Sacred Silence: Pathway to Compassion combines an interest in contemplative practice within an interfaith forum to explore the nature of sacred silence. The goal of this exploration is to provide an opportunity for spiritual growth for the largest possible assembly of people.
For more information and registration click here.
Meng-Wu Lecture: Paul Gilbert, PhD
“An Introduction to Compassion Focused Therapy and the Fear of Compassion”
Paul Gilbert is the head of the Mental Health Research Unit as well as Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Derby. He has a degree in Economics (Wolverhampton, 1973), Masters in Experimental Psychology (Sussex, 1975), PhD in Clinical Psychology (Edinburgh, 1980) and a diploma in Clinical Psychology awarded by the British Psychological Society (1980). He is fellow of the British Psychological Society for contributions to psychological knowledge in 1993 and was president of the British Association for Cognitive and Behavioural Psychotherapy in 2003. He also served on the government depression NICE guideline committee. Professor Gilbert has published and edited 21 books, over 100 academic papers and 39 book chapters. He is currently a series editor for a ‘compassionate approaches to life difficulties’ series. After years of exploring the processes underpinning shame and its role in a variety of psychopathologies, Professor Gilbert’s research is exploring the neurophysiology and therapeutic effectiveness of compassion focused therapy. To help advance compassionate approaches to psychological and other human problems he established a charity called the Compassionate Mind Foundation. www.compassionatemind.co.uk. The mission statement is: Promoting Wellbeing Through the Scientific Understanding & Application of Compassion. In March 2011 he was awarded an OBE by the Queen for his work in mental health.
This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required for access to seating before 5:45PM. After 5:45PM, doors open to all on a first-come first-serve basis.
Conversations on Compassion with James Doty, MD and Eckhart Tolle, spiritual teacher and author
Eckhart Tolle is a spiritual teacher and author who was born in Germany and educated at the Universities of London and Cambridge. At the age of 29, a profound inner transformation radically changed the course of his life. The next few years were devoted to understanding, integrating and deepening that transformation, which marked the beginning of an intense inward journey. Later, he began to work in London with individuals and small groups as a counselor and spiritual teacher. Since 1995 he has lived in Vancouver, Canada. Eckhart Tolle is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Power of Now (translated into 33 languages) and the highly acclaimed follow-up A New Earth, which are widely regarded as two of the most influential spiritual books of our time.
Eckhart’s profound yet simple teachings have already helped countless people throughout the world find inner peace and greater fulfillment in their lives. At the core of the teachings lies the transformation of consciousness, a spiritual awakening that he sees as the next step in human evolution. An essential aspect of this awakening consists in transcending our ego-based state of consciousness. This is a prerequisite not only for personal happiness but also for the ending of violence on our planet.
Eckhart is a sought-after public speaker and teaches and travels extensively throughout the world. Many of his talks, intensives and retreats are published on CD and DVD. Most of the teachings are given in English, but occasionally Eckhart also gives talks in German and Spanish. Eckhart is also a pioneer in using technology to disseminate his teachings. Through EckhartTolleTV.com, he gives monthly talks, live meditations and answers questions from viewers. In addition to The Power of Now and A New Earth, Eckhart has written a book designed for meditative reading entitled Stillness Speaks. A book consisting of selections from The Power of Now is also available, entitled Practicing the Power of Now.
ATTENTION: Registration is now full for the general public and only available for students with valid student ID cards. Students may register below and will need to show their student ID card to enter the event. For guaranteed seating arrive before 5:45PM. After that, seating will be open to all. We ask you to bring a printed registration confirmation (or wait list confirmation) to the event.
Note: Those who were not able to pre-register, or are on the wait list, may wait for the doors to open to non-registrants at 5:45PM.
Conversations on Compassion with Dr. James Doty and Roshi Joan Halifax, Buddhist teacher, Zen priest
Roshi Joan Halifax is a Buddhist teacher, Zen priest, anthropologist, and author. She is Founder, Abbot, and Head Teacher of Upaya Zen Center, a Buddhist monastery in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
She has worked in the area of death and dying for over thirty years and is Director of the Project on Being with Dying. For the past twenty-five years, she has been active in environmental work.
A Founding Teacher of the Zen Peacemaker Order, her work and practice for more than three decades has focused on engaged Buddhism. Of recent, Roshi Joan Halifax is a distinguished invited scholar to the Library of Congress and the only woman and buddhist to be on the Advisory Council for the Tony Blair Foundation.
