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Abstract:
After the talk of Tania Singer on the neurobiological basis of mental training and compassion, she will give a workshop in which she will present a freely downloadable multi-media eBook "Compassion. Bridging Science and Practice" as well as present the ReSource Project: a unique large-scale one-year longitudinal mental training program.
The eBook on compassion emerged as an art-science cooperation with the well-known artist Olafur Eliasson. Throughout the first 15 minutes of the workshop Tania Singer will lead through this 800 page artistic eBook including videos, art pictures, and sound collages, and talk about its origins. The book emerged from a four-day workshop on "How to Train Compassion", which brought together neuroscientists, therapists, contemplative scholars, and monks to explore different ways of how to cultivate social and cognitive mental skills fostering stability of the mind, opening the heart, prosocial behavior, and cooperation. The eBook describes secular mental training programs, their use in education, clinical settings and for everyday life as well as scientific findings focusing on training induced changes of brain, health and subjective well being. In addition to the eBook, a 40 minutes documentary film "Raising Compassion" produced by Tania Signer and Olafur Eliasson illustrates a remarkable exchange between science, art, and contemplative practice about compassion and its use for society.
Afterwards Tania Singer will talk about the ReSource project and how you can actually train your mind, compassion and brain.
The ReSource Project is a unique, large-scale study on Eastern and Western methods of mental training. Over a period of nine months, 200 participants practice a wide range of mental exercises that are designed to enhance attentional control, body- and self-awareness, healthy emotion regulation, self-care, compassion, empathy, and perspective taking. Participants meditate each day, attend weekly sessions with teachers and will be scientifically tested at regular intervals. The aim of the training is to improve mental health, social skills and prosocial behavior. It may reduce stress and increase mental and physical health, improve mental clarity and life satisfaction and lead to a better understanding of others’ views, values and actions. Practical examples of exercises will be provided.
