Transformation is a mind-body endeavor. Yet in the quest for enlightenment, meditation can overlook body-based practices, while modern yoga can omit the training of the mind and emotions. This talk focuses on the body’s role in transformation. We examine the significance of the body in mindfulness-based practices such as interoception and self-compassion. Drawing from emerging …
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Concurrent Session 5 – Externally-Induced Contemplation: A Neuroscience Study of Architecture
Neuroscience research on contemplation usually considers only internally induced (self-directed) methods for attaining mindfulness (e.g., meditation, prayer). We explored other “external methods” for cultivating mindfulness, focusing on architecture that we design and inhabit. Our study evaluated if buildings designed for contemplation would elicit brain activation patterns similar to those found under contemplation. We used a …
Concurrent Session 2 – Contemplative Neuroscience, the Phenomenology of Attention and the Mereology of the Subject
In this paper, I argue that results from contemplative neuroscience can help resolve a dispute between Husserl and Gurwitsch regarding whether attention is endogenous or exogenous. The empirical results indicate that attention is endogenous, i.e., that we are subjectively aware — and to a certain extent in control — of the direction of our attention. …
Concurrent Session 2 – Transforming Moral Distress: Lessons from Philosophy, Neuroscience, and Contemplative Practice
For clinicians exposed daily to pervasive suffering, death, and moral conflict in their work, maintaining composure, courage, and resilience is especially difficult and can lead to moral distress. In this experiential, interactive workshop, we will present collaborative work, supported by the Mind & Life Institute, between clinicians, philosophers, and leaders in contemplative practice and neuroscience. …
Concurrent Session 1 – Distinctions of Contemplative Practice in Different Religious Traditions and Relevance to Neuroscience
Contemplative practices of the many traditions of the West and of the East have different characteristics. For example, the absorption of mystics (in Christian or Sufi traditions) has a different character than does Buddhist contemplation. Whereas the mystic enters into the subtle domain of mind in the experience of a higher power (in the face …
Adam Weissman
An entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist, Adam Weissman was the co-founder and CTO of Applied Semantics, a software company that was acquired by Google in 2003. His interest in AI extends from his early career in computer games, to his role as an investor, and to his recent research into biologically-inspired approaches. He believes the development …
Changing the Brain by Transforming the Mind: The Impact of Compassion Training on the Neural Systems of Emotion
Richard Davidson explores the scientific study of compassion and its potential applications for mental health, particularly depression. Inspired by the Dalai Lama, Davidson describes efforts to apply rigorous neuroscience methods—traditionally used to study fear and anxiety—to compassion. He begins by showing that individuals with depression exhibit reduced brain responses to positive social interactions, suggesting a …
Opening Remarks with the Dalai Lama
Mind & Life Institute president Adam Engle shares opening remarks followed by Emory University president James W. Wagner who announces that the Dalai Lama’s installation as an Emory Presidential Distinguished Professor. The Dalai Lama follows with remarks highlighting two core commitments: promoting human values, especially compassion, through secular ethics, and fostering religious harmony. He emphasizes …
Reconnecting with Nature in a Time of Climate Crisis: Advancing the Science of Earth Awareness
Underlying rising temperatures and climate emergencies lies a quieter rupture: our growing disconnection from the living systems that sustain us. Earth awareness practices—contemplative practices that cultivate a lived sense of interconnection with the natural world—offer promise for rekindling the reciprocal relationship between humans and the Earth. Yet without a stronger evidence base, their potential to …
Session – Mental Training: Impact on Neuronal, Cognitive and Emotional Plasticity
As part of the grand opening of the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, the Dalai Lama, along with contemplatives and contemplative scholars, engaged in a dialogue with scientists envisioned in the style of a working lab meeting.
