The present research uniquely sheds light on the practices of Humanistic Buddhism (a form of Engaged Buddhism most prevalent in modern Taiwan), which have been completely neglected in contemplative science. It also explores the social and ecological implications of contemplative practice, another under-investigated area of research. By investigating the effects of a Buddhist monastic retreat …
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Creating implicit and phenomenological assessments of nonjudgmental orientation to experience
I am developing and validating two behavioral assessments of nonjudgmental orientation to experience, a key dimension of mindfulness. Currently, mindfulness is most commonly assessed by self-report questionnaires, which suffer from numerous limitations. Developing measures beyond self-report to assess nonjudgment is essential to exploring its role in mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) and contemplative practices. Additionally, the development …
Bridging the empathy gap: Effects of brief mindfulness training on helping outgroup members in need
When humans witness others in need, we empathize with them and often help them. It is well documented that empathy occurs automatically, but when those in need are not members of a social ingroup, empathy and helping are often lower. One major social division in America and in other countries is based on race. Although …
The effects of mindfulness and loving-kindness meditation on teachers’ emotional abilities, compassion, and prosocial classroom engagement
This Varela research examined the differential effects of mindfulness and kindness meditation on teachers’ emotional abilities, compassion, and prosocial behavior. The purpose of the 8-week randomized controlled trial was to empirically probe the prosocial mechanisms of meditation, which are now actively debated in contemplative science and psychology but remain poorly understood. In addition, this research …
Mindfulness for pre-service teachers
Among all school-based factors, teachers have the largest impact on student achievement. The teacher-student relationship accounts for much of this influence. Although many teacher education programs provide knowledge about effective teaching behaviors, few target for development the skills teachers’ employ to enact what is known. Bridging the gap between knowing about and being able to …
Mindfulness-based intervention to examine yearning and grief specific rumination as mediators of grief outcomes in bereaved individuals
Bereavement is one of the most common and stressful human experiences, affecting nearly 8 million people per year in the United States. Following loss, yearning and rumination are repetitive thought processes that increase the risk for poor grief outcomes. Mindfulness Meditation (MM) training has been found to reduce unhelpful repetitive thought processes. However, research on …
The effects of mindfulness on gender stereotype threat
Gender stereotypes are thought to contribute to the gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Many studies have shown that gender-based stereotypes prevent women from performing to their academic potential. Interestingly, mindfulness meditation has been shown to reduce worry, increase working memory, and decrease social evaluative threat—all key aspects of mental functioning that …
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Is mindful meditation effective and culturally relevant for Native people?
Although mindfulness interventions may prove beneficial to Native American communities, very little is known about the efficacy of mindfulness interventions in these communities. Further, little is known regarding whether there are cultural similarities between mindfulness interventions and Native healing techniques that may increase Native participation. The goal of our current study is to explore whether …
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Mindfulness and the neurophysiological substrates of fear conditioning
The goals of the research grant were to examine the effects of mindfulness meditation training on pain and fear learning processes, in order to validate the efficacy of this practice in disorders involving fear of threatening stimuli (eg. anxiety, chronic pain). The effects long-term meditation training on fear learning and pain were assessed in highly …
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Mindfulness Intervention to Study the Neurobiology of Depression (MIND)
Mindfulness was taught to teenagers with a history of depression as one strategy for being aware of maladaptive thinking patterns such as rumination. Mindfulness was also taught as an alternative to “getting stuck in your head”. Teenagers who received 8 weeks of this intervention, experienced a reduction in residual depression symptoms compared to teenagers who …
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