Mind & Life

February 27, 2026

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Since this podcast launched, Wendy Hasenkamp has guided listeners through 84 in-depth conversations, bringing warmth, curiosity, and intellectual depth to every episode. After five years with the show and over 13 years with the Mind & Life Institute, Wendy is stepping into a new chapter, returning to school and pursuing studies to become a clinical herbalist. While we’ll miss her deeply, we’re excited about this new path for her, where she will surely continue to share her wisdom and guide others toward greater well-being and connection.

In this special episode, Mind & Life co-producer Phil Walker sits down with Wendy for a conversation reflecting on her time as host—the insights gained, the themes that emerged, and the questions that continue to inspire her. They cover many topics, including:

• her own path into contemplative science;
• finding a home in the Mind & Life community;
• the dialogue between Buddhism and science;
• supporting science education for Tibetan monastics;
• science communication, nuance & mindfulness hype;
• how this podcast was born and evolved over time;
• the importance of open-mindedness and critique in science;
• some key themes that emerged from years of conversations with leading thinkers and scholars;
• reckoning with an interdependent self;
• the problem of othering;
• mind-body connection;
• reflections on where contemplative science has been and where it’s going;
• interconnectedness with nature;
• and her next steps in the world of herbalism and holistic medicine.

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August 14, 2025

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In this episode, Wendy speaks with Buddhist scholar and meditation teacher Liz Monson. Liz is one of the pioneers in combining Buddhist teachings with nature-based practices, and her work helps us connect in an embodied way to the fundamental interconnectedness of the world. This conversation covers many topics, including:

• how spirituality and connection to nature fed into her path to Buddhism;
• nature-based practices in the Buddhist tradition;
• moving beyond human-centrism;
• the energies of the natural world;
• the sandcastle of the constructed self;
• why human beings are really here;
• lessons about human nature from 9/11;
• wisdom from the trees;
• practices to connect with the elements of nature;
• working with elemental energies to understand emotions;
• understanding the divine masculine and feminine archetypes;
• psychedelics and meditation as complementary pathways toward awakening;
• an experiential approach to suffering and healing;
• and the need for self-compassion and love.

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July 17, 2025

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In this episode, Wendy speaks with cognitive and affective scientist Christy Wilson-Mendenhall. Christy has a long history studying emotions, and her work integrates psychological science and contemplative philosophy to explore well-being and resilience. This conversation covers many topics, including:

• integrating basic science and philosophy with on-the-ground research;
• viewing emotions as malleable, situated, and learned;
• working with emotions to enhance well-being;
• intersections of cognitive science and Buddhist philosophy;
• the critical role of community and relationships;
• understanding deep resilience;
• a free online course to help build resilience and emotional well-being;
• making worldview explicit;
• foregrounding interconnectedness when teaching;
• the power of emotional granularity;
• eco-anxiety, eco-grief, and solastalgia;
• the role of imagination and visioning;
• priming ourselves for a better future;
• taking seriously and learning from the perspective of marginalized folks;
• and making small personal changes to effect systems change.

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June 19, 2025

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In this episode, Wendy speaks with professor, writer, and thought leader Karen O’Brien. Karen is an expert on the human and social dimensions of climate change, and her work helps us understand the role of the mind and worldview in how we create and respond to environmental change, and global change more broadly. This conversation covers many topics, including:

• her path into environmental studies and understanding how humans respond to climate change;
• consequences of a reductionist worldview;
• understanding quantum social change;
• entanglement, and relationships as a fundamental aspect of our world;
• the importance of ethics and values in a system;
• our power as individuals to change systems;
• exploring causality and challenging the ‘single cause’;
• why the way we show up matters;
• how contemplative practice can help us embody transformative change;
• envisioning a new paradigm;
• Indigenous wisdom and interconnected views of nature;
• emotional difficulties in deeply accepting an interconnected reality;
• acknowledging and working with eco-grief and eco-anxiety;
• living with uncertainty;
• challenges in measuring transformative change;
• art as a lens to understanding;
• and the many possibilities for scaling change into societies.

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May 15, 2025

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In this episode, Wendy speaks with social neuroscientist and contemplative researcher Tania Singer. Tania is a world leader in studying empathy and compassion, and her pioneering work explores the interpersonal aspects of the brain and contemplative practice. This conversation covers many topics, including:

• her lifelong fascination with social interactions;
• foundational studies on empathy in the brain;
• distinguishing the physical vs. emotional aspects of pain;
• a chance meeting with Mind & Life and critical insights from a Buddhism-science collaboration;
• the difference between emotion contagion, empathy, and compassion;
• exploring the trainability of empathy and compassion;
• schadenfreude in the brain;
• empathy burnout and compassion as an antidote;
• the importance of correlating subjective reports with brain scans;
• a landmark longitudinal study of training different aspects of meditation;
• why what you practice really matters;
• contemplative dyads and the power of practicing with another person;
• the benefits of dyads for the negative effects of COVID lockdown;
• moving dyad work into schools and hospitals;
• shifting from studying individual change to systems change;
• and the role of contemplative science amidst current societal challenges.

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