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Self-Directed Neuroplasticity: A 21st-Century View of Meditation
by Rick Hanson, PhD
The field of contemplative neuroscience is exploding, in tandem with the explosion of knowledge about brain science in general. People know twice as much about the brain today than they did in 1990, and science knows a hundred times more today than it did in 1990 about what happens in the brain when people engage in contemplative practices.
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Toward a Consciousness of Oneness
by Robert Atkinson, PhD
At a press conference immediately following the earthquake in Japan, President Obama noted that “for all our differences in culture or language or religion, ultimately, humanity is one.” A century ago, earthquakes in California, India, and Italy similarly evoked shared grief and mutual assistance, although oneness was not yet part of our mainstream vocabulary – nor our consciousness. This significant shift in awareness during the last century illustrates the power and promise of evolution.
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Biomedical Research Needs a Paradigm Shift
by Sarah S. Knox, PhD
After many years of increasing investment and diminishing returns, the question we must begin to ask ourselves is, Are we using the right paradigm? Given the experimentally verified validity of quantum mechanics, I believe it’s time to seriously consider the implications for biomedical research.
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The Hidden Gifts of Helping
by Stephen Post, PhD
Not too long ago, we thought of the body as a machine and the brain as some sort of computer that ran the show. But much recent research indicates that the brain is essentially a social organ with its cells and pathways wired for empathy, for experiencing the joys and sufferings of others as if they were our own. Our brain, our hormones, and our immune system are an intimately related care-connection system.
