What is Contemplative Neuroscience?
Contemplative neuroscience (or contemplative science) is an emerging field of research that focuses on the changes within the mind, brain, and body as a result of contemplative practices, such as mindfulness-based meditation, samatha meditation, dream yoga, yoga nidra, tai chi or yoga. In the most general sense, “contemplative neuroscience” refers to the study of the underlying neurobiology, psychology, and phenomenology of human contemplative experience. The term “contemplative neuroscience” was coined by Davidson and colleagues to describe the new interest of research at the intersection of meditation studies and neuroscience.
The field is inherently interdisciplinary, integrating methods from cognitive neuroscience, psychology, philosophy of mind, and first-person phenomenology. Early work focused mainly on whether meditation was associated with measurable benefits for health and well-being, whereas the more recent research has emphasized a shift towards a closer examination of mechanisms by which specific contemplative techniques modify the mind and brain. Researchers employ tools including functional MRI (fMRI), electroencephalography (EEG), positron emission tomography (PET), and behavioral assessments alongside detailed self-reports from practitioners.
Origins & Lineage
Founders of the field include Richard Davidson, Francisco Varela and B. Alan Wallace, among others. The formal emergence of contemplative neuroscience traces to the late 20th century, though scientific interest in meditation began earlier. Scientific investigations on meditation began to proliferate in the 1960’s, when psychophysiological tools were used to study acute and long-term effects of diverse meditation techniques in experienced practitioners. Mindfulness was originally introduced to into Western clinical contexts in 1979 when Jon Kabat-Zinn began teaching it in a hospital program at the University of Massachusetts.
A pivotal institutional development came in 1987. In 1987, Varela, along with R. Adam Engle, founded the Mind and Life Institute, initially to sponsor a series of dialogues between scientists and the Dalai Lama about the relationship between modern science and Buddhism. Francisco Varela, a Chilean neuroscientist, biologist, and philosopher, died in 2001 but his influence continues to shape the field’s methodological commitments, particularly the integration of first-person phenomenology with third-person empirical observation.
A research program was launched accordingly as a result of Mind & Life’s first public dialogue, held at MIT in 2003, entitled “Investigating the Mind”. Participants included Nobel Laureate scientist Daniel Kahneman and Eric Lander, Director of the MIT Centre for Genomic Research. This conference was attended by 1,200 people and marked the birth of contemplative neuroscience. In 2004, Mind & Life launched its Summer Research Institute at the Garrison Institute in New York. This conference presented the first curriculum on contemplative neuroscience to graduate students, post doctorates and science faculty members.
Richard Davidson, a psychologist and neuroscientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has been central to the field’s empirical development. His laboratory’s work with long-term meditation practitioners, including collaborations with Tibetan Buddhist monks, has produced influential neuroimaging findings. Despite its Buddhist origins, the field now studies contemplative practices from multiple traditions, including Christian contemplation, Sufi practices, and secular mindfulness interventions.
How It’s Practiced
Contemplative neuroscience is an academic research discipline, not a practice tradition. Researchers investigate practitioners of various contemplative techniques, comparing novices with experts who may have accumulated tens of thousands of practice hours. Studies recruit participants from meditation centers, monasteries, mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) courses, and yoga communities.
Typical research protocols involve:
- Neuroimaging sessions where meditators practice specific techniques (focused attention, open monitoring, compassion meditation) inside fMRI or PET scanners or while wearing EEG electrode caps
- Behavioral testing measuring attention, emotional regulation, empathy, and cognitive flexibility before and after training
- Longitudinal studies tracking changes over weeks to months in meditation-naive populations enrolled in structured programs
- Cross-sectional comparisons between expert practitioners (10,000+ hours) and matched controls
Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), researchers found that long term meditators exhibit an increased cortical thickness in the prefrontal cortex and right anterior insular cortex which correlated with their level of experience. Behavioral and cognitive studies have explored the influence of contemplative training on attention and social behavior. Reported effects include improvements in attention control, working memory, conflict monitoring, and affective processing.
Contemplative Neuroscience Today
The field has matured into a recognized subdiscipline with dedicated research centers, academic programs, and funding mechanisms. Several universities such as, Brown University, Naropa University, and University of San Diego, have also established courses and research programs devoted to contemplative studies or related fields. In 2014, Brown University became the first major North American Research University to establish a formal undergraduate concentration (major) in Contemplative Studies.
Major research hubs include the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (founded by Davidson), Stanford’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, the UC Davis Center for Mind and Brain, and laboratories at Harvard, Yale, Emory, and NYU. Over three decades, Mind & Life has played a key role in the mindfulness meditation movement by funding research projects and think tanks, and by convening conferences and dialogues with the Dalai Lama.
Practitioners encounter the field’s outputs through:
- Academic publications in journals like Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, NeuroImage, and Mindfulness
- Popular science books by Davidson, Jon Kabat-Zinn, and others translating findings for lay audiences
- Training programs (MBSR, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy) informed by neuroscience evidence
- University courses and certificate programs in contemplative studies
- Public lectures, podcasts, and documentaries featuring researchers
Contemplative practices and mindfulness has also been incorporated into clinical settings, where interventions have demonstrated usefulness for people who have Depression, Anxiety, Substance or behavioral addictions, and Schizophrenia.
Common Misconceptions
Contemplative neuroscience is not a spiritual practice itself—it is the scientific study of practices. It does not require belief in Buddhist or religious metaphysics, though many researchers maintain contemplative practices personally.
The field does not claim that meditation is a panacea. While media coverage often emphasizes dramatic findings (“meditation changes your brain!”), responsible researchers acknowledge methodological limitations: small sample sizes, heterogeneous techniques grouped under single labels, challenges in blinding or controlling for expectancy effects, and difficulty replicating some early findings.
Contemplative neuroscience is not synonymous with mindfulness research. Mindfulness is one category among many contemplative practices studied (including concentration practices, visualization, mantra recitation, movement-based methods, and devotional contemplation). Yet, there is no consensus regarding the definition of contemplative science. Debates persist about definitions, taxonomies, and whether the field can or should develop unifying theories.
Controversy has also emerged regarding perceived conflicts of interest. When [Davidson] invited the Dalai Lama to participate in the “Neuroscience and Society” program of the Society for Neuroscience meeting in 2005, over 500 researchers protested, raising concerns about mixing science with religious advocacy. The field continues to negotiate tensions between its contemplative origins and scientific objectivity standards.
How to Begin
For researchers or students: Pursue graduate training in neuroscience, psychology, or cognitive science with a focus on laboratories conducting contemplative research. Brown University offers the most established undergraduate concentration. The Mind & Life Institute’s Summer Research Institute provides intensive training. Review seminal papers by Richard Davidson, Antoine Lutz, Judson Brewer, and Willoughby Britton.
For curious readers seeking foundational understanding: Start with Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body by Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson (2017), which synthesizes decades of research with appropriate scientific skepticism. Another accessible entry is The Mind’s Own Physician (2011), edited by Jon Kabat-Zinn and Davidson, documenting Mind & Life dialogues.
For practitioners interested in the science: Many MBSR programs now incorporate neuroscience education. The Center for Mindfulness at UMass Medical School (founded by Kabat-Zinn) offers teacher training that includes research literacy. Academic journals increasingly publish open-access reviews suitable for educated lay readers.
For academic exploration: Enroll in courses through Brown’s Contemplative Studies program, Naropa University’s contemplative psychology offerings, or certificate programs at institutions like the University of Virginia’s Contemplative Sciences Center or Emory’s Collaborative for Contemplative Studies. The field values both rigorous empirical training and first-person familiarity with contemplative methods.