She is Founder and Director of the Upaya Prison Project that develops programs on meditation for prisoners. She is founder of the Ojai Foundation, was an Honorary Research Fellow at Harvard University, and has taught in many universities, monasteries, and medical centers around the world.
She studied for a decade with Zen Teacher Seung Sahn and was a teacher in the Kwan Um Zen School. She received the Lamp Transmission from Thich Nhat Hanh, and was given Inka by Roshi Bernie Glassman. A Founding Teacher of the Zen Peacemaker Order, her work and practice for more than three decades has focused on engaged Buddhism.
This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required for access to seating before 5:45PM. After 5:45, doors will open to all on a first-come first-serve basis. Registrants: Be sure to arrive before 5:45 to ensure guaranteed seating. It is recommended you bring a copy of your emailed registration confirmation (printed out or on phone) to the event.
James R. Doty, MD, speaks at Giving: Caring for the Needs of Strangers
The New School’s Center for Public Scholarship presents the 28th Social Research conference, Giving: Caring for the Needs of Strangers, on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, December 6, 7, and 8, 2012 at The New School in New York City. The conference is intended to be broadly inclusive, ranging from individual philanthropy, volunteering, and faith-based giving, to state social welfare programs designed to reduce the suffering of citizens, to international giving. CCARE’s Founder and Director will be speaking on the neuroscience of altruism and empathy.
See event website for more information.
Conversations on Compassion with Chade-Meng Tan
Chade-Meng Tan (Meng) is a Google pioneer, an award-winning engineer, a New York Times bestselling author, a thought leader, and a philanthropist. He is also quite funny.
Meng is Google’s Jolly Good Fellow (which nobody can deny). Like many things in Google, his unusual job title started as a joke, but eventually became real. Meng was one of Google’s earliest engineers. Among many other things, he helped build Google’s first mobile search service, and headed the team that kept a vigilant eye on Google’s search quality. After a successful 8-year stint in Engineering and 2 years as GoogleEDU’s Head of Personal Growth, he now serves with Google’s Talent Team. His current job description is, “Enlighten minds, open hearts, create world peace”.
One of Meng’s main projects at Google is a groundbreaking mindfulness-based emotional intelligence course called Search Inside Yourself, which was featured on the front page of the Sunday Business section of the New York Times. Search Inside Yourself is also the title of Meng’s New York Times bestselling book which has been endorsed by world leaders such as President Carter of the United States and President Nathan of Singapore, business leaders such as Eric Schmidt of Google and John Mackey of Whole Foods Markets, and spiritual leaders such as the Dalai Lama and Deepak Chopra. Meng hopes Search Inside Yourself will eventually contribute to world peace in a meaningful way.
Outside of Google, Meng is the Founder and (Jolly Good) President of the Tan Teo Charitable Foundation, a small foundation dedicated to promoting Peace, Liberty and Enlightenment in the world. He is a Founder and the Chairman of the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute (SIYLI). He is a Founding Patron of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE). He is also a Founding Patron of the World Peace Festival, and adviser to a number of technology start-ups.
Meng earned his MS in Computer Science from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He went to Santa Barbara mainly for the beach, but didn’t mind the graduate degree either. He has won many computing-related awards, including the Championship of Singapore’s National Software Competition. Prior to coming to the United States, Meng had a successful engineering career in Singapore. (He knew it was successful because nobody offered to fire him).
Meng created one of the world’s earliest websites on Buddhism in 1995. He considers himself a Buddhist “on most weekdays, especially Mondays”. He is an avid meditator, because meditation facilitates in him inner peace and happiness “without doing real work”. Meng occasionally finds himself featured on newspapers. He was featured on the front page of the New York Times and delivered a TED talk at the United Nations. He has met three United States Presidents: Obama, Clinton and Carter. The Dalai Lama gave him a hug for his 40th birthday. His personal motto is, “Life is too important to be taken seriously”.
Meng hopes to see every workplace in the world become a drinking fountain for happiness and enlightenment. When Meng grows up, he wants to save the world, and have lots of fun and laughter doing it. He feels if something is no laughing matter, it is probably not worth doing.
This event is free and open to the public. Registration required.
