Meditation and the Science of Human Flourishing

Meditation and the Science of Human Flourishing was the name of a workshop which took place last Saturday, June 11, 2016 with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche and Dr. Richie Davidson at Stanford University sponsored by The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) and Tergar, Rimpoche’s meditation community. Richie talked about how he was […]

Search Inside Yourself

Search Inside Yourself is a popular course at Google and it is also a book describing the course. It was written by Google’s “Jolly Good Fellow,” Chad-Meng Tan, usually called Meng. Meng is associated with The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) and The course and the book take the ideas of […]

Compassion Media Project

In this very short video, Dr. James Doty and the Dalai Lama explain the Compassion Media Project at The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at Stanford University. The value and beneficial effects of compassion on overall health and well-being are significant. Dr. Doty states that compassion results in great pleasure and […]

Compassion With Thich Nhat Hanh

When Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh was in the Bay Area, he appeared at The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at Stanford University with Dr. James Doty on October 24, 2013. Dr. Doty engaged in a conversation on compassion with Thich Nhat Hanh, known as Thay by his followers. They talked […]

The Business Of Mindfulness

The business of mindfulness is discussed nicely in a recent article in The Economist by Schumpeter. The article is being brilliantly discussed by fellow OI1 members on the OI discussion board. According to the tag line of the article, capitalism is looking for inspiration from Eastern mysticism. For example, Google offers courses “search inside yourself,” […]

The Compassionate Instinct

The compassionate instinct is a term coined by the University of California, Berkeley professor of psychology, Dacher Keltner. He was one of the contributors to the Sounds True series on The Compassionate Brain hosted by Rick Hanson. His topic was The Evolution of Compassion: From Gene to Meme. According to Compassion: Our First Instinct, an […]

What Goes On In Your Brain When You Meditate

This video, which is part of The Science of Consciousness, Dr. Richie Davidson answers the question, “What goes on in your brain when you meditate?” Richie Davidson is a professor of psychology and psychiatry, and director of the Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He also was one of the presenters […]

What Blocks Compassion?

Dr. Paul Gilbert is the head of the Mental Health Research Unit as well as Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Derby. Dr. Gilbert was another speaker at  the conference for Empathy and Compassion in Society in London in the fall of 2012. His subject was what blocks compassion. He talked about suffering and how we […]

Roshi Joan Halifax Is Coming To Stanford

Roshi Joan Halifax is coming to Stanford University in one week on February 20, 2013. She will be in conversation with Dr. Jim Doty, Stanford neuroscientist and founder of The Center for Compassion And Altruism Research And Education (CCARE). When I met Roshi Joan Halifax sixteen years ago, I had no idea she was such an […]

Using WillPower To Curb Your Technology Addiction

Dr. Kelly McGonigal is a teacher at Stanford University for The Center for Compassion And Altruism Research And Education (CCARE). She is also author an important book on “The WillPower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It.” Kelly is one of the world’s experts on willpower. I came […]