On Day Three, having discussed topics relevant to education practitioners, the Dialogue brings recent scientific findings into conversation with Buddhist understandings of the mind. The first presentation in this session surveys the current scientific research on meta-awareness and attention. References are made to the influence of mindfulness and compassion training in a broad range of high stress and high performance groups, including educators and students. The session concludes with a Buddhist perspective on attention, mindfulness and meta-awareness — key mental faculties that are the focus of both cultivation as well as application across Buddhist contemplative traditions of mental training.

Amishi Jha, PhD

University of Miami

Convening Faculty, Fellow, Grantee, Planning Committee Member, Steering Council Member

Amishi Jha is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Miami, and Director of Contemplative Neuroscience for the Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative, prior to which she was an … MORE

Sona Dimidjian, PhD

Renée Crown Wellness Institute

Board Member

  Sona Dimidjian, PhD is Director of the Renée Crown Wellness Institute and Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Colorado Boulder. Her current research … MORE

Thupten Jinpa, PhD

Compassion Institute

Board Chair

Thupten Jinpa, Ph.d., received his early education and training as a monk and obtained the Geshe Lharam degree from the Shartse College of Ganden Monastic University, South India. In addition, Jinpa … MORE

Richard J. Davidson, PhD

William James and Vilas Research Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry and Founder & Director of the Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Founder and Chief Visionary for Healthy Minds Innovations, Inc.

Richard Davidson received his PhD from Harvard University in Psychology and has been at Wisconsin since 1984.  He has published more than 573 articles, numerous chapters and reviews, and edited … MORE