James R. Doty, MD, speaks at Empathy and Compassion in Society
Location: London, UK
James R. Doty, M.D., the Founder and Director of CCARE, will speak about neuroscience and compassion at Empathy and Compassion in Society – A Conference for the Public Sector including Professionals in Education, Health and Social Care.
See event website for more information.
Invited Lecture: Robin Youngson, MD
In today’s beleaguered healthcare system struggling with overwhelming demand, the narrow focus on tasks, technology and disease processes has robbed the system of much of its humanity, failing both patients and practitioners. Health professionals who started their career with aspirations of whole-person compassionate care find their ideals crushed in the reality of a work environment burdened with epidemic levels of stress, depression and burnout.
But health professionals who reconnect to the heart of their practice, and treat the whole person rather than just the disease, find unexpected sources of healing and resilience, and rediscover new meaning, purpose and joy in their work.
Weaving together scientific evidence with moving stories of personal transformation for both patients and practitioners, Robin Youngson gives a compelling account of why a renewed emphasis on caring and compassion is fundamental to the survival of the healthcare system.
Robin is an anesthesiologist in New Zealand, internationally renowned for his leadership in strengthening compassion in healthcare. He is the founder of HEARTSinHEALTHCARE.com, a global social movement for health professionals, students, patient activists and all those passionate about re-humanizing healthcare.
Robin was a founding member of the national Quality Improvement Committee in New Zealand and was the NZ representative on the WHO International Steering Committee for Patient Safety Solutions. He also helped launch the WHO strategy for “People at the Centre of Healthcare” in 2007. He is an honorary senior lecturer at Auckland University and is the author of the newly published book “TIME TO CARE: How to love your patients and your job”.
A renowned speaker and teacher, Robin has been inspiring audiences in many countries around the world, raising hope for a re-humanized and compassionate health system.
For further information see:
www.heartsinhealthcare.com
www.time-to-care.com
This event is free and open to the public. Registration required.
James R. Doty, MD, speaks at Wake Up Sydney Talk – The Power of Compassion [Sydney, Australia]
Location: Sydney, Australia
Wake Up Sydney is a community with a simple mission: to wake up the best part of your self – your kindness, courage & inner well-being. James R. Doty, M.D., the Founder & Director of CCARE, will give a talk on the power of compassion.
See event website for more information.
James R. Doty, MD, speaks at Mind and Its Potential
Location: Sydney, Australia
Mind & Its Potential is a fascinating exploration of how to apply the new science of the mind to learning, creativity and personal development. CCARE’s Founder & Director James R. Doty, M.D., will speak on the importance of compassion and how it enriches one’s life.
See event website for more information.
James R. Doty, MD, speaks at Science & Nonduality Conference
Location: San Rafael, CA
Science and Nonduality (SAND) brings together preeminent scientists, philosophers, spiritual teachers, and mystics for an exploration of the new paradigm emerging in spirituality that is grounded in cutting-edge science and consistent with the ancient wisdom of nonduality — the deep understanding of the interconnectedness of life. CCARE’s Founder & Director, James R. Doty, M.D., will speak on transformation and transcendence.
See event website for more information.
“I AM” Film Screening With Film Director Tom Shadyac
Tom’s directing career launched in 1994 with the smash hit Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. In the years that followed, Shadyac established himself as one of Hollywood’s most prolific comedy directors with huge hits such as Liar Liar, The Nutty Professor, Bruce Almighty, Patch Adams, etc… His latest project, the documentary I AM, takes a serious look at what’s wrong with our world and starts to examine what we can do about it. The event will begin with the screening of his film I AM (see http://www.iamthedoc.com/thefilm/) at 6:30, followed by a conversation on compassion with Dr. James Doty from 8:00-8:30 and Q&A from 8:30-8:45. You may attend both or either portion of this event.
This event is free and open to the public. Registration required for guaranteed seating before 6:15PM. After that, seating will be open to all. Registration closes on October 25, 2012 at 9:00AM.
