We will explore recent findings from our work at this interface between contemplative and research traditions. Together with Alan Wallace and three-dozen collaborating researchers, we are investigating how attentional, emotional and physiological processes change over the course of three months of intensive training in meditative quiescence and emotional balance, in a study known as “The Shamatha Project.”
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Attention-Emotion Interface, Pt 2
Can meditation practice increase our capacity to understand the primary role of emotion in cognition and attention?
Attention-Emotion Interface, Pt 1
Can meditation practice increase our capacity to understand the primary role of emotion in cognition and attention?
The Utility of Improving Attention and Working Memory with Mindfulness-Based Training
What is the role of memory in contemplative development? Is there evidence in the tradition of elders showing extremely good memory given years of practice?
Paying Attention to Awareness: “Attention” (manasikārā), “Mindfulness” (sati) and “Clear Comprehension” (samapajañña)
How can we understand the relation between attention and memory in the practice of mindfulness?
The Buddhist Contribution to First-Person Cognitive Science
While Buddhism lacks any quantitative behavioral science or neuroscience, it has developed highly sophisticated methods of introspective inquiry based on the refinement of attention and metacognitive skills. These methods allegedly result in reliable, replicable observations regarding the origins, nature, and potentials of consciousness, as well as the inner causes of mental suffering and genuine happiness.
Daniel Morris
Daniel Morris is a Ph.D. student in Dr. Ken Paller’s cognitive neuroscience lab at Northwestern University. His research focuses on sleep and dreaming, aiming to understand the neurophysiological correlates of lucid dreaming and contemplative sleep practices. He has worked with the Emory Tibet Science Initiative to train three cohorts of Tibetan Monastic Scholars during Northwestern’s …
Healing the Opioid Crisis with Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement
As Mind & Life celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Francisco J. Varela Grants, we’re pleased to share the voices and experiences of Varela grantees. Eric Garland, PhD, LCSW is a Mind & Life Varela Grantee and Fellow. He is Endowed Professor in Health Sciences at the Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion, Professor of …
Continue reading “Healing the Opioid Crisis with Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement”
Breakout // Science and Buddhism Presentation by Tibetan Monastics
Compassion Heals: Leaning Into Our Biological Drive to Care, Connect, and Reconcile
Emiliana Simon-Thomas shares findings from a widely distributed online platform for promoting well-being (Pathway to Happiness on the Greater Good in Action website) which features several compassion-promoting practices, and discuss the opportunity for further leveraging resources like this to extend the reach of compassion strengthening resources to people with diverse backgrounds, cultural identities, beliefs, and ideological orientations.
