Maladaptive habits are at the root of a variety of clinical concerns, including depression, substance abuse and suicidality. Mindfulness meditation is believed to inhibit maladaptive habit formation by increasing awareness of cognitive and emotional states while also decreasing reactivity. Relaxing cognitive and behavioral habits may allow more mindful people to behave in ways that are …
Grant Type Archives:
The neural bases of heightened awareness to the present moment
Over years of long-term practice, meditators’ brains and minds develop extraordinary abilities. One such ability is being able to exercise control over even basic mental processes that have long thought to be automatic from decades of research on non-meditating populations. A prior behavioral study conducted with expert Tibetan Buddhist practitioners who were shown ambiguous visual …
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From egocentric to ecocentric: Pro-social and pro-environmental actualizations of mindfulness at an intensive monastic retreat
The present research uniquely sheds light on the practices of Humanistic Buddhism (a form of Engaged Buddhism most prevalent in modern Taiwan), which have been completely neglected in contemplative science. It also explores the social and ecological implications of contemplative practice, another under-investigated area of research. By investigating the effects of a Buddhist monastic retreat …
Creating implicit and phenomenological assessments of nonjudgmental orientation to experience
I am developing and validating two behavioral assessments of nonjudgmental orientation to experience, a key dimension of mindfulness. Currently, mindfulness is most commonly assessed by self-report questionnaires, which suffer from numerous limitations. Developing measures beyond self-report to assess nonjudgment is essential to exploring its role in mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) and contemplative practices. Additionally, the development …
Unseaming the secular: Poetry, process, and belief in the world
Our “real responsibility,” H.H. the Dalai Lama has suggested, is to find a “new approach” or “more holistic view” for the 21st century. A good place to begin might be a holistic understanding of meditation. Yet, is such a view fully articulable in current contemplative science and embodied philosophy? Do concepts such as cognitive ecology …
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A community-engaged approach to contemplative neuroscience in a diverse contemplative community
We are working to increase diversity within neuroscience of meditation studies to reflect the increasingly diverse population of the United States and to improve representation of minorities. We are using community engagement and dialogue with the East Bay Meditation Center (EBMC) in Oakland, CA, one of the most diverse meditation communities in the U.S. EBMC …
Bridging the empathy gap: Effects of brief mindfulness training on helping outgroup members in need
When humans witness others in need, we empathize with them and often help them. It is well documented that empathy occurs automatically, but when those in need are not members of a social ingroup, empathy and helping are often lower. One major social division in America and in other countries is based on race. Although …
The effects of mindfulness and loving-kindness meditation on teachers’ emotional abilities, compassion, and prosocial classroom engagement
This Varela research examined the differential effects of mindfulness and kindness meditation on teachers’ emotional abilities, compassion, and prosocial behavior. The purpose of the 8-week randomized controlled trial was to empirically probe the prosocial mechanisms of meditation, which are now actively debated in contemplative science and psychology but remain poorly understood. In addition, this research …
Mindfulness for pre-service teachers
Among all school-based factors, teachers have the largest impact on student achievement. The teacher-student relationship accounts for much of this influence. Although many teacher education programs provide knowledge about effective teaching behaviors, few target for development the skills teachers’ employ to enact what is known. Bridging the gap between knowing about and being able to …
Rhythm induced trance: Using repetitive auditory stimulation to facilitate states of absorption and promote insight
This project seeks to understand the neural underpinnings of rhythm-induced trance. Rhythmic drumming has been used, throughout history and across cultures, to induce trance and promote insight, but little is known about the underlying neural mechanisms. Following up on my earlier fMRI study of rhythm-induced trance, this project uses EEG to assess brain network activity …
