The Weekend University

Through his brain-scan studies on Brazilian psychic mediums, Sufi mystics, Buddhist meditators, Franciscan nuns, Pentecostals, and participants in secular spirituality rituals, Dr Andrew Newberg has discovered the specific neurological mechanisms underlying spiritual experiences – and how we might activate those circuits in our own brains. In his survey of more than one thousand people who have experienced enlightenment, Dr Newberg has also discovered that in the aftermath they have had profound, positive life changes. In this talk, you’ll learn how spiritual experiences offer us the possibility to become permanently less stress-prone, to break bad habits, to improve our collaboration and creativity skills, and to lead happier, more satisfying lives. Relaying the story of his own transformational experience as well as the stories of others who try to describe an event that is truly indescribable, Dr Newberg will share a new paradigm for deep and lasting change. -- Dr Andrew Nerberg is a neuroscientist, author, Professor, and the Research Director in the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. He studies how brain function is associated with various mental states, and is a pioneer in the neurological study of religious and spiritual experiences – a field known as “neurotheology.” Dr Newberg’s research has included brain scans of people in prayer, meditation, rituals, and trance states, as well as surveys of people’s spiritual experiences and attitudes. He has also evaluated the relationship between religious or spiritual phenomena and health, and the effect of meditation on memory. He believes that it is important to keep science rigorous, and religion religious. You can learn more about Dr Newberg’s work at: http://www.andrewnewberg.com --- Links: - Get our latest psychology lectures emailed to your inbox: http://bit.ly/new-talks5 - Check out our next event: http://theweekenduniversity.com/events - Dr Andrew’s website: http://www.andrewnewberg.com - Dr Andrew’s books: https://amzn.to/3uIAC4F

In this one-of-a-kind session, Irshad Manji will take your questions about faltering relationships — in your family, among your friends, with your co-workers, or in society at large — and coach you to repair them by listening to understand and speaking to be understood. What does this have to do with diversity? Everything. Honest diversity isn’t about labeling people according to race, gender, religion, sexuality, disability, or any other group marker. Instead, true diversity is about communicating with one another so that different points of view are heard, acknowledged, and appreciated, despite being disagreed with. Welcome to Irshad’s no-shaming technique of creating unity without uniformity. Irshad will begin the session with an overview of the Moral Courage Method, a simple, science-backed approach to dealing with any polarized situation. She will then invite participants to put her teachings to the test. They will pose surprise questions about the divisions that are rocking their own lives. Irshad will mentor them to build and exercise their moral courage, all the while encouraging every participant (not just those asking the questions) to voice their doubts, skepticism, and challenges to her teachings. In that way, Irshad will also role-model how to have constructive conversations in the midst of disagreements. This session will wrap up with concrete tools and tips for starting and sustaining difficult dialogues. The bottom line? Any diversity that does not make peace with the existence of different opinions is merely a cosmetic diversity; one that is fixated on skin color and other superficialities. By contrast, the Moral Courage Method shows how we can transcend labels to humanize ourselves and each other, cultivating common ground even when we stand our ground. At Irshad’s request, all proceeds from this session went to the Maggie Fleming Animal Hospice in Scotland. --- The recipient of Oprah Winfrey’s first annual “Chutzpah Award” for boldness, Irshad Manji inspires and equips people to have honest, non-judgemental conversations about issues that polarize. Although she is an internationally bestselling author, her books are banned in many countries — which has intrigued a new generation to learn her techniques for effective communication. Irshad’s latest book, Don’t Label Me, is a primer on how to do diversity without inflaming the culture wars. (Fun fact: The comedian Chris Rock labels it “genius.”) A professor of leadership at New York University for many years, Irshad is now the founder of Moral Courage College. She also teaches moral courage with Oxford University’s Initiative for Global Ethics and Human Rights. --- Links: - Get our latest psychology lectures emailed to your inbox: http://bit.ly/new-talks - Check out our next event: http://theweekenduniversity.com/events/ - Professor Irshad’s website: https://irshadmanji.com/ - Professor Irshad’s books: https://amzn.to/35s34xM