Invited Lecture: Stephanie Brown, PhD
Stephanie Brown is an Associate Professor of Preventive Medicine at SUNY Stony Brook and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. She received a B.S. degree in Psychology from the University of Washington, and a Ph. D. in Social Psychology from Arizona State University. She completed a 2-year N.I.M.H. postdoctoral training program in “Psychosocial Factors in Mental Health and Illness” at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. Following her postdoctoral training, Dr. Brown received a research scientist career development award (K-01) to study whether dialysis patients who provide social support to others suffer fewer symptoms of depression. This project led to a series of empirical papers conducted with fellow Center faculty member Dylan Smith, suggesting that the health benefits of social contact are due to the provision, as opposed to the receipt, of social support. Dr. Brown spent three years as an Assistant Professor on the faculty in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan before joining the faculty at SUNY Stony Brook in December 2009. Dr. Brown’s research currently focuses on the neuro-affective mechanisms underlying altruistic and prosocial behavior and she has a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation to examine the physiological consequences of helping others. Together with center member, Dylan Smith, Dr. Brown’s research examines (a) the role that other-focused motivational states play in stress regulation (b) the implications of helping-induced stress-regulation for physical health and longevity and (c) the contribution of other-focused motivational states and behaviors to the darker side of human experience including depression, suicidality, and PTSD. These lines of research are designed to shed light into the mechanisms underlying a caregiving motivational system, including its evolutionary origins and its implications for compassionate care, medicine, economic behavior, ethnic and international conflict, and other political attitudes and behaviors.
This event is free and open to the public. Registration required for guaranteed seating before 5:45PM. Doors will open on first come, first serve basis after 5:45PM. Registration closes on October 11, 2012 at 9 AM. **TIME HAS BEEN CHANGED TO 6:00-7:30PM*.
Register here.
James R. Doty, MD, speaks at Zócalo Public Square
Location: Los Angeles, CA
CCARE’s Founder & Director, James R. Doty, M.D., will participate in a Zócalo Public Square series on healthy living. Panelists will discuss the latest in medical science and altruism and what the findings mean for us all.
See event website for more information.
Meng-Wu Lecture: Richard Davidson
This talk will present an overview of the convergence of scientific and extra-scientific factors that have permitted the emergence of a new hybrid – discipline and contemplative neuroscience. Included among these factors are developments in our understanding of neuroplasticity and epigenetics, the development of modern methods for interrogating human brain function, the publications of basic research on meditation in top-tier mainstream scientific journals, the active involvement of the Dalai Lama and the Mind & Life Institute in the promotion of this work, and the presence of several high profile research centers focused on this work at major research universities in the U.S. and abroad. The talk will summarize some of the key findings that have emerged and will showcase future challenges, both methodological and conceptual, that must be faced as this work matures.
Richard J. Davidson is the William James and Vilas Research Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, Director of the Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior and the Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience, and Founder and Chair and the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, Waisman Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in Psychology and has been at Wisconsin since 1984.
His research is broadly focused on the neural bases of emotion and emotional style and methods to promote human flourishing including meditation and related contemplative practices. His studies have included persons of all ages from birth though old age and have also included individuals with disorders of emotion such as mood and anxiety disorders and autism, as well as expert meditation practitioners with tens of thousands of hours of experience. His research uses a wide range of methods including different varieties of MRI, positron emission tomography, electroencephalography and modern genetic and epigenetic methods. He has published more than 290 articles, many chapters and reviews and edited 14 books. He has been a member of the Mind and Life Institute’s Board of Directors since 1991. He is the author (with Sharon Begley) of “The Emotional Life of Your Brain” published by Penguin in 2012.
He is the recipient of numerous awards for his research including a National Institute of Mental Health Research Scientist Award, a MERIT Award from NIMH, an Established Investigator Award from the National Alliance for Research in Schizophrenia and Affective Disorders (NARSAD), a Distinguished Investigator Award from NARSAD, the William James Fellow Award from the American Psychological Society, and the Hilldale Award from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was the Founding Co-Editor of the new American Psychological Association journal EMOTION and is Past-President of the Society for Research in Psychopathology and of the Society for Psychophysiological Research. He was the year 2000 recipient of the most distinguished award for science given by the American Psychological Association “the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award”.
In 2003 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and in 2004 he was elected to the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters. He was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine in 2006. In 2006 he was also awarded the first Mani Bhaumik Award by UCLA for advancing the understanding of the brain and conscious mind in healing. Madison Magazine named him Person of the Year in 2007. In 2008, he founded the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, a research center dedicated to the study of positive qualities, such as kindness and compassion. In 2011, he was given the Paul D. MacLean Award for Outstanding Neuroscience Research in Psychosomatic Medicine. He serves on the Scientific Advisory Board at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig from 2011-2017 and as Chair of the Psychology section of the American Association for the Advancement of Science from 2011-2013.
