18 May Mind & Life Institute
Mind and Life emerged in 1987 from a meeting of three visionaries: Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama; Adam Engle, lawyer and entrepreneur; and Francisco Varela, neuroscientist. While the trio understood that science had become the dominant framework for investigating the nature of reality – and the modern source of knowledge that could help improve the lives of humans and the planet – the three regarded this approach as incomplete. While science is based on empiricism, technology, observation and “objective” analysis, the Dalai Lama, Engle and Varela were convinced that well-refined contemplative practices and introspective methods could and should be used equally as instruments of inquiry. . It would not only make science itself more human, but it would also ensure that its conclusions were far-reaching. Mind and Life was formed to bridge this divide and advance progress in human well-being.
Since the first Dialogue with the Dalai Lama, Mind and Life has held 29 others that bring together scientists and contemplatives on a wide range of critical issues: addiction, ecology, ethics, attention, neuroplasticity, destructive emotions, altruism, economics, and more. In addition, over the past 30 years, Mind and Life's work has extended beyond Dialogues. The Institute became a direct funder of individual research through its fellowship and fellowship programs. It convenes an annual Summer Research Institute as well as the field's biennial field conference: the International Symposium for Contemplative Studies. In the process, Mind and Life became more than just a leader in the field of contemplative science; It has become an incubator for discovery in every field that this new science touches. The Institute's impact has been reported in several bestselling books, including Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain, by Sharon Begley; Destructive Emotions by Daniel Goleman; And The Dalai Lama at MIT by Anne Harrington and Arthur Zajonc. Through the support of Mind and Life, researchers have produced dozens of foundational studies and over 200 journal articles, chapters and books; They participated in more than 300 public lectures; It has won prestigious faculty appointments, scholarships, and boards of directors; And received more than $15 million in subsequent funding.