Mapping the Meditative Mind: Neural Substrates for Modalities of Awareness

The field of meditation research has grown tremendously in the past two decades and there has been a lot of progress. Yet, much of the science and evidence supporting the mechanisms by which it functions, and its application in clinical settings is still emerging. Mapping the Meditative Mind is an initiative that aims to better understand the adaptive neurobiological changes associated with a variety of contemplative practices like meditation and yoga and to help improve our understanding of mind-body-brain interactions that contribute to health, wellness, and human flourishing. In this talk, Dr. Vago will 1) Contextualize mindfulness and clarify how the construct is operationalized and applied across contexts; 2) Describe the cognitive and neurobiological circuitry supporting process models of core-mindfulness-meditation practices; and 3) Provide neuroimaging (fMRI and EEG) evidence by which we understand how mindfulness is functioning across time and proficiency of the practitioner and in clinical psychiatric settings.