking research in neuroscience, psychology, clinical science, the humanities, philosophy, and education—all with the goal of advancing understanding of the mind and its role in individual and collective flourishing.
From Argentina to South Africa: Contemplative Scientists Find Connection and a Home
With roots in North America and western Europe, the field of contemplative science is now expanding around the globe. Despite this growth, not all researchers have access to the same knowledge, resources, and networks. And for those advancing new areas of inquiry, the experience can be an isolating, if not lonely, one. Researchers pioneering new …
Pooja Sahni
Pooja Sahni holds a doctorate in contemplative environmental neuroscience from the National Resource Centre for Value Education in Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) India and is a practitioner of surat-shabd-yoga (ultratranscendental meditational technique). Her research interest includes behavioral and neuro-cognitive exploration of contemplative ecological educational techniques as innovative pedagogical tools for prosocial development …
Melissa Rosenkranz
Melissa holds the Distinguished Chair in Contemplative Neuroscience, an endowed position at the Center for Healthy Minds and is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the UW–Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. Her research is focused on understanding the underlying biology of mind-brain-body interactions through which stress, emotion, and the immune …
Jasmine Harris
Jasmine is a graduate student in the Cognitive Neuroscience Lab at Northwestern University. She earned her BS in Neuroscience from University of Illinois at Chicago, where she studied sleep and circadian rhythms. Jasmine enjoys exploring the mind through both her research and creative passions, such as writing and making music. She is most interested in …
Dr. Peter Wayne Honored with Catherine Kerr Award for Courageous and Compassionate Science
“What excites me is making connections,” says Dr. Peter Wayne, who has devoted much of his career to bridging Chinese medicine and Western science, the mind and body, research and practice. As Director of the Osher Center for Integrative Health at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Peter oversees efforts to facilitate connections …
Ken Paller
Ken Paller is a Professor at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where he holds the James Padilla Chair in Arts & Sciences and also serves as Director of the Training Program in the Neuroscience of Human Cognition. He was born and raised in Los Angeles, received degrees from UCLA (BS) and UC San Diego (Neuroscience …
Does the contemplative practice of loving-kindness propel prosocial acts via increased neural integration? A dynamic functional connectivity approach
“If people can learn to hate, they can be taught to love.” With tendrils of hate, disrespect, and arrogant dismissiveness implicated in the senseless loss of too many lives to COVID-19 and police brutality, these touchstone words of Nelson Mandela become ever more pressing. Yet it remains unknown how best to teach love. As we …