Do you ever wonder why you want what you want? Our desires shape almost everything we do in life: what we value, what goals we pursue, who we choose for a romantic partner, and even what career paths we go down. Yet very rarely do we stop to ask ourselves why we want these things. In other words, what causes us to desire them in the first place? In this interview I’m joined by Luke Burgis - a writer and academic who has recently published: Wanting; The Power of Mimetic Desire and How to Want What You Need. In the book, Luke explores the work of René Girard and his theory of Mimetic Desire, which offers a fascinating and illuminating explanation for human desire. In this interview, we discuss some of the key takeaways from the book, including: - What mimetic desire is, and how deeply this is ingrained in human nature - How understanding mimetic theory can help you transform your relationship to desire into one that leads to long-term fulfillment, contentment and wellbeing, rather than just getting caught up in the latest trend or fad - How to change course if you have the nagging suspicion that might be on the wrong path in life - The influence that 'models' may be having on you, and how to create boundaries with unhealthy ones - The power of choosing ONE core, overarching desire to subordinate everything else to. And more. If you're interested in exploring this subject further, I highly recommend picking up a copy of "Wanting", and you can learn more about Luke's work at www.lukeburgis.com. Interview Links: - Luke’s website: www.lukeburgis.com - Luke’s book: https://amzn.to/3C2haUE - Get our latest psychology lectures emailed to your inbox: http://bit.ly/new-talks5 Check out our next event: http://theweekenduniversity.com/events/

David Sloan Wilson is one of the world’s foremost evolutionary thinkers and a gifted communicator about evolution to the general public. He is SUNY Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Biology and Anthropology at Binghamton University. In addition to his teaching and research, David is President of Prosocial World – an organisation which aims to catalyze positive cultural change to consciously evolve who we are, how we connect with each other, and how we interact with the planet. David is passionate about making evolution more accessible to a wider audience and was invited to speak with the Dalai Lama about his work in 2019. He is the author of several books on evolutionary theory, including: “Atlas Hugged” (his first novel), “This View of Life”, “Evolution for Everyone”, “Darwin’s Cathedral”, “Does Altruism Exist?”, and the co-author of “Prosocial”, along with Paul Atkins and Steven Hayes. You can learn more about David’s work at https://www.thisviewoflife.com and https://www.prosocial.world. Many people use words such as “evolve” and “adapt” to talk about personal and cultural change but few think to consult the actual science of change–evolutionary science. This is largely because the study of evolution was confined to genetic evolution for most of the 20th century, relegating the study of personal and cultural change to other disciplines which developed largely in isolation from each other and sometimes in perceived opposition to evolutionary theory. The result is an archipelago of knowledge and practice, which lacks the integration that evolutionary theory is in a position to provide. I will describe what it means to say “nothing about X makes sense except in the light of evolution”, where X can be “biology”, “humanity”, “culture”, and “policy”.

