In light of a growing interest in contemplative practices such as meditation, the emerging field of contemplative science has been challenged to describe and objectively measure how these practices affect health and well-being. We recently proposed that equanimity could serve as a measurable outcome of contemplative practices, both in basic science investigations and in clinical applications. Equanimity can be defined as an even-minded mental state or dispositional tendency toward all experiences or objects, regardless of their origin or affective valence (pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral). In this panel, we will define equanimity from the perspectives of both classical Buddhism and modern psychology, and present recent psychological, physiological, and neuroimaging data that have been used to assess equanimity, either directly or indirectly. In conclusion, we propose that equanimity captures potentially the most important psychological element in the improvement of well-being through contemplative practice, and therefore should be a focus in future research.

Gaelle Desbordes, PhD
Grants & Science Manager, Mind & Life Institute
Fellow, Grantee, PPC Member
Gaelle is the Grants & Science Manager of the Mind & Life Institute, where she oversees the grants programs. A trained neuroscientist, she was previously on the research faculty at … MORE


Catherine Kerr, PhD
Brown University
Convening Faculty, Fellow, Grantee
Catherine Kerr, PhD was director of translational neuroscience at the Contemplative Studies Initiative at Brown University. Her neuroscience research focused on neural dynamics underlying embodied attention and the sense of … MORE


David Vago, PhD
Vanderbilt University
Convening Faculty, Fellow, Grantee, PPC Member
Dr. David Vago is Research Associate Professor and Director of the Contemplative Neuroscience and Mind-Body (CNMB) Research Laboratory in the Department of Psychology at Vanderbilt University. He is core training … MORE