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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.

We will explore recent findings from our work at this interface between contemplative and research traditions. Together with Alan Wallace and three-dozen collaborating researchers, we are investigating how attentional, emotional and physiological processes change over the course of three months of intensive training in meditative quiescence and emotional balance, in a study known as “The Shamatha Project.”

Can meditation practice increase our capacity to understand the primary role of emotion in cognition and attention?

Can meditation practice increase our capacity to understand the primary role of emotion in cognition and attention?

What is the role of memory in contemplative development? Is there evidence in the tradition of elders showing extremely good memory given years of practice?

How can we understand the relation between attention and memory in the practice of mindfulness?

While Buddhism lacks any quantitative behavioral science or neuroscience, it has developed highly sophisticated methods of introspective inquiry based on the refinement of attention and metacognitive skills. These methods allegedly result in reliable, replicable observations regarding the origins, nature, and potentials of consciousness, as well as the inner causes of mental suffering and genuine happiness.