Does Humanist Meditation Does Humanist Meditation Exist?Exist?

Presented byPresented byRick HellerRick Heller

Harvard Humanist Harvard Humanist Contemplative GroupContemplative Group

Humanist Contemplative Humanist Contemplative GroupGroup

Established 2009 at HarvardEstablished 2009 at Harvard

Inspired by Houston ContemplativeInspired by Houston Contemplative

Have met twice a month since 2009Have met twice a month since 2009

Now weeklyNow weekly

Secular MeditationSecular Meditation

Derived mostly from BuddhismDerived mostly from Buddhism

Stripped of supernatural (rebirth, Stripped of supernatural (rebirth, karma)karma)

Exercise to cultivate attentionExercise to cultivate attention

Informed by Stephen Informed by Stephen BatchelorBatchelor

Meditation Gets MedicalizedMeditation Gets Medicalized

Mindfulness-based Stress Mindfulness-based Stress ReductionReduction

Why A Part of Humanism?Why A Part of Humanism?

Create community for mutual aidCreate community for mutual aid

Community service projects provide Community service projects provide material support.material support.

Group meditation supports emotional Group meditation supports emotional health.health.

How does meditation work?How does meditation work?

Daniel Siegel, The Mindful BrainDaniel Siegel, The Mindful Brain

Jeff Hawkins, On IntelligenceJeff Hawkins, On Intelligence

Stephen Grossberg, Adaptive Stephen Grossberg, Adaptive Resonance TheoryResonance Theory

Inhibiting Top-Down Inhibiting Top-Down ModulationModulation

Focus on PresentFocus on Present

Inner voice produced by top-down on Inner voice produced by top-down on cortex. cortex. Source: “How hallucinations may arise from brain mechanisms of learning, attention, and Source: “How hallucinations may arise from brain mechanisms of learning, attention, and

volition,” Stephen Grossberg, volition,” Stephen Grossberg, Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society (2000), 6: 583-592

Sensory focus promotes bottom-up over Sensory focus promotes bottom-up over top-down, inhibits inner voice. top-down, inhibits inner voice.

Silences ruminations that cause suffering

Enhances Sense of WonderEnhances Sense of Wonder

Rachel and Stephen Kaplan, U. Michigan psychologists, say nature’s restorative effects due to amplified sensory flow

Mindfulness can amplify sensory Mindfulness can amplify sensory flow, increase novelty, joy, sense of flow, increase novelty, joy, sense of wonder in everyday lifewonder in everyday life

Warnings:Warnings:

Short, 20 min meditations appear safeShort, 20 min meditations appear safe

Long silent retreats may kindle mental Long silent retreats may kindle mental illness in vulnerableillness in vulnerable

PTSD flashbacks in tortured Tibetan PTSD flashbacks in tortured Tibetan monks (loss of top-down inhibition?) monks (loss of top-down inhibition?)

New DirectionsNew Directions

Applying mindfulness to the environmentApplying mindfulness to the environment

When we learn the present is “enough”When we learn the present is “enough”

We can be happy without the hyper-We can be happy without the hyper-consumption that drives climate changeconsumption that drives climate change

SeeingTheRoses.orgSeeingTheRoses.org