What is contemplative neuroscience?
Contemplative neuroscience is the neuroscientific study of the impact of contemplative practices. This includes research on the brain mechanisms that underlie contemplative practices, studies of transformations of brain function and structure as a consequence of contemplative practice and research on the peripheral correlates of neural changes induced by contemplative practice. In this latter domain we seek to understand how changes in the brain impact bodily processes and how such neural changes may affect physical health and illness. Contemplative neuroscience utilizes all of the available state-of-art methods and concepts in the cognate areas of cognitive and affective neuroscience to probe changes in the brain that affect the mind. In addition, as a key element of this work, the relation between transformations of the brain and first-person experience assessed in a myriad of ways is examined. This project — the relation between first- and third-person measures — represents a fund
