Most of us think of joy as something we’d like to experience more of, but could cultivating joy actually help change the world for the better? Could we learn to appreciate each other more? Build more vibrant communities? Love our planet more? The answer, according to presenters at the recent Global Joy Summit, was an …
Perspective Type Archives:
Leading Researchers Dialogue with the Dalai Lama on the Challenge of Rising to Our Better Selves at a Time of Division and Uncertainty
Mind & Life periodically invites guest writers to contribute their perspectives and experiences on the blog as a way of deepening dialogue and understanding around key themes related to our mission. “We live through our mind and mental experiences, and to live well in this world is to have peace of mind,” said His Holiness …
Building on a Rich Legacy: International Society for Contemplative Research to Host Inaugural Conference February 2-5, 2023
Mind & Life periodically invites guest writers to contribute their perspectives and experiences on the blog as a way of deepening dialogue and understanding around key themes related to our mission. Thirty years ago, people who studied contemplative practices were often marginalized in their own academic departments. Informally, they sought out colleagues at other institutions. …
Arthur Zajonc: On Bridging Science and Spirituality and Why That Matters
There are those who draw a line between the faith-based world of spirituality and the empirical nature of science. Not so for Arthur Zajonc. The former Mind & Life President (2012-2015) has spent a lifetime nurturing dialogue and understanding between the two. “It’s important to me that science and spirituality meet each other, that they …
Continue reading “Arthur Zajonc: On Bridging Science and Spirituality and Why That Matters”
“The Time for the Lone Wolf is Over:” Coming Together and Facing Eco-Anxiety
Wildfires, alongside major droughts, storms, and sea level rise, are among the most tangible impacts of global climate change. But not all consequences of the climate crisis leave such a visible scar; the stresses of today’s environmental crises have worked their way into our communities, relationships, and mental well-being. Especially impacted are young people, with …
Continue reading ““The Time for the Lone Wolf is Over:” Coming Together and Facing Eco-Anxiety”
Connection and Creativity Inspire Jessie and Richard Benjamin to Support Mind & Life
It’s clear that Jessie and Richard Benjamin like doing their research. When looking for ways to philanthropically support the causes they care about, the couple makes sure an organization’s mission and vision for the future align with their own. It makes sense, then, that Richard and Jessie were drawn to Mind & Life. It started …
On the Path to Belonging at the 2022 Summer Research Institute
Against a backdrop of daunting polarization, violent conflicts, rising authoritarianism, and mounting climate chaos, Mind & Life’s 2022 Summer Research Institute (SRI) engaged participants in an audacious inquiry: What is the role of the human mind in creating today’s divisions, and how can our minds transform to create a more connected world? From June 6-10, …
Continue reading “On the Path to Belonging at the 2022 Summer Research Institute”
A Tribute to 2021 Service Award Recipients Bobbi Patterson and Elissa Epel
“What’s happening at Mind & Life is very heart-enriching: it is holding to its roots in the neuroscience conversation and more fully engaging current issues,” says Mind & Life Steering Council member Barbara (Bobbi) Patterson. “Contemplative practices, and this knowledge of neuroscience and of ancient traditions, can bring such richness to the questions of our …
Continue reading “A Tribute to 2021 Service Award Recipients Bobbi Patterson and Elissa Epel”
Celebrating 35 Years: Weaving Origin Stories
Photo credit Adam Engle “Francisco Varela saw Mind & Life as a dream-board, a place where radical ideas about the nature of mind and reality could be not only unfolded, but also challenged,” recalls Mind & Life Founding Steward Roshi Joan Halifax, reflecting on the origins of the Mind & Life Institute. A philosopher and …
Continue reading “Celebrating 35 Years: Weaving Origin Stories”
Facing the Climate Crisis through Connection, Community, and Compassion
The existential threat of climate change can be challenging to grasp and confront. To stay motivated and energized to face this threat, we must develop skills and take time for our own well-being. “We have to acknowledge that what happens to us internally affects what happens to our communities,” says climate activist Dekila Chungyalpa, “and …
Continue reading “Facing the Climate Crisis through Connection, Community, and Compassion”
