Brain, Mind and Soul: Advances in Clinical and Scientific Approaches to Brain-Mind Health and Spirituality
Megan Oser, PhD, Harvard Medical School
David Vago, PhD, Harvard Medical School
John Peteet, MD, Harvard Medical School
Moderator: David Silbersweig, MD, Harvard Medical School
This panel will provide a contemporary, interdisciplinary perspective on timeless and timely issue of the human brain-mind in health/flourishing and disease, in the context of religion and spirituality. One speaker will present the evolving neurobiology of religious experience, and will speak about the interface of clinical psychiatry and religiosity. These topics will help attendees understand the latest scientific and medical thinking about the brain, mental illness and religiosity. These perspectives are important and helpful for the religious community to learn about, from practical (when does a person need to be seen by a mental health professional?) and theoretical (what are potential implications; how can one integrate the religious perspective?) vantage points. Another speaker will describe our neurobiological model and empirical brain imaging research concerning the neurocognitive substrates and mechanisms of mindfulness meditation. A third speaker will discuss current clinical cognitive-behavioral therapy approaches incorporating mindfulness and related practices. The final speaker will discuss the integration of spirituality into medical/psychiatric/palliative care, and joint work with chaplains in those contexts. Discussion with conference attendees from other disciplines, including philosophy and religious traditions will be facilitated.
David Vago, PhD, Harvard Medical School
John Peteet, MD, Harvard Medical School
Moderator: David Silbersweig, MD, Harvard Medical School
This panel will provide a contemporary, interdisciplinary perspective on timeless and timely issue of the human brain-mind in health/flourishing and disease, in the context of religion and spirituality. One speaker will present the evolving neurobiology of religious experience, and will speak about the interface of clinical psychiatry and religiosity. These topics will help attendees understand the latest scientific and medical thinking about the brain, mental illness and religiosity. These perspectives are important and helpful for the religious community to learn about, from practical (when does a person need to be seen by a mental health professional?) and theoretical (what are potential implications; how can one integrate the religious perspective?) vantage points. Another speaker will describe our neurobiological model and empirical brain imaging research concerning the neurocognitive substrates and mechanisms of mindfulness meditation. A third speaker will discuss current clinical cognitive-behavioral therapy approaches incorporating mindfulness and related practices. The final speaker will discuss the integration of spirituality into medical/psychiatric/palliative care, and joint work with chaplains in those contexts. Discussion with conference attendees from other disciplines, including philosophy and religious traditions will be facilitated.