This ethnographic research will investigate contextual factors associated with contemplative practices in the nation of Bhutan. The motivation driving this research is twofold: firstly, the impact of contextual factors in the experience of contemplative practice has not been adequately studied; and secondly, Bhutan is experiencing an increase in the rate of suicide. Although the Bhutanese …
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The role of Contemplative Art Education in social, emotional, and cognitive development of children with low SES
Contemplative Art Education (CAE), established in 2012 by the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA), seeks to enhance experiences with the arts using innovative models of engagement. CAE is a skill-based, experiential, constructivist education approach that involves: conversational tours, mindful practices, and art-making activities. What makes CAE unique is that it encourages viewers to …
Is mindfulness only for the fortunate? The development and dissemination of a brief home-based mindfulness intervention to low-income couples
Minority and low-income couples tend to experience greater individual and relational stress compared to higher income and/or White couples, which is likely due to the unique challenges these populations face. Given that previous studies indicate mindfulness reduces both individual and relationship stress, it may be a particularly useful tool for these underserved populations. Unfortunately, low-income …
Navigating the end of life among Tibetans in exile: A transnational ethnographic study
This multi-sited ethnography in Queens, NY, Kathmandu, and Dharamsala, India, investigates how Tibetans conceive of, and prepare for death. Using death as a site of inquiry, this project considers an apparent paradox: how a temporal focus on life beyond death may enhance agency and empowerment in the present. This project engages a multi-generational sample, in …
How does self-compassion influence pain and self-related functioning in patients with chronic pain? A pilot RCT trial combining fMRI and experience sampling
Chronic pain is a major physical and mental health care problem, and is challenging to treat. In addition to pain, many patients feel bad about themselves and may experience guilt or shame. Self-compassion is an element of mindfulness-based interventions, and describes the skill of being kind and caring towards oneself. Thus, for patients with chronic …
An action phase model of compassion: Predictors and effects of helping goal commitment
It is unclear exactly why, or when, compassion-eliciting situations evoke responses that are pleasant and productive, versus aversive and potentially detrimental to one’s health. The proposed work seeks to clarify the role of mindset on the experience of compassion-eliciting situations, helping behavior, and responses to unrelated stressors. Specifically, I propose the action-phase model of compassion, …
The impact of a mindfulness-based intervention on opioid misuse during pregnancy: A mixed methods pilot RCT
Opioid pain medication use during pregnancy is a growing concern in the United States. This study will explore the effects of a mindfulness-based intervention, Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), on opioid misuse, opioid craving, and parenting behavior among pregnant women using opioids. MORE has been found to decrease automatic attention to opioids, increase emotion regulation, and …
Investigating the impact of yoga on brain aging: A randomized controlled trial
With the aging global population, dementia is becoming an increasing concern for global public health. Currently, some evidence suggests that meditation and yoga practice may help decrease risk for dementia and cognitive decline. Furthermore, these interventions have the strengths of being inexpensive and scalable, while also being helpful for brain aging as well as general …
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The effects of mindfulness meditation on pain and heart rate variability
Pain is a multidimensional experience that combines sensory, affective, and cognitive factors, causing its treatment to be extremely complicated and expensive. However, mindfulness meditation has been shown to be a cost-effective approach to decreasing experimental and clinical pain. We have repeatedly shown that four days of mindfulness meditation training can significantly reduce experimentally induced pain …
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Neural and endocrine mechanisms mediating prosociality
Prosociality, an inherent part of society, ensures the thriving and success of social groups. Understanding the role of stress on empathic prosocial behaviors, like helping behavior, is important for societal well-being, and for shedding light on stress-related neuropsychiatric diseases such as depression, social anxiety, and autism. As opposed to chronic and severe stressors, there is …
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