How meditation can help you live a flourishing life, with Richard Davidson, PhD

Speaking of Psychology

Kim Mills

Health & Fitness, Life Sciences, Science, Mental Health

4.3 • 781 Ratings

🗓️ 3 March 2021

⏱️ 31 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Meditation practices date back thousands of years and are a part of nearly every major religion. But it’s only in the past couple of decades that researchers have begun to use the tools of modern science to explore what is happening in the brain when people meditate and how meditation might benefit our mind and body. Richard Davidson, PhD, director of the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin and a pioneer in the scientific study of meditation, discusses what scientists have learned and how these ancient practices can help us to flourish. We’d love to know what you think of Speaking of Psychology, what you would change about it, and what you’d like to hear more of. Please take our listener survey, visit www.apa.org/podcastsurvey. Links Richard Davidson, PhD Music Meditation_Impromptu_01.mp3 by jominvg via Freesound.org Freesound.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	The practice of meditation dates back thousands of years and is a part of nearly every major religion.
0:07.0	But it's only in the past several decades that researchers have begun to use the tools of modern science
0:13.0	to explore what's happening in the brains of people while they meditate,
0:17.0	and to measure how meditation can benefit our minds and bodies.
0:20.0	In our cacophonous modern world, full of distractions, stress, and anxiety, can these ancient practices help us to flourish?
0:27.6	And if so, how?
0:29.6	What are the different types of meditation? What are the benefits of each?
0:32.6	Can you, should you, try it at home?
0:35.6	Welcome to Speaking of Psychology, the flagship podcast
0:38.3	of the American Psychological Association that examines the links between psychological science and everyday life.
0:44.3	I'm Kim Mills.
0:46.3	Our guest today is Dr. Richard Davidson, a professor of psychology at the University of
0:51.3	Wisconsin-Madison and founder and director of the university's Center for Healthy Minds.
0:56.7	Dr. Davidson has spent decades studying meditation as both a practitioner and a scientist.
1:02.2	He's worked with the Dalai Lama and hundreds of other master meditators to understand how
1:06.9	meditation can shape the mind and promote well-being. His center also works to develop meditation-based interventions for children.
1:14.7	In addition, he's well known for his research on emotion, emotional styles, and the neural
1:18.9	basis of emotion.
1:20.9	Dr. Davidson has published hundreds of scientific papers and several books, including his most
1:25.1	recent, Altered Traits, altered traits, science reveals how meditation
1:28.7	changes your mind, brain, and body. Thank you for joining us today, Dr. Davidson.
1:33.8	It's a pleasure to be here. Thank you for having me.
	...

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