Mind & Life Podcast

Podcast Episodes

john powell – Othering and Belonging

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June 10, 2020

In this episode, Wendy speaks with law professor and civil rights expert john a. powell about his work at the intersection of social justice and spirituality. This conversation was recorded during the 2019 Summer Research Institute. They discuss a wide range of topics, including:

john a. powell, JD
  • the problem of othering;
  • the roots of whiteness;
  • recent changes in the world and how we react to them;
  • how our minds create mental schemas;
  • implicit bias and how to change it;
  • the importance of narrative and bridging stories, and the role of leadership;
  • the self as a construction;
  • spirituality and interconnection;
  • the roles of science and religion in society;
  • identity politics, and more.
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Willa Blythe Baker – Meditating with the Body

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May 27, 2020

In this episode, Wendy speaks with meditation teacher and Buddhist scholar Willa Blythe Baker about her work, and how the body is relevant in meditation. They cover many topics, including:

Willa Blythe Baker, PhD
  • the roots of her interest in Buddhism and early experiences of Buddhism in action;
  • a research study about meditation and real-world compassionate behavior in which she was involved, and various interpretations of the results;
  • how qualities like curiosity and compassion that we develop toward our own mental states in meditation might transfer to others;
  • the most relevant outcomes for contemplative scientists to be measuring;
  • role of the body in contemplative practice;
  • three natural metaphors for what she calls “somatic mindfulness” practice;
  • the role of letting go, and the importance of trust and how to foster it;
  • implications of these ideas for how we view ourselves, and our interconnection with others and the world around us.
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Anil Seth – How Our Minds Predict Our Reality

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May 13, 2020

In this episode, Wendy speaks with cognitive scientist Anil Seth about his work on consciousness and the mind. They discuss:

Anil Seth, PhD
  • the idea of the brain as a prediction machine,
  • how perception is a kind of “controlled” hallucination,
  • the self as a construction, and implications for psychiatric disorders,
  • connections between this view of the mind and Buddhist ideas,
  • how these views might inform our subjective experience,
  • the important role of the body in perception,
  • the connection between life and mind (and his views on panpsychism),
  • emotions as prediction and interoception,
  • the question of free will,
  • communicating science to a public audience, and other topics.
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Thupten Jinpa – Cultivating Compassion

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April 29, 2020

In this inaugural episode, Wendy speaks with Buddhist scholar, author, and longtime translator for the Dalai Lama, Thupten Jinpa. Their conversation covers many topics, including:

Thupten Jinpa, PhD
  • how he met and started working with the Dalai Lama, and insights from 35 years of translating for him;
  • the relationship of language and mind;
  • how to deal with self-consciousness;
  • the dialogue between Buddhism and science;
  • first- and third-person ways of investigating the mind that are central to the science of meditation;
  • sources of valid evidence and knowledge;
  • the mind as more than the brain;
  • the relevance of compassion for well-being and a program he developed to cultivate it;
  • the value of mental training in the time of COVID, and other topics.
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Trailer

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March 25, 2020

Wendy Hasenkamp, PhD

We’re looking forward to bringing you conversations with leading experts about mind, meditation, and more. Hear what we’re about, and subscribe today so you don’t miss an episode.

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