Since its launch in April 2020, the Mind & Life podcast has been a space for deep inquiry—where rigorous science meets lived wisdom, and where fundamental questions about the mind, human experience, and our shared humanity can unfold across many lenses. Drawing from psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, anthropology, and first-person experience, the show has created a …
Continue reading “A New Chapter for the Mind & Life Podcast”
Climate change is both an environmental and psychological crisis, with college-aged youth (Gen Z/α) especially vulnerable to climate distress. While climate education can foster resilience and engagement, most studies rely on self-report, limiting objectivity. This proposal introduces an innovative approach by integrating cognitive and neurophysiological measures to evaluate climate resilience interventions. The study has two …
Dr. Jonathan Cerna received his B.S. in Dietetics from Iowa State University in 2018, followed by an M.S. in Nutritional Sciences (2021) and Ph.D. in Neuroscience (2025) from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He currently directs the Mind-body Integration & Neurophysiological Dynamics (MIND) Laboratory. His research takes a multidisciplinary approach to investigate the neurophysiological mechanisms …
Jay Van Bavel is a Professor of Psychology & Neural Science at New York University, an affiliate at the Stern School of Business in Management and Organizations, Professor at the Norwegian School of Economics, and Director of the Center for Conflict & Cooperation. He is also an Associate Editor of the Proceedings of the National …
What if the solution to our most pressing environmental, educational, and emotional crises was hiding in plain sight—in the trees, the silence of a forest, or the stillness of our own breath? As a researcher and educator, I’ve spent years exploring how contemplative practices and nature, two ancient sources of wisdom, can come together to …
How are human minds intimately entangled with artificial minds? What ethical considerations emerge from the deep entanglement of human and machine? What are the potential benefits?
What is intelligence? What distinguishes living minds from artificial minds?
The 39th Mind & Life Dialogue, held in Dharamsala in 2025 under the theme “Minds, AI, and Ethics,” brought together scientists, philosophers, contemplatives, and educators to explore how artificial intelligence reshapes our understanding of consciousness, intelligence, and compassion. Opening remarks recalled His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s lifelong mission to bridge modern science with Buddhist wisdom, …
It was a starlit winter evening in southern India as we barreled down a rural road through a Tibetan settlement village in our tuk-tuk, a three-wheeled motorized taxi. The sputter of the motor was interrupted only by the joyful laughter of our Tibetan Buddhist monastic friends as they raced us in their own tuk-tuk on …
Continue reading “Bridging Science and Buddhism: The Dalai Lama’s 100 Year Vision”
Two themes that have become prominent in studies of consciousness and cognition: embodiment and intersubjectivity. We will begin by discussing recent work in embodied cognition, informed by both science and philosophical phenomenology.