This event is free and open to the public. Registration required for guaranteed seating before 6:15PM. Doors will open on first come, first serve basis after 6:15PM. Registration closes on October 2, 2012 at 9 AM. **TIME HAS BEEN CHANGED TO 6:30-8:00PM**
Register here.
Conversations on Compassion with James Doty, MD and Thupten Jinpa, PhD
Thupten Jinpa has been a principal English translator to His Holiness the Dalai Lama since 1985. He has translated and edited more than a dozen books by the Dalai Lama including the New York Times bestseller Ethics for the New Millennium (Riverhead, 1999), Transforming the Mind (Thorsons, 2000 ), and Universe in a Single Atom: The Convergence of Science and Spirituality (Morgan Road Books, 2005). Jinpa’s own works include Self, Reality and Reason in Tibetan Philosophy and Mind Training: The Great Collection. Thupten Jinpa received his early education and training as a monk and received the Geshe Lharam degree from Ganden Monastic University, south India. Jinpa holds B.A. Honors in Philosophy and a Ph.D. in Religious Studies, both from Cambridge University, UK, where he also worked as a research fellow in Eastern Religion. Since 1999 Jinpa has been the president of the Institute of Tibetan Classics and editor-in-chief of the Institute’s The Library of Tibetan Classics series. Jinpa is an adjunct professor at McGill University’s Faculty of Religious Studies and is a senior contemplative advisor to the Mind and Life Institute, dedicated to fostering creative dialogue between the Buddhist tradition and modern science.
Watch an interview with Thupten Jinpa: Video
Register here. Registration guarantees a seat if you check in prior to 6:15PM at the event, after that the doors will be opened up for the public and seating will not be guaranteed.
The Science of Compassion Origins, Measures and Interventions
Location: Telluride, Colorado
Access materials from the conference here.
Invited Lecture: Josef Parvizi
The Stanford Humanities Center and the Center for the Explanation of Consciousness at CSLI presents a workshop on Interdisciplinary Approaches to Consciousness.
International Symposia for Contemplative Studies
Location: Denver, Colorado
As a proud co-sponsor and facilitator, the Mind & Life Institute would like to invite you to the inaugural International Symposia for Contemplative Studies, April 26-29, 2012, in Denver, Colorado.
This first-ever event will feature Keynote Addresses and Master Lectures from world-renowned researchers, scholars, teachers, and students including Jon Kabat-Zinn, Richard Davidson, Diana Chapman Walsh, Marsha Linehan, and many others.
Proposals for symposia, workshops, panels, roundtables, paper presentation sessions, and poster sessions are now being accepted online.
Special early bird and student pricing is available for a limited time. Click here for pricing and registration: contemplativeresearch.org/registration
For a full list of speakers and presenters as well as proposal, submission and registration information, please visit: contemplativeresearch.org
Invited Lecture: David DeSteno
David DeSteno is an associate professor of psychology at Northeastern University where he directs the Social Emotions Lab. After receiving his Ph.D. from Yale University, Dr. DeSteno has dedicated his career to exploring the multifaceted ways in which emotional experiences shape decision-making and social behavior. His lab is internationally renowned for its findings and paradigms related to studying social emotions and moral behavior in real-time. From compassion to hypocrisy, gratitude to pride, generosity to jealousy, and cooperation to discrimination, Dr. DeSteno’s work has been on the cutting-edge of explorations into the linkages between emotion and the social mind. Dr. DeSteno’s research regularly appears in the top journals in the field and has been repeatedly funded by the National Science Foundation. He is a fellow of the Association for Psychological Science and also serves as the editor for the American Psychological Association’s journal Emotion. In addition to scientific outlets, Dr. DeSteno’s work is frequently featured in mass media outlets such as The New York Times (including the NYT Year In Ideas), The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, The Boston Globe, NPR, and the NYT Freakonomics Blog (for which he has served as a guest blogger). His first book based on this work, Out of Character: Surprising Truths About the Liar, Cheat, Sinner (and Saint) Lurking in All of Us was a Wall Street Journal psychology bestseller. He is also recognized as an engaging and illuminating speaker for scientific and general (e.g., PopTech) audiences alike.
