Overidentification with mental contents, excessive self-reference, and ceaseless discrepancy monitoring perpetuate symptom expression in physical and mental disorders. Mindfulness meditation, among other contemplative practices, enhances access to an alternative mode of processing that is less reliant on these strategies and instead promotes effective regulation through acceptant, present-oriented, and somatically informed states of mind. In recognition …
Early childhood is marked by substantial development in self-regulatory skills, such as executive function (EF), that support school readiness and socioemotional competence. Indeed, individual differences in EF in childhood predict a wide range of important developmental outcomes, including physical health, and EF is increasingly a target of therapeutic, remedial, and universal interventions. This lecture will …
Most think of games today as encouraging violence or addiction amongst their players. However, there is a growing trend in the game industry towards the development of games that encourage a more contemplative, reflective form of game play. This presentation looks at the possibility of games becoming the modern form of meditation. Games are already …
Basic sciences in higher education confront a paradox, reaching the minds of many and the hearts of few. Compulsory requirements for graduation or professional schools push a high course demand, large classes, and a culture of Darwinian grading that contribute to student performance anxiety, fear of failure, intellectual disengagement, and a test-driven approach to content. …
This panel explores relationships between meditation, Buddhism, and psychophysical actor training. Despite the flourishing of research into the effects of meditation in health, education, and other contexts, there have to date been few reports on the contribution of meditation to the performing arts, and even less attention paid to the ways in which acting and …
Eugene Gendlin’s “focusing” is frequently referred to as a Western form of meditation. Attention toward “felt meaning” and the experiential effects of verbalization enable a deep sense-making process. It is used in psychology, pedagogy, qualitative research, creative work, and in meditation retreats. Besides his acclaimed research in psychology, Gendlin is also a philosophical “pioneer” (Petitmengin) …
Physicians and nurses who work with patients dealing with serious, life-threatening illness experience stress, empathic overload, compassion fatigue, and burnout. In this qualitative study funded by the Mind & Life Institute and the John Templeton Foundation, we are conducting extended qualitative interviews with at least 25 clinicians with an established contemplative practice in the Buddhist …
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. …
Traditional contemplative perspectives emphasize social benefits of mindfulnessand meditation, yet little research has investigated their social implications. Social situations involve distinct challenges for regulating affect, including the involvement of others’ emotions. This presentation briefly summarizes our prior lab-based work demonstrating that trait mindfulness predicts neural and behavioral responses consistent with efficient top-down attention to and …
