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Event History
2019 Summer Research Institute

Exploring Mental Habits: Contemplative Practices and Interventions for Individual and Social Flourishing

Political strife, immigration, cultural and racial conflict, environmental concerns, depression, and distraction—these issues and many more influence our daily lives as we struggle to find personal well-being and social harmony. How does the latest research on mental habits, contemplation, and compassion inform opportunities to create change for ourselves and others?

The 2019 Mind & Life Summer Research Institute addresses critical questions that are at the core of understanding contemplative practices and interventions, and how they can reduce suffering and cultivate individual and social flourishing. We define mental habits as perceptual, emotional, and cognitive processes that shape and bias how we perceive self, others, and the world. Here we focus on those habits that tend to support individual, cultural, and institutional behaviors that result in suffering and a lack of compassion and equity.

How do such mental habits impact behavior? How can we change such habits through individual and structural contemplative interventions? We will discuss sophisticated methods and measurement strategies for assessing mechanisms of change.

This theme extends the arc from the 2016, 2017, and 2018 programs that addressed contemplation in relation to context, social connectivity, intersubjectivity, cultural diversity, and pressing problems related to human health and well-being, social harmony and integration, and fair, just, and equitable societies.


Program Sessions

2019 Summer Research Institute Session

Breaking Habits: Self-Transcendence and Health Behavior Change

Yoona Kang

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Mental Health | Self & Other

2019 Summer Research Institute Session

Contemplative Practices

Alisa Dennis, Larry Yang

Topics: Body-based Practices | Contemplative Wisdom | Mindfulness

2019 Summer Research Institute Session

Dismantling Oppression from the Inside Out

Doris F. Chang

Topics: Education | Mindfulness | Social Change

2019 Summer Research Institute Session

From Looking Out to Looking In: Re-Thinking How We Study and Train Attention in Mental Health

Amit Bernstein

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Mental Health | Mindfulness

2019 Summer Research Institute Session

How Thinking About Thinking Shapes the Human Experience of Spirit

Tanya Luhrmann

Topics: Contemplative Wisdom | Mental Health

2019 Summer Research Institute Session

Interdisciplinary Panel: Translating Neuroscience

Moderators: Andrew Dreitcer, Elissa Epel
Panel: Anil Seth, Clifford Saron, Daniel Siegel, Lawrence Barsalou, Yoona Kang, Norman Farb, Elissa Epel

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Education

2019 Summer Research Institute Session

Measuring, Understanding, and Changing Mental Habits

Lawrence Barsalou

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Mental Health | Mindfulness

2019 Summer Research Institute Session

Mental Habits, Prediction Machines, and Controlled Hallucinations

Anil Seth

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Mental Health

A portrait of Zenju Earthlyn Manuel smiling towards the camera

2019 Summer Research Institute Session

The Quest for Serenity Among the Disenfranchised

Zenju Earthlyn Manuel

Topics: Contemplative Wisdom | Mental Health | Social Change


Gallery


Plenary Faculty

Plenary faculty deliver lectures and are available to answer attendee questions throughout the week, often leading breakout sessions and participating in panel discussions. Their lectures expand on the week’s theme, deepening and broadening our shared knowledge from a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and disciplines.

Lawrence Barsalou

University of Glasgow

Convening Faculty

Lawrence Barsalou is professor of psychology at the University of Glasgow in the Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology. He received a B.A. in psychology from the University of California, San … MORE

Amit Bernstein, Ph.D.

University of Haifa

Convening Faculty, Grantee, Planning Committee Member, Reviewer

Amit Bernstein  (Co-Chair), PhD, is a Professor of Psychology, Director of the Observing Minds Lab at the University of Haifa, and member of the Israel Young Academy. Amit is interested … MORE

Doris F. Chang, PhD

New York University

Convening Faculty, Grantee, Reviewer

Doris F. Chang is Associate Professor at NYU Silver School of Social Work and a research scientist at the Center of Excellence for Cultural Competence, New York State Psychiatric Institute. … MORE

Yoona Kang, PhD

University of Pennsylvania

Convening Faculty, Grantee, Reviewer

Yoona Kang’s research investigates psychological and neural mechanisms that support the development and changes in social cognition, emotions, and health outcomes. Her main research interests are in 1) linking social … MORE

Tanya Luhrmann, PhD

Stanford University

Tanya Marie Luhrmann is the Watkins University Professor at Stanford University, in the Stanford Anthropology Department. Her work focuses on the edge of experience: on voices, visions, the world of … MORE

A portrait of Zenju Earthlyn Manuel smiling towards the camera
Zenju Earthlyn Manuel

Still Breathing Zen Sangha

Convening Faculty

Zenju Earthlyn Manuel is an author and ordained Zen priest. The essence of all her transmissions come together in her teachings including these books, “Sanctuary: A Meditation on Home, Homelessness, … MORE

john a. powell, JD

University of California, Berkeley

Convening Faculty

john a. powell is Director of the Othering and Belonging Institute and Professor of Law, African American, and Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. He was previously the … MORE

Anil Seth, Ph.D.

