Episode 32| Radical Mindfulness with David Vago Ph.D. Neuroscientist and Psychology

Summary: David Vago is studying how mindfulness is effective in neuroscience today. He’s an associate psychologist in the Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory and instructor at Harvard Medical School. I learned so much from David about the benefits of mindfulness and meditation, I was taking notes during the entire interview! David’s research interests broadly focus on utilizing translational models to identify and characterize neurobiological substrates mediating psychopathology, to better predict outcomes and potential biologically-based diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for those suffering with mental illness. In this context, David has been specifically focusing on the study of mindfulness-based interventions in clinical settings, and the basic cognitive and neuroscientific mechanisms by which mindfulness-based practices function. We talk about how David began his studies, mindfulness from a scientific approach, and where true happiness is according to science. I would love to hear what you think about this episode. It confirmed what I felt the benefits of mindfulness are and taught me so much more. Radically Curious David Getting inspired to think about the mind and the brain and following his bliss Going on a 10-day silent retreat in his 20s after a college course on meditation Presenting his research to the Dalai Lama and what the Dalai Lama told him Finding his calling to bring mindfulness to mainstream medicine and science Radically Inspired Clarity In order to practice mindfulness, you don’t need to be a Buddhist. These practices help us reduce our attachments in the materialistic world we live in. Every moment counts. Each moment influences who you are right now. You decide how you look at the stressors in your life. David Vago Answers… What is mindfulness? What do you think about society and its state of unhappiness? What is the role of compassion in this framework? Radically Loved Quotes “In this context of mindfulness, the goal is not to sit in a room on a cushion, the goal is to connect with other human beings.” “The realization that there is no self can be very scary.” “Our own happiness and well being comes from out altruistic motives, and that’s empirical research.” “Each moment is made up of habits of perception and interpretation.” A Little More About Our Guest David Vago is an associate psychologist in the Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory (FNL), Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) and instructor at Harvard Medical School. He has completed post-doctoral fellowships in the department of Psychiatry at BWH, the Utah Center for Mind-Body Interactions within the University of Utah Medical School, and the Stuart T. Hauser Research Training Program in Biological & Social Psychiatry. David has previously held the position of Senior Research Coordinator for the Mind & Life Institute and is currently a Mind and Life Fellow, supporting the Mind and Life mission by advising on strategy and programs. He received his Bachelors Degree in Brain and Cognitive Sciences in 1997 from the University of Rochester. In 2005, David received his Ph.D. in Cognitive and Neural Sciences with a specialization in learning and memory from the department of Psychology, University of Utah. www.davidvago.bwh.harvard.edu/ Radically Loved Retreat Love + Gratitude + Freedom in Thailand Ready for a truly transformative experience? Join me this February in Thailand. This retreat is about designing a road map to connect to love in your life. Getaway with like-minded individuals, eat really good food, take your yoga to the next level, and learn something new.