CONFERENCE BROCHURE - Mind & Life Institute

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Mind and Life Summer Research InstituteJune 16 – June 22, 2012Afternoon Sessions1:30 PM–2:00 PM The Enactive Body – Where Life, Mind and Society IntersectEzequiel Di Paolo, Ph.D.Among embodied perspectives on the mind, the enactive approach is currently the most radical.With roots in systems thinking and phenomenology, it has seen major developments over the last10 years, becoming a solid alternative to the tradition that conceives of the mind as disembodiedinformation processing. In this talk I sketch some central ideas of enactive thought and showhow they provide tools that connect life, mind and society. Systemic motifs, such as the link betweenautonomy and sense-making, can be found in the basic logic of living systems and recurringat several levels, in sensorimotor systems, in human practices and intersubjectivity(participatory sense-making). Enaction also helps us understand freedom as being inevitablyentangled with constraints and precariousness. This happens at the level of the materiality of ourbodies and also at the social level, where human liberation is never a solitary affair, but is foundto depend on the liberation of others.2:05 PM–2:35 PM The Sculpting the “Brain-Body Web”: Modeling Tai Chi as a Contemplative PracticeCatherine Kerr, Ph.D.This presentation lays out our view of Tai Chi as a contemplative-attentional practice. Accordingto our model, the top-down focus of Tai Chi modulates and fine-tunes “Brain-Body-Webs”of transiently synchronized brain and muscle cells oscillating at specific frequencies (the Brain-Body-Web idea is a proposed analog of Francisco Varela et. al’.s “Brainweb” model). For example,beta rhythm (14–29 Hz) coherence between brain and muscles is thought to facilitatefine-motor activity and postural adjustment and is thought to be modulated by attention and kinaestheticimagery. This view of Tai Chi as sculpting “Brain-Body-Webs” is used to considerwhat are thought to be the practice’s beneficial effects on basic measures such as touch sensitivity,postural stability, proprioception and cognition/working-memory.2:35 PM–3:05 PM Questions from AudienceModerator Evan Thompson, Ph.D.3:05 PM–3:45 PM Free Time3:45 PM–4:45 PM Optional Break-Out Groups / Free Time4:45 PM–5:00 PM Break5:00 PM–6:00 PM Tai Chi, Lower Auditorium – Basement LevelPeter Wayne, Ph.D.6:00 PM–7:00 PM DINNER7:00 PM–7:30 PM Data BlitzPoster presenters will each present a summary of their poster in one preview slide in a datablitzformat. This will provide audience members with an overview of the poster topics andfacilitate choosing which posters to view in more detail in the following poster session.7:30 PM–8:30 PM Poster Session, Lower Auditorium – Basement Level8:30 PM–9:00 PM MeditationAndrew Dreitcer, Ph.D.9:00 PM–10:00 PM Free Time10:00 PM–8:00 AM Silence through Morning Meditation12
Mind and Life Summer Research InstituteJune 16 – June 22, 2012Thursday, June 21 Contemplative Neuroscience PerspectivesEmbodiment and CompassionConcluding Keynote Address6:00 AM–7:00 AM Yoga, Lower Auditorium – Basement Level Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor7:00 AM–8:00 AM Meditation Bhikkhu Anālayo, Ph.D.8:00 AM–9:00AM BREAKFAST Silence maintained for the first 15 mins. until the bell tone.9:00 AM–9:30AM BreakMorning Sessions9:30 AM–10:00 AM Embodiment and Contemplative Neuroscience: Opportunities and ChallengesRichard J. Davidson, Ph.D.Virtuous qualities of mind said to be cultivated by contemplative practice, such as generosity,compassion, sympathetic joy, and gratitude are all embodied qualities in the sense that they aretypically accompanied by alterations in the brain and body. This talk will include a review ofkey extant findings on bodily correlates of virtuous qualities. The neural changes associated withthese bodily signs will also be emphasized. The talk will provide a framework for thinkingabout mind-brain-body interactions and will emphasize the bidirectional communication pathwaysthat are central to this effort. A major challenge going forward is that fMRI is currentlyrestricted to the prone position and requires a severe restriction on movement, thus constrainingquestions related to embodiment. Alternatives and opportunities will be suggested. Finallyintegration of modern molecular approaches to systems level analyses will be discussed.10:05 AM–10:35 AM Relational Contemplative Studies of Practices in Christian CommunitiesAndrew Dreitcer, Ph.D. and Michael L. Spezio, Ph.D.Relational contemplative studies (RCS) is an area within interdisciplinary contemplative studies(ICS) focused on understanding the extent, function, and significance of relational imagery,language, practices, and outcomes in contemplative wisdom traditions. Within RCS, relationalityis understood as being oriented toward and engaged by other agents, such as human persons,divine/spiritual persons/beings, and/or nonhuman nature. RCS focuses on relationality in largepart 1) because of the prevalence of relational aspects across traditions and 2) because of the potentialimportance of relational aspects to contemplative practices aimed at changing social cognitionand relationships within and between communities. We will provide a brief overview ofseveral Christian practices rooted in relationality, such as Centering Prayer, the Christian CompassionPractice, and the Jesus Prayer. We will briefly consider scientific challenges in the interdisciplinarystudy of these practices and summarize findings of an fMRI neuroimaging studyof Centering Prayer.10:35 AM–10:50 AM Break10:50 AM–11:20 AM Questions from Audience Moderator: Sona Dimidjian, Ph.D.11:20 AM–11:35 AM Meditation Roshi Joan Halifax, Ph.D.11:35 AM–12:00 PM Free Time12:00 PM–1:00 PM LUNCH1:00 PM–1:30 PM Breakcontinued on page 1413
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