There is an explosion of scientific interest in the effects of different forms of meditation training and how they reduce suffering and enhance well-being especially in people suffering from anxiety. Methods from both clinical science and neuroscience have been used to explore the attentional and cognitive mechanisms by which meditation practices impact the brain and modify symptoms of stress,... [read more]

There is an explosion of scientific interest in the effects of different forms of meditation training and how they reduce suffering and enhance well-being especially in people suffering from anxiety. Methods from both clinical science and neuroscience have been used to explore the attentional and cognitive mechanisms by which meditation practices impact the brain and modify symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression. In this talk, we will practice specific contemplations together, examine the evidence for how such meditative practices modulate brain circuitry and psychological functioning, and engage in a lively discussion of the role of meditation, attention and anxiety in our society.

This will be a very special class taught by Philippe Goldin, PhD, Psychology Department, Stanford University.

Philippe Goldin, Ph.D. spent 6 years in India and Nepal studying various languages, Buddhist philosophy and debate at Namgyal Monastery and the Dialectic Monastic Institute, and serving as an interpreter for various Tibetan Buddhist lamas. He then returned to the U.S. to complete a Ph.D. in Psychology at Rutgers University where he trained as a clinical psychologist and neuroscientist. He is currently a research scientist and directs the Clinically Applied Affective Neuroscience group in the Department of Psychology at Stanford University (http://caan.stanford.edu/index.html). His NIH-funded clinical research focuses on (a) functional neuroimaging investigations of cognitive-affective mechanisms in adults with anxiety disorders, (b) differential effects of mindfulness meditation, cognitive-behavioral therapy and aerobic exercise on brain-behavior correlates of emotional reactivity and regulation, and (d) psychological mechanism of compassion meditation training in adults.