The Contemplative Science Podcast

Latest Episodes:

The Science of Romantic Love Apr 19, 2022

Show notes

References to romantic love is everywhere - in music, in films and in our lives. But what is actually happening when we fall in love?

Diving into the heart of the matter is leading expert Dr Lucy Brown. Lucy's research is at the crossroads of love, neuroscience and meditation.

Chatting to Mark and Jamie, Lucy reveals what happens in the brain during early love, committed relationships and heartbreak - and why knowing oneself is fundamental for fulfilment.

Listen in to understand the science of love and love's relationship with meditation. ------

This podcast has a single purpose: to help its listeners integrate the practical lessons of contemplative life. If you enjoyed the episode and you’re interested in finding out more, check out ⁠⁠‘Training For Humanity’ ⁠⁠- M3CS’s exclusive short courses, including Mindfulness for Wellbeing and Peak Performance, as well as Maintaining a Mindful Life.

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Pain, Brains and Reality Apr 12, 2022

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Can mindfulness aid addiction, depression and pain?

We welcome Antoine Lutz, a pioneering researcher of contemplative practices.

Antoine is fascinated by the ways in which we perceive negative thoughts as tangible and real - but more importantly, what we can do to change them.

Introducing the surprising and crucial concept of de-reification, and by sharing experiments with mindfulness amateurs and experts, he seeks to uncover how we can better deal with trauma. ------

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The Authentic Happiness Episode Apr 05, 2022

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What is authentic happiness? And how can you find it?

Enter Doug Veenhof. Doug describes happiness as a 'process of subtraction'.

Sharing his experiences as meditator and teacher at the Center for Contemplative Research, Doug talks religion, neuroscience and the fundamental difference between Eudaimonia and hedonic pleasure.

Join us for a disarming and radical approach to achieving happiness. ------

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The Well-Being Curriculum Mar 29, 2022

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Why isn’t wellbeing part of the school curriculum?

Asking the question and doing the research is Dr Dusana Dorjee, a cognitive neuroscientist whose research uncovers how mindfulness impacts wellbeing.

Dissatisfaction and anxiety levels are rising - and young people are effected worse than any other demographic.

Supported by cutting-edge research, Dusana advocates here for practical steps you can take to address rising levels of dissatisfaction. ------

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Mysticism and Modern Healthcare: how Psychiatry and spirituality interact Mar 22, 2022

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How does modern psychiatry interact with the mystical, psychedelic or magical?

With difficulty!

Dr Daniel Ingram is attempting to change that. As a key member of the The Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium (The EPRC), Daniel is on a mission to ‘tool up’ modern medicine to deal with the results of the spiritual path.

We dive into the nature of spiritual development, emergent phenomena and the challenges of helping healthcare deal with the weird and wonderful of the spiritual path. ------

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Why I'm Not a Buddhist Mar 15, 2022

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In 2022, Buddhism is perceived as 'spirituality for the rational', fully compatible with cutting‑edge science.

But this view is actually a mistake that does both Buddhism and science a disservice, says Dr Evan Thompson.

Exploring what he calls 'Buddhist exceptionalism', Evan breaks down why Buddhism is treated differently to other spiritual practices, and dives deep into both Western and Buddhist philosophy to explain how the goals of science and religion are fundamentally different.

Covering enlightenment, the ethics of knowledge and non-conceptual experiences, Dr Thompson reframes Buddhism and its role in our spiritual and scientific lives. ------

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An introduction to Indigenous Contemplative Science Mar 08, 2022

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What are the main differences between western and indigenous contemplative science?

Enter Dr Yuria Celidwen, a Native of Indigenous Nahua and Maya descent.

As Yuria explains, indigenous contemplative practices focus on the community, rather than just the self. If I flourish, the planet flourishes.

We explore cognitive imperialism, individualist attitudes and the fundamental importance of intention. ------

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The Meaning Crisis - and what we can do about it Mar 01, 2022

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We’re living in the midst of a meaning crisis.

Enter Dr John Vervaeke. The world’s leading expert in diagnosing the spiritual, practical and cognitive causes of increasing isolation and disillusionment.

In this episode, John deep-dives into the ‘why’, and outlines what we can do to fix it.

We cover the scope of spirituality, the cognitive science of desperation and the significance of psychedelic experiences. ------

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What is the bottleneck to well-being? Mar 01, 2022

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Your life is as good as the lens you see it through.

Disillusioned with her ‘dream’ job, Julianna Raye took a punt on meditation.

2 decades later, she credits it with changing her life and perceptions beyond recognition.

In this episode, Dr Mark Miller and Jamie Slevin talk to Julianna Raye - CEO of Unified Mindfulness - to understand the mechanics of meditation, the complexity of mental health and what steps you can take today to practically change how you perceive your world. ------

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Welcome to the Contemplative Science Podcast Feb 23, 2022

Show notes

Welcome to The Contemplative Science Podcast. Brought to you by Monash University, this is the podcast for anybody interested in the overlap of cutting edge-science and ancient spiritual practices.

Co-hosts Dr. Mark Miller and Jamie Slevin ask the experts - from Monks to Neuroscientists - how contemplative practices work, and crucially, how they can help us improve our lives.

Join us each week for ancient wisdom made practical. ------

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