Anne Harrington discusses a potential dialogue between Tibetan Buddhism and Western science, exploring the historical imbalance in Western sciences’ attention to violent behavior versus loving emotions, examining the practices of Buddhism and science in cultivating compassion, questioning the presumed moral elevation of scientific rationality, and investigating the connection between scientific theories of human nature and the practical role of science in society.
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neuroscience
Neuroplasticity and Neurophenomenology
For many years, Western mind science investigated cognitive processes, such as reasoning, perception, imagery, and attention, with little or no concern for subjective experience. In recent years, however, this attitude has begun to change, so that today there is increasing scientific interest, especially in affective-cognitive neuroscience, in understanding the experiential aspects of mental processes. For real progress to be made in this area, however, scientists must rely on detailed first-person reports about subjective experience. Yet exactly how such reports should be integrated into the conceptual framework and experimental procedures of mind science is still not clear.
Contemplative Dyads
In 2011, I traveled to Australia over Christmas to visit my dear friend Kira Kay, who was leading an intense Satori retreat. I had heard many positive things about this intersubjective form of deep meditation, referred to in the 70s as “Enlightenment Intensives.” So, I took a chance and enrolled in a six-day retreat with …
Jonas Mago
Jonas Mago is a cognitive neuroscientist and wellbeing aficionado, interested in the cognitive mechanisms underlying human flourishing. His research investigates contemplative practices that aim to bring about wholesome states of mind – from meditation and prayer to collective cultural rituals and psychedelic therapies. Jonas works from an interdisciplinary perspective, combining cognitive, neurobiological, computational, and phenomenological …
Larry Ward
Dr. Larry Ward is the co-founder of The Lotus Institute, a senior teacher in Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh’s Plum Village tradition of Engaged Buddhism, the author of America’s Racial Karma, and host of the Beyond the News podcast. Dr. Ward holds a PhD in Religious Studies with an emphasis on Buddhism and the neuroscience …
Sará King, M.A., Ph.D.
Dr. Sará King is an internationally recognized neuroscientist, artist, political and learning scientist, education philosopher, social impact entrepreneur, and public speaker. She has completed her YTT-200 and YTT-300 hr. yoga teacher trainings as well as her certification as a mindfulness meditation teacher with Spirit Rock in Marin, CA. She is passionate about catalyzing humanity’s capacity to …
Jennifer Webb
Jennifer B. Webb, Ph.D., RYT-200 is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological Science and the Health Psychology Ph.D. Program at UNC Charlotte where she directs the WE ARE MIND-BODY KYND Lab. She received her undergraduate degree in Cognitive Neuroscience from Harvard University. She went on to complete her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at …
Anat Perry
Anat Perry is an associate professor at the Psychology department, at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where she established the University’s Social Cognitive Neuroscience Lab. Before joining the Hebrew University, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Berkeley. Perry studies various facets of empathy and related social processes through the prism of …
Fostering compassionate communities: Enhancing empathy for diverse others by intentional listening – Behavioral, physiological, and neural mechanisms
Escalating social polarization, occurring globally and characterized by increasingly divergent views on key issues, is straining societal bonds and communication. To counter this, it’s crucial to encourage practices that promote understanding and respectful discourse among those with differing views. This project aims to explore the potential of intentional listening – actively seeking discomfort when listening …
The Psychobiology of Destructive Emotions (Part Three)
From the Buddhist perspective, and given the neurological insights, we revisit the question of the boundary between the utility of negative emotions and their destructive nature.