Invited Lecture: Jamil Zaki
Dr. Jamil Zaki, incoming faculty in the department of Psychology at Stanford will present his work on the neuroscience and social contexts that drive prosocial decisions and behaviors.
CCARE Screening of Project Happiness
With the unspoken epidemic of stress and depression infiltrating every community, how can kids (of all ages) learn to generate their own happiness regardless of the situations they face? Follow three groups of high school students from three continents on a quest to understand the nature of lasting happiness. What they discover uncovers the potential for happiness that is in us all. The film focuses on four teens from Santa Cruz, California. Each faces personal obstacles to happiness: loss, alienation and the everyday challenges of being a teenager passing into adulthood. An innovative project that asks the question “How do we achieve lasting happiness?” introduces them by internet and video diaries to their peers in Nigeria and India and quickly leaves lectures and books behind. The teens also engage in conversations with cultural icons George Lucas, Richard Gere and groundbreaking neuroscientist Richard Davidson. The three international groups ultimately meet face to face in India for the first time to prepare for a rare private audience with the Dalai Lama.
Project Happiness, our feature length documentary film, follows a senior high school class from Mount Madonna School near Watsonville, California, on a journey to discover the true nature of human happiness. Joining them on this quest are students from the Tibetan Children’s Village in Dharamsala, India, and students from the Dominion Heritage Academy in Jos, Nigeria.
Using email, blogs and video cameras, the participants from three continents exchanged their cultural perspectives. Over seven months, they shared personal stories, opinions and challenges, which created the foundation for life-long friendships.
Following many months of reflection and cross-cultural conversation, the American students traveled by plane, train and 4WD to India to connect for the first time face-to-face with their counterparts. As a community, they continued to test their theories, ask hard questions and prepare for the “meeting of a lifetime” – a private interview with the 14th Dalai Lama. Culminating on graduation day, this is an experience they will never forget. It is also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all of us to see through the eyes of our youth what is most important in the universal quest for lasting happiness.
Meng-Wu Lecture: David Sloan-Wilson
I am an evolutionist who studies all aspects of humanity in addition to the biological world. I manage a number of programs designed to expand the influence of evolutionary theory in higher education (EvoS), public policy (The Evolution Institute), community-based research (The Binghamton Neighborhood Project), and religion (Evolutionary Religious Studies). I communicate to the general public through my ScienceBlogs site and my trade books, including Evolution for Everyone: How Darwin’s Theory Can Change the Way We Think About Our Lives and The Neighborhood Project: Using Evolution to Improve my City, One Block at a Time, which will be published by Little, Brown in July 2011.
Invited Lecture: Ron Anderson
What progress is being made toward conceptualizing and adopting the social values of good, compassionate societies? What cross-national indicators are available for comparing societies and regional units in terms of generosity, social justice, harmonious interaction, and other social characteristics related to compassion? Does ecological compassion align with the degree of suffering? Are those with low or high socio-economic status more likely to be compassionate? To what extent is American generosity, in terms of charity and volunteering, a myth? Is big government, as measured by heavy taxation, correlated with low or high life satisfaction (happiness) and compassion?
Meng-Wu Lecture: Dacher Keltner
Dacher Keltner, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology at UC Berkeley and the faculty director of the university’s Greater Good Science Center, an interdisciplinary center that disseminates the new science of happiness and compassion to educators, parents, mental health workers, and others.
After receiving his Ph.D. from Stanford University, Dr. Keltner has devoted his career to studying the roots of compassion, awe, gratitude, and love. He is also a leading expert on social intelligence, the psychology of power, and the emotional bases of morality. Dr. Keltner has authored more than 100 scientific papers and two best-selling textbooks, Social Psychology and Understanding Emotions. More recently, he wrote the best-selling book Born to Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life. He is also the executive editor of the Greater Good Science Center’s online magazine, Greater Good.
Dr. Keltner is an outstanding speaker who has received several national research and teaching awards. Wired magazine rated the podcasts of his “Human Emotion” course as one of the five best academic podcasts in the country. He has twice presented his research to His Holiness the Dalai Lama as part of a continuing dialogue between the Dalai Lama and scientists. His work has been featured in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Time magazine, and on CNN. In 2008, the Utne Reader named him as one of 50 visionaries who are changing our world.