BU Treehouse

Contemplative science is an emerging field that uses an interdisciplinary research approach to study human consciousness and its relationship to the contemplative experience. By “contemplative experience” we refer to states of awareness arising from meditative practices, including but not limited to those stemming from Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic, and Christian traditions. The focus of this field of research is to deepen understanding of the human mind and investigate how contemplative practices affect cognitive and emotional processes.

The aim of the group BU Treehouse is to gather scholars from diverse academic specializations who share a common interest in the study of contemplative states of mind. We intend to create a collaborative environment for scholars and bring greater attention to contemplative traditions developed in world spiritual movements such as Buddhism, Daoism, Yoga, Christian monasticism, and Sufism. The establishment of an interdisciplinary dialogue among scientists and humanities scholars will encourage discussions and develop collaborations for the study and practice of these disciplines.

The primary venue for establishing these dialogues will be a series of lectures. This lecture series initiative will be the predominant focus for BU Treehouse, and will run through each academic year at Boston University. We will invite speakers from a wide variety of disciplines, including but not limited to the neurosciences, cognitive sciences, clinical psychology, and the humanities, who are currently conducting research related to the effects of contemplative practices.

Suggested Readings:

Benson H. (1975). The Relaxation Response. New York: Morrow.

James, W. (1902). The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature. New York and London: Longmans, Green & Co.

Davidson, R. (2010). Empirical explorations of mindfulness: Conceptual and methodological conundrums. Emotion, 10(1), 8-11.

Davidson, R. Lutz, A. (2008). Buddha’s Brain: Neuroplasticity and Meditation. IEEE Signal Processing 25(1), 171-174.

Jha, A., Stanley, E., & Baime, M. (2010). What does Mindfulness Training Strengthen? Working Memory Capacity as a Functional Marker of Training Success. In R. Baer (Ed.), Assessing Mindfulness and Acceptance: Illuminating the Processes of Change (pp. 207-222). New York: New Harbinger Publications.

Kabat-Zinn J. (1982). An out-patient program in behavioral medicine for chronic pain patients based on the practice of mindfulness meditation: Theoretical considerations and preliminary results. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 4, 33–47.

Lutz, A., Dunne, J. and Davidson, R. (2007). Meditation and the Neurosciences of Consciousness: an Introduction. In E. Thompson, M. Moscovitch & P.D. Zelazo (Eds.), Cambridge Handbook of Consciousness (pp. 497- 550). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Lutz, A. & Thompson, E. (2003). Neurophenomenology: Integrating Subjective Experience and Brain Dynamics in the Neuroscience of Consciousness. Journal of Consciousness Studies 10(9-10), 31-52.

Schwartz, J., Begley, S. (2003). The Mind & The Brain: Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force. Harper Perennial.

Slagter, H., Davidson, R., & Lutz, A. (2011). Mental training as a tool in the neuroscientific study of brain and cognitive plasticity. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 5(17).

Varela, F., Thompson, E., & Rosch, E. (1992) The embodied mind: cognitive science and human experience. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.

Wallace, A. (2009). Mind in the Balance: Meditation in Science, Buddhism, and Christianity. New York: Columbia University Press.

Wallace, A. (2009). Contemplative Science: Where Buddhism and Neuroscience Converge. New York: Columbia University Press.