Eugene Gendlin’s “focusing” is frequently referred to as a Western form of meditation. Attention toward “felt meaning” and the experiential effects of verbalization enable a deep sense-making process. It is used in psychology, pedagogy, qualitative research, creative work, and in meditation retreats. Besides his acclaimed research in psychology, Gendlin is also a philosophical “pioneer” (Petitmengin) …
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Concurrent Session 2 – A Profile Is Not a Self: A Buddhist Critique of Privilege and Power in the Construction of Social Media Platforms
Taking as our starting point the appropriation of Buddhist principles such as “mindfulness” by Silicon Valley organizations, this paper outlines a normative framework for the critique of constructions of the self in online platforms, with a primary emphasis on Facebook. Through an analysis of public statements from CEO Mark Zuckerberg, we highlight tensions between the …
Concurrent Session 2 – Contemplative Neuroscience, the Phenomenology of Attention and the Mereology of the Subject
In this paper, I argue that results from contemplative neuroscience can help resolve a dispute between Husserl and Gurwitsch regarding whether attention is endogenous or exogenous. The empirical results indicate that attention is endogenous, i.e., that we are subjectively aware — and to a certain extent in control — of the direction of our attention. …
Concurrent Session 1 – Distinctions of Contemplative Practice in Different Religious Traditions and Relevance to Neuroscience
Contemplative practices of the many traditions of the West and of the East have different characteristics. For example, the absorption of mystics (in Christian or Sufi traditions) has a different character than does Buddhist contemplation. Whereas the mystic enters into the subtle domain of mind in the experience of a higher power (in the face …
Concurrent Session 1 – “This peace, this rest, this eternity”: Meditation and Consciousness in Modernist Literature
This paper explores the role of the meditative mind in modernist literatureand theories of consciousness. Modernist authors, such as Virginia Woolf, Marcel Proust, and William Faulkner, are known for their fascination with subjective perception and self-conscious interiority, as well as representations of trauma and illness. This paper shows how the hitherto unexplored trajectory of the …
Concurrent Session 4 – Leaning into Difference Through Contemplative Education: A Mindful Exploration of Power, Privilege, and Oppression
“The single most pressing issue . . . in the 21st century is helping students learn to engage constructively with those who are not like themselves” (Coburn, 2005). How can we teach students to constructively engage with The Other? How do we inspire learners to move beyond their zones of comfort and privilege, and support …
The Peril and Promise of Selflessness
A psychologist explores the path into depression or anatta
Grey Matters: Examining Subjective Experience
Mind & Life’s resident neuroscientist on the past, present, and future of neurophenomenology.
