Dr. Richard Davidson on Why Awareness Is Important to Our Wellbeing
It turns out that being present with what we’re doing not only leads to being more effective, but to being happier as well. In this short video excerpted from a Healthy Minds Innovations’ MasterClass, Dr. Richard Davidson explains the findings of a study done by scientists at Harvard that shows why distraction is actually “toxic for our wellbeing.”
The good news, as Dr. Davidson goes on to share, is that even a little bit of practice can nurture our natural capacity for awareness; not only in the moment, but in a lasting way. And this, he says, “impacts every nook and cranny of our everyday lives.”
For those interested in learning much more about the contemplative neuroscience of well-being with Dr. Richard Davidson, we want to let you know that he’ll be leading a 6-week online course on The “How” of Human Flourishing beginning next week!
The Healthy Minds MasterClass: Founders Edition, running October 13 – November 17, will feature lectures from the world’s foremost experts on the science of well-being; live, guided meditations from a diverse set of international meditation teachers, and access to internationally recognized leaders in the science and practice of human flourishing, including weekly Q&A.
Plus, they’re offering 10% off tuition for the Awake Network community; just enter the code AWAKE (all caps) at checkout. Learn more and register here.
About Dr. Richard Davidson
Dr. Richard J. Davidson is the Founder and Chief Visionary of Healthy Minds Innovations; the William James and Vilas Research Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, and Founder & Director of the Center for Healthy Minds, at University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Dr. Davidson received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in Psychology and has been at Wisconsin since 1984. He has published more than 440 articles, numerous chapters and reviews and edited 14 books. He is the author (with Sharon Begley) of The Emotional Life of Your Brain published by Penguin in 2012 and the co-author, with Daniel Goleman, of Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body, published by Penguin Books in 2017.
Dr. Davidson is the recipient of numerous awards for his research including the William James Fellow Award from the American Psychological Society as well as the year 2000 recipient of the most distinguished award for science given by the American Psychological Association – the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award. In 2006, Dr. Davidson was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine. He has also served on the Scientific Advisory Board at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences from 2011-2019 and was a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Mental Health 2014-2018. In 2017 he was elected to the National Academy of Medicine and in
2018 appointed to the Governing Board of UNESCO’s Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP).
Outside of his work in publishing and advising, Dr. Davidson, a friend and confidante of the Dalai Lama, has been the innovative founder and leader of the Center for Healthy Minds with his groundbreaking work studying emotion and the brain. His research is broadly focused on the neural bases of emotion and emotional style and methods to promote human flourishing including meditation and related contemplative practices. Studies have centered on people across the lifespan, from birth through old age. In addition, he’s conducted studies with individuals with emotional disorders such as mood and anxiety disorders and autism, as well as expert meditation practitioners with tens of thousands of hours of experience. His research uses a wide range of methods including different varieties of MRI, positron emission tomography, electroencephalography and modern genetic and epigenetic methods.
In 2014, Dr. Davidson, realizing that the neuroscientific research of the Center would not allow the widespread dissemination of the well-being practices proven in the lab, launched a nonprofit, Healthy Minds Innovations. Offering accessible products like the freely available Healthy Minds Program meditation app and a workplace program – Dr. Davidson has been able to leverage his years of research to take these key learnings out of the lab and into the palm of your hand.
All of his work is in service of his greater vision, to create a kinder, wiser, more compassionate world.
How about more recent studies that show mind-wandering in itself is not detrimental to our affective well-being? We have to be careful when we select studies that support our views and don’t recognise other findings. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053810013001396?via%3Dihub
i totally agree,wandering mind is a monkey mind i do practice meditation .I am a passionate buddhist. I respect Dr Richardson
Shouldn’t all monkeys be unhappy then if mind-wandering leads to unhappiness? Monkeys seem pretty happy to me.
I appreciate your questioning so much Ben! Being that it’s free and easy to experiment with practicing mindfulness, it seems like a worthy endeavor to try. If one finds it helpful- fantastic, how wonderful to find such an opportunity that is free! If not, no big loss, go back to letting your mind wander! The practice helps many people, myself included, just as for many folks it is less impactful. I cannot speak to the emotional experience of a monkey, it appears they are skillful at play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAWy9DqsnU0
It is only natural for our brain to function more fluidly and profoundly when we remove worldly (delusional) distractions demanding mental priority from the brain/body (not dualistic, as we are conditioned to believe). This mental effort for worldly survival (from assumptions and personal perceptions that are not real, but perceived) inhibits the brain from accessing truth, creativity and inner Knowing. In spending time, regularly, away from our stream of worldly consciousness (thoughts), such as in meditation, we allow the brain to function more efficiently and effectively, leading us to improved perceptions and more functioning in “the present.”
I used Dr. Davidson’s research throughout my dissertation on the effect of mindfulness on attention to task for 5th grade students. The conclusion was significantly positive.
Thank you Dr Davison for your input it was very important ,empowering and educational.We agree fully that awareness is important for our well being.Its very true Dr what the study has discovered about wondering minds.Just this morning I was explaining to my gardener,how dangerous it is to work with tools when your mind is distracted.
Hi thanks for this
I’m Sonam Phintsok, a tibetan monk from sera jey monastry frome south India & I’m studing double such as Buddhist Philophy with doind Master in Social Work with conselling from Indra Gadhanji open university. i wanted take online class Dr. Richard Davidson. So,Pls guide me help get admission & how can i take online register..
Hello Sonam,
To register for the online class, go to the phrase above where is says Learn more and register here in orange. Click on that. You will see another page where there is a green button with Register Today. Click on that. You will be redirected to a page from Evenbrite.com. You will see a green button saying Tickets with the choice of registering as an individual or as an organization member. Click on your choice and then click on Tickets. You will then be directed to choose your payment amount and asked for credit card information. after filling out the form, you will get your ticket and information on the link to join the class.
I hope this helps.
Yip its a timely subject .
For it is our stress that is the cause of much dis ease.And human beings are ready to throw away dysfunctional models of “health care” and create new functional body mind spirit healthcare .
https://notpublicaddress.wordpress.com/2020/12/13/dis-ease-and-stress/