One way to view the human mind is as a complex system made up of multiple sub-personalities, each with competing needs and agendas. This can make it difficult to make decisions, feel content, and, ultimately, relate to other people. In this conversation, Josh Korda and Jessica Morey explore techniques that can help us make sense of these sub-personalities.
Nearly 20 years after first being introduced to the legal profession, mindfulness is becoming a powerful force—not only for individual wellness and effectiveness, but also for transforming the profession in areas such as discrimination law, judicial training, and criminal justice. Next month, a diverse group of legal professionals, law teachers, and law students will explore these exciting new developments as…
Bessel van der Kolk, M.D., is a leading expert on trauma and a psychiatrist noted for his research in the area of post-traumatic stress. On April 29 – May 2, he will be co-leading an experiential workshop at the Garrison Institute that will explore the use of music, theater, movement and writing in recovering from traumatic stress. We recently spoke with…
“Knowledge by itself, without deep wisdom, ends up becoming despair.” —Ram Dass We live in a time of unprecedented access to information and knowledge, both a blessing and curse. One of our major sources of information, the news media, is designed to trigger our evolutionary need to spot problems and feeds our survival anxieties with a daily flow of endless…
Many people assume that contemplatives are ascetic and apart from the world. Thomas Merton, in his book The Inner Experience, highlights that the contemplative experience does not remove or isolate one from life but heightens one’s connection to it. He writes: “The true contemplative is not less interested than others in normal life, not less concerned with what goes on in…
In honor of Good Friday and Easter, we’re revisiting a beautiful and soulful rendition of “Glory Halleluja” performed by the inimitable Odetta Holmes. In the video below, Odetta sings “Glory Halleluja” on April 13, 2008 at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in New York City. This took place at “Satyagraha: Gandhi’s ‘Truth Force’ in the Age of…
The first 25 years of my career as a journalist focused on ways to foster sustainable human progress centered on science illuminating the biological and geophysical interplay of people and the planet. But over and over, I came to realize that decisions about addressing, or ignoring, environmental risks were shaped more by communities’ basic needs and individuals’ perceptions than basic…
Last November, cellist and composer Zoë Keating performed at the Garrison Institute’s Insight & Impact benefit. We caught up with her recently to discuss her spiritual and artistic sensibilities and her use of technology in creating emotional experiences through music. This post is the first in a series of short interviews on contemplation and creativity. Do you have a contemplative…