Contemplative neuroscience
Contemplative neuroscience (or contemplative science) is an emerging field of research that focuses on the changes within the mind, brain, and body as a result of contemplative practices, such as mindfulness-based meditation, samatha meditation, dream yoga, yoga nidra, tai chi or yoga.[1][2][3] The science is interdisciplinary and attempts to clarify such mind-brain-body changes across emotional, behavioral, cognitive, and perceptual domains with an emphasis for relating such changes to neurobiology and first-person experience. It often emphasizes Buddhist approaches to contemplation and meditation, and conflates meditation with various contemplative practices. Founders of the field include Richard Davidson, Francisco Varela and B. Alan Wallace, among others. [4]
One of the field's first high-profile public gatherings was the Mind and Life Institute’s public dialogue, held at MIT in 2003, entitled 'Investigating the Mind'.[5] Participants included the 14th Dalai Lama, Nobel Laureate scientist Daniel Kahneman and Eric Lander, Director of the MIT Centre for Genomic Research. This conference, attended by 1,200 scientists and contemplatives, marked the public birth of contemplative neuroscience in the US.[6]
See also
- Compassion and Neuropsychology
- Neuroscience and Empathy
- Neurological basis of unconditional love
- Brain activity and meditation
- Research on meditation
- James Austin
- James Doty
- Mindfulness
References
- ^ Wallace, B. A., Hodel, B. (2012). Dreaming Yourself Awake: Lucid Dreaming and Tibetan Dream Yoga for Insight and Transformation. United States: Shambhala.
- ^ Wallace, B. A. (2010). The Attention Revolution: Unlocking the Power of the Focused Mind. United States: ReadHowYouWant.com, Limited.
- ^ About Mindfulness & Contemplative Neuroscience – CNMB Lab. (n.d.). https://davidvago.bwh.harvard.edu/about/about-contemplative-neuroscience/
- ^ Komjathy, Louis (2015). Contemplative Literature: A Comparative Sourcebook on Meditation and Contemplative Prayer. SUNY Press. p. 740. ISBN 9781438457079.
- ^ Barinaga, Marcia (October 3, 2003). "Buddhism and Science: Studying the Well-trained Mind". Science Magazine. 302 (5642). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Highwire Press: 44–46. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
- ^ Harrington, Zajonc, ed. (2003). The Dalai Lama at MIT. USA: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0674023192.
Records of Conference "Investigating the Mind" at MIT
