Science & Spirituality #2

The word mindfulness is increasingly entering our modern lexicon. In fact, it has always been there, but a secular “new variant” has appeared in the last decades. Secular mindfulness has rapidly proliferated as research on modern contemplative practices seems to confirm what the ancient traditions promised.  Specifically, that taking care of our inner landscape returns benefits for our experiences in the outer world. Not only for our own physical and psychological health but more broadly, in how we see ourselves in relationship to others, society, nature and the planet. But how can these practices, where we are seemingly “doing nothing”, effect changes in the brain?

There is a growing field of contemplative neuroscience that aims to unpack the mechanisms of mindfulness. This lecture will share some highlights from this work to demonstrate how various practices can re-shape and re-wire the brain – no matter if your starting point is the everyday stresses and strains, or more serious mental and physical health challenges. Sharing a basic neurocognitive model of mindfulness, this lecture will demonstrate the 4 stages, 3 brain networks, 2 secret ingredients and 1 thing that makes all the difference if you wish to train your brain into more mindful states. It will demonstrate how we can use the neuroscience to optimize the teaching and contextualisation of mindfulness training. You will find out how you can use this brain-wise approach to increase your awareness and train your brain as soon as the lecture ends.

It’s often assumed that there are two ways of interpreting the world: a rational scientific way, or an irrational religious way.

In this talk, Dr. Steve Taylor describes offers a third alternative: a spiritual view of reality that transcends both conventional science and religion, and answers many of the riddles that neither can explain.

Steve will suggest that the primary reality is not matter, but consciousness. The standard model of science has had little success in explaining such areas as human consciousness, the influence of the mind over the brain and body, altruism and ‘anomalous’ phenomena such as near-death experiences and spiritual experiences.

Focusing specifically on consciousness, altruism and spiritual experiences, Steve will show that these phenomena are much easier to make sense of, if we assume the existence of a fundamental consciousness of spirit. Steve will draw on the on the insights of philosophers, physicists, mystics, as well as spiritual traditions and indigenous cultures, offering a vision of the world as sacred and interconnected, and of human life as meaningful.

The effects of spiritual practices are now being investigated scientifically as never before, and many studies have shown that religious and spiritual practices generally make people happier and healthier.

In this talk, Rupert Sheldrake will summarize the latest scientific research on what happens when we take part in these practices, and suggest ways you can explore some of these fields for yourself.

In particular, the talk will focus on how science helps validate seven practices which underpin all the major world religions, and discuss some of them in more detail:

• Meditation
• Gratitude
• Connecting with nature
• Relating to plants
• Rituals
• Singing and chanting
• Pilgrimage and holy places.

For those who are religious, you’ll learn about the evolutionary origins of your own traditions and gain a new appreciation of their power. For the non-religious, the talk will show how the core practices of spirituality are accessible to all, without the need to subscribe to a religious belief system.