Since 1987, Mind & Life has hosted dozens of dialogues with leading thinkers and funded cutting-edge research to better understand the human mind. Our work to seed and grow the field of contemplative science has inspired valuable insights with profound relevance for our world today.
Explore the site to learn how we can transform our minds, the wisdom that lies in the body, why attention matters and how to cultivate it, and the use of mindfulness to promote mental health, help break the cycle of addiction, overcome othering, and more. Essays are complemented by compelling audio-visual content from the Mind & Life archives.
Insights authors—all of whom have engaged in and been touched by our work—describe in palpable terms their journeys to advance a new field of inquiry, what’s been accomplished, and where more research, dialogue, and investment are needed to meet the unprecedented challenges of our time.
We are deeply grateful to each essayist, and to the immensely talented Sirin Thada, whose stunning illustrations so vividly capture our overarching theme of interconnection. Our heartfelt thanks also extends to the Hershey Family Foundation for its generous support of this legacy project and Mind & Life’s mission since its inception.
We hope you find these insights useful in your own journey to be a force for positive change, and that you’ll continue to visit as we add new voices and topics over time.
The Mind & Life Institute: Celebrating 35 Years