University of Sussex, UK

Convening Faculty

Anil Seth is professor of cognitive and computational neuroscience at the University of Sussex and founding co-director of the Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science. His research group investigates the biological … MORE


Contemplative Faculty

Contemplative faculty guide participants through practices that integrate their first-person knowledge with themes being explored, interspersing contemplative practice sessions with free time for personal reflection. In addition to daily practice, the contemplative faculty lead the retreat time.

Larry Yang

Spirit Rock

Larry Yang teaches mindfulness and loving kindness retreats nationally and has a special interest in creating access to the dharma for diverse multicultural communities. Larry has practiced meditation for almost … MORE

Alisa Dennis, Ph.D.

Spirit Rock

Alisa Dennis discovered meditation through her study of metaphysics and ancient Christian mystical traditions. She practiced within the S.N. Goenka tradition of Vipassana, then studied mindfulness through the Mindful Awareness … MORE

Laura Schmalzl, PhD

Southern California University of Health Sciences

Convening Faculty, Grantee, Reviewer

Laura Schmalzl is an associate professor at Southern California University of Health Sciences, where she teaches neuroscience, research methods, and yoga foundations for healthcare professionals. Laura initially trained as a … MORE

Peter Wayne, PhD

Harvard Medical School

Convening Faculty, Fellow

Peter Wayne, PhD, is a researcher and practitioner in the field of mind-body and integrative medicine.  Dr. Wayne is the Bernard Osher Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School … MORE


Discussants and Breakout & Affinity Group Facilitators

Discussants and group facilitators lead or co-lead a variety of small group sessions, which may include presentations, group dialogue, open question and answer sessions, or tutorials. They may also participate in panel discussions and meet with attendees individually.

Norman Farb, PhD

University of Toronto Mississauga

Fellow, Grantee, Reviewer

Chris Kaplan, M.A.

Canticle Farm

Dominique A. Malebranche, Ph.D.

Pepperdine University

Planning Committee Member, Reviewer

Kirat Randhawa

Columbia University

Juan Santoyo

Universidad de Antioquia; Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Grantee, Planning Committee Member, Reviewer

Daniel Siegel, MD

UCLA School of Medicine


Program Planning Committee

The Program Planning Committee (PPC) is a committee of invited specialists from diverse disciplines and perspectives who bring their expertise to curate and produce the content for the Summer Research Institute. In addition to developing the overall theme and narrative arc of the program, the PPC actively participate in SRI and serve as leader for small group discussions. Rob Roeser and Elissa Epel are co-chairs of this year’s Program Planning Committee.

Robert Roeser, PhD, MSW

Pennsylvania State University

Convening Faculty, Reviewer, Steering Council Member

Elissa Epel, PhD

University of California, San Francisco

Convening Faculty, Fellow, Planning Committee Member, Reviewer

Sarah Bowen, PhD

Pacific University

Reviewer

Andrew Dreitcer, MDiv, PhD

Claremont School of Theology

Planning Committee Member

Clifford Saron, PhD

University of California, Davis

Convening Faculty, Fellow, Planning Committee Member


About the Summer Research Institute

The purpose of the Mind and Life Summer Research Institute is to advance collaborative research among scientists, contemplative scholars, other humanities scholars, and contemplative practitioners, based on a process of inquiry and dialogue. With this unique program, we are not only nurturing a new generation of scientists interested in exploring the influence of contemplative practice and meditation on mind, behavior, brain function and health, but are also fostering the development of nascent research fields collectively referred to as “contemplative studies” (including contemplative neuroscience, contemplative clinical science, contemplative education, and contemplative scholarship).

The Mind & Life Institute

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Mind & Life Institute
  • About
    • Mission and Values
    • Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
    • 35 Years
    • Strategy
    • History
    • People
    • Careers
    • Contact
  • Events
    • Dialogues and Conversations
    • Summer Research Institute
    • Mind & Life Connect
    • Inspiring Minds
  • Grants
    • Varela Grants
    • PEACE Grants
    • Contemplative Changemaking Grants
    • Awards
    • Mentoring
  • Online Learning
    • Insights Essays
    • Mind & Life Podcast
    • Online Courses
    • Digital Dialogues
    • Academic Papers
  • Media
    • Blog
    • Documentaries
    • Books
    • Videos
  • Support
    • Why Give
    • Ways to Give
    • Annual Reports
  •