CNMB Lab, Nashville, TN
dvago@bwh.harvard.edu

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Brigham and Women's Hospital

Critical Analysis of the Efficacy of Meditation Therapies for Acute and Subacute Phase Treatment of Depressive Disorders: A Systematic Review

Spiritual Science: The Effects of Spirituality on the Brain

Spiritual Science: The Effects of Spirituality on the Brain.

The Mind of the Meditator

Scientific American Just put out a decent summary of the current neuroscience research on meditation written by friends, Matthieu Ricard, Antoine Lutz, and Richie Davidson. I enjoyed reading the article and thought I’d share it here with some commentary. The article uses the same distinctions in meditation practice we outlined in our S-ART paper – That is…
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New model of self-regulatory mechanisms for Yoga

How does yoga work? Is there a benefit to doing a bunch of postures, breathing, and meditation techniques while being crammed in a room full of Lululemon Athletica? A group of interdisciplinary researchers gathered at Kripalu Yoga center to discuss the potential mechanisms associated with yoga practice in contemporary settings, while also acknowledging the traditional,…
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Vedana – Affective Feeling Tone or simply Sensation?

Hi all, I was recently having this conversation with Martine Bachelor, a Buddhist teacher and a few of my colleagues, Judson Brewer and Willoughby Britton. I thought it would be helpful to open it up to the public. I look forward to hearing your comments. There is certainly confusion amongst many Buddhist translations and psychological…
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Can Enlightenment be traced to specific correlates of the Brain, Cognition, or Behavior?

The term “Enlightenment” is quite a big word with a lot of semantic baggage. It’s really an imprecise construct for the field of contemplative neuroscience. Friend and colleague, Jake Davis, a Buddhist scholar and I comment in a recent issue of Frontiers in Consciousness about the forseeable future of unpacking the concept into clearly observable…
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Self-Awareness, Self-Regulation, & Self-Transcendence (S-ART): A Framework for Understanding the Neurobiological Mechanisms of Mindfulness

Hi all, I wanted to take this space-time to introduce you to an integrative systems-based neurobiological model and theoretical framework for understanding the mechanisms by which mindfulness functions to reduce attention-specific and affective biases related to self processing and creates a sustainable healthy mind. The model attempts to integrate findings from the extant empirical literature…
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His Holiness The Dalai Lama is Coming to MIT – Oct. 14-16th

The Dalai Lama Center for Ethics is sponsoring an event with His Holiness to confront important issues of contemporary society. Check out the link [Link] or [Link] Some videos related to the talks can be found Here [Link] Event Details: Beyond Religion, Ethics, Values and Well-being | October 14, 1:30pm A Talk by His Holiness…
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Contemplative Practices and Mental Training: Prospects for American Education

The Mind and Life Education Research Group met regularly for 4 years (2007-2011) to create a research agenda for contemplative education. A scholarly white paper manifested as a result drawing on research in neuroscience, cognitive science, developmental psychology, and education, as well as scholarship from contemplative traditions concerning the cultivation of positive development, to highlight a set of mental…
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Contemplative Education supported by the 1440 Foundation

Hi Everyone, I wanted to share some great videos explaining the benefits of contemplative education and the research being conducted around the world supported by the 1440 Foundation. [vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/44255731 w=500&h=281] David Vago on Contemplative Science from 1440 Foundation on Vimeo. [vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/44142663 w=500&h=281] Dr. Robert Roeser on Supporting the Support System from 1440 Foundation…
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