The Mind and Life Dialogues “started in 1987 as an experiment to determine whether a scientific exchange could occur between modern science and Buddhism. MLI has now sponsored 14 dialogues (between the Dalai Lama and neuroscientists) over the last 20 years. In that time MLI has become a recognized world leader in the emerging scientific investigation of the effects of contemplative practices on the brain, behavior, and the translation of this data into effective tools to benefit all people everywhere.”

A few notes from our conversation with Adam

• - He helped launch the Mind & Life Institute to build a science-based field of interdisciplinary study to investigate the applications of the “database of practices” that Buddhism and some Christian traditions have accumulated over milennia
• - From early on it became clear that they needed to engage Western neuroscientists in order to be credible and become a real East-West bridge with potential to reach mainstream society. You can see below a partial list of participants in their most recent meeting, 2 weeks ago
• - They are very happy that Sharon Begley’s book Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain has become a non-fiction Bestseller, since it is based on one of the Mind & Life Dialogues (more on Books on neuroplasticity)
• - He is glad to see the inroads that Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is making in the medical world thanks to solid research. He believes the Corporate Training and Leadership market is also going to become very interested in this technique for stress management. The main bottleneck for growth? the existing number of qualified instructors does not meet the increasing demand.

The Institute sponsors research in a number of ways, and they just announced that the 3rd annual Scientists Retreat will take place at the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Barre, Massachusetts, January 8-15, 2008.

• - “This course has been organized by scientists, for scientists. Its goals are to help researchers in the mind sciences experience in-depth training in meditation and explore ways in which a rigorous and systematic approach to introspection can inform research. We consider this to be a rare opportunity to advance the scientific study of the human mind. Vipassana is an ancient method of introspection that readily conforms to the spirit of empirical science. It is simply a means of training the mind to be more keenly aware of sensory phenomena and the flow of thought.

For context, some of the scientists in their last Dialogue are:

• - Richard J. Davidson, Ph.D., Vilas Research Professor and William James Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• - Paul Ekman, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology Emeritus in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California at San Francisco; Consultant (see our article on Improving Your Brain Tools: Reading Emotional Messages in the Face)
• - Martha Farah, Ph.D., Walter H. Annenberg Professor in the Natural Sciences, Director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania
• - Wolf Singer, M.D., Ph.D., Director at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt and Founding Director of the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS)
• - Anton Zeilinger, Ph.D., Professor at the Physics Department of Vienna University and at the Institute of Quantum Optics and Quantum Information of the Austrian Academy of Sciences
• - Arthur Zajonc, Ph.D., Andrew Mellon Professor of Physics and Interdisciplinary Studies, Amherst College

You can read more on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and other stress management techniques, Stress Management Workshop for International Women’s Day and On being positive.

(PS: as I was about to publish this post, somewhy the computer crashed and I lost the draft. What a great learning opportunity…I promise I had to put all my breathing & mental training into play to manage my emotions and come to appreciate the wonderful opportunities that computers, even Windows-based ones, bring us…)

The Associated Press released an article on DHEA, a steroid precursor to testosterone and estrogen used to improve athletic performance, increase sex drive, and reduce fat as well as fight diabetes and heart disease. The conclusion of a two-year study at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and University of Padua in Italy was that it did not improve strength, physical performance, or other measures of health. The positive news was:

No harmful side effects were detected. That is good news, but it does not mean the supplements are altogether safe, said Simon Yeung, manager of the Web site on supplements and integrative medicine at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

Glad to hear it’s not harmful, but not an overwhelming endorsement either! Furthermore, some prior research suggests “DHEA carries risks and may cause side effects.” I wouldn’t run to the store just yet to get DHEA supplements.

Ginkgo biloba is another over-the-counter memory-enhancing supplement we have heard a lot about recently. Paul Solomon from Williams College found “these data suggest that when taken following the manufacturer’s instructions, ginkgo provides no measurable benefit in memory or related cognitive function to adults with healthy cognitive function.” Nicholas Burns from the University of Adelaide, Australia just published his results from a double-blind, placebo-controlled study assessing the effects of ginkgo on a wide range of measures of cognitive abilities, executive function, attention and mood in healthy 55-79 year olds as well as 18-43 year olds. He found longer-term memory improved in the older population, but no improvement on any other measure for either the younger or older participants. On a positive note, the reported side effects were mild. Sarah Elsabagh from King’s College London found ginkgo improved attention and memory in the short term. However, there were no benefits after 6 weeks, suggesting that a tolerance develops quickly. Again, not an overwhelming endorsement.

And what about the omega-3 fatty acids found in cold-water fish such as mackerel, herring, salmon, and tuna? They fare better with Giuliano Fontani’s work at the University of Siena in Italy. He associated omega-3 supplementation with an improvement of attentional and physiological functions, particularly those involving complex cortical processing. He concludes his study by saying:

This was shown by the improvement of reactivity, attention and cognitive performances in addition to the improvement of mood state and the modifications of some neuro-electrical parameters. These results have been obtained from a small study group and need further confirmation in a wider group of subjects and in particular for the possible influences of age and gender.

While the news looks promising for omega-3 fatty acids, there are still many outstanding questions and more research needs to be done.

What can you do right now? Eat a balanced diet, get plenty of physical exercise, stay cognitively active, and reduce your stress. And as always, talk with your doctor about any concerns. Combine these things, and you should stay healthy and active well into your later years.

Further Links
Classes on Brain Fitness
Brain Gyms Explained
Physical Fitness and Brain Fitness
Managing Stress