Traditional contemplative perspectives emphasize social benefits of mindfulnessand meditation, yet little research has investigated their social implications. Social situations involve distinct challenges for regulating affect, including the involvement of others’ emotions. This presentation briefly summarizes our prior lab-based work demonstrating that trait mindfulness predicts neural and behavioral responses consistent with efficient top-down attention to and …
Recent social psychological and neuroscientific studies demonstrate that specific contemplative interventions, especially secular forms of Buddhist-based compassion trainings, enhance prosocial behavior. This panel offers a rare opportunity for scientists and humanists to review together recent discoveries and discuss pressing questions. Advocates often assume that practices such as compassion training and its behavioral effects are universally …
We assume that humans are social beings that necessarily and existentially strive for connection and recognition from others. When social interactions fail to contribute to this basic desire, they constitute one of the greatest sources of human suffering. Being with others requires a negotiation between needing to ensure one’s own existence while also recognizing others’ …
What Constitutes Compelling Evidence, And For Whom? (B. Alan Wallace) “Exceptional claims require exceptional evidence” is often presented as the heart of the scientific method and as a model for critical thinking, rational thought, and skepticism everywhere. Accordingly, materialists view any evidence that is incompatible with their beliefs as highly questionable at best, for such …
Epiphanies, Tensions, and Horizons: Pathways Forward In this session, we will reflect on the lessons from the day’s workshops, examine their implications for the fields of contemplative and transformative education, and outline potential pathways forward. We will consider the following questions: How did these conversations impact how we see ourselves and our work? What new …
The fostering of academic, social and emotional student development and the cultivation of outer- and inner-life skills for all students requires a newly designed vision of education. This session will examine the re-envisioning of education through engaging participants in reflection and lively discussion about critical questions regarding realizing and embodying education by connecting the contemplative …
We are at a moment in time when the thriving of all beings on our Planet Mother is in question. What happens when we become aware and engaged as members of living systems? How does that awareness bring deeper meaning to learning within and outside of formal education systems that cultivates a more sustainable life? …