In this meeting of the minds discussion, we’re joined by three of the world’s leading experts on addiction: Dr. Gabor Maté, Dr. Richard Schwartz, and Professor Marc Lewis. Although their backgrounds vary widely, with Gabor initially training as a medical doctor, Richard as a family therapist and Marc as a developmental psychologist and neuroscientist, all three of them have reached similar conclusions in their understanding of, and approach to treating addiction. In a lively and wide-ranging discussion, we explore: - Why do we need to approach problems with addiction not by asking: "what's wrong with it?", but instead by asking, “what's right with it?" - Why both the ‘self-indulgent’ and ‘disease’ models of addiction are both fundamentally flawed and harmful (from a scientific point of view) - The root causes - How the internal family systems (IFS) model can improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying addiction - How Gabor Maté’s Compassionate Inquiry approach can help heal addictions by simply asking the right questions from a place of compassion and genuine curiosity - Why IFS therapy may be one of the most effective approaches out there for working with addictions. And more. You can learn more about each speaker’s work via the selected links from this episode. Links: Marc’s website: https://memoirsofanaddictedbrain.com Marc’s blog post series on using IFS to treat addiction: https://www.memoirsofanaddictedbrain.com/connect/redressing-addiction-internal-family-systems-therapy/ Memoirs of an Addicted Brain - Prof Marc Lewis: https://amzn.to/2ZGBjy5 The Biology of Desire - Prof Marc Lewis: https://amzn.to/3aBhVsB Gabor’s Compassionate Inquiry Training: https://compassionateinquiry.com/online-training/ In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts - Dr. Gabor Maté: https://amzn.to/3ajx3JV The Wisdom of Trauma Documentary: https://wisdomoftrauma.com/ Gabor’s website: www.drgabormate.com. IFS Institute Website: https://ifs-institute.com/ IFS Institute Online Circle: https://bit.ly/ifs-online-circle IFS Annual Conference: https://ifs-institute.com/annual-conference Greater than the Sum of Our Parts - Dr. Richard Schwartz: https://amzn.to/3lnJNFJ The Body Keeps the Score - Bessel van der Kolk: https://amzn.to/3oGf20Z What Happened to You - Oprah Winfrey & Dr. Bruce Perry: https://amzn.to/2YwcNSC Get our latest psychology lectures emailed to your inbox: http://bit.ly/new-talks5 Check out our next event: http://theweekenduniversity.com/events/

In this ‘Meeting of the Minds’ session, we explore the transformative potential of “The Overview Effect” and Self Transcendent experiences - both for individuals and society at large. You’ll learn about the effects these experiences have on those who undergo them, including astronauts who view the earth from space for the first time, and people experimenting with psychedelics. Specifically, we discuss the therapeutic potential of self-transcendent experiences, what might be happening in the brain while we are having them, and how modern technology (including Virtual Reality) may enable us to enjoy the benefits of self-transcendence, without having to leave the Earth. The speakers for this session were Dr Annahita Nezami, Frank White, and Dr David Yaden. Annahita is a counseling psychologist providing psychological consultation, assessment and therapy to organisations, individuals, and couples. Her areas of interest include space psychology, higher states of consciousness, wellbeing, performance, neuropsychology and trauma. She is also the founder of VR Overview Effect; the first tech-based multi-sensory company that designs and researches treatments based on the self-transcendent experience of the Overview Effect. Frank White is a space philosopher who has authored numerous books on topics ranging from space exploration, climate change, and artificial intelligence. His best-known work, “The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution”, is considered by many to be a seminal work in the field of space exploration, and the fourth edition was published earlier this year. A film called “Overview,” based largely on his work has had nearly 8 million plays on Vimeo. Dr David Yaden is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Johns Hopkins Medicine working in The Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research. His research focus is on the psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and psychopharmacology of spiritual, self-transcendent, and positively transformative experiences triggered with psychedelic substances and through other means. Specifically, he is interested in understanding how these experiences can result in long-term changes to well-being and how they temporarily alter fundamental faculties of consciousness such as the sense of time, space, and self. His scientific work has been covered by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, New York Magazine, and NPR. Links: Annahita’ website: https://annahitanezami.com/ Frank’s website: https://frankwhiteauthor.com/ David’s website: https://davidbryceyaden.com/ Get our latest psychology lectures emailed to your inbox: http://bit.ly/new-talks5 Check out our next event: http://theweekenduniversity.com/events/

What is compassion? How is it beneficial for people? And how can it be harnessed directly as part of therapy? In this talk, we’ll take a look at some of the key theories underneath and practices of CFT, and see how this can be a powerful way of working with distress and suffering. This presentation will help you learn some of the key basics of CFT, and have an opportunity to try out a few CFT interventions and see how these may be useful. At the end of the workshop, you’ll have a better sense of what CFT is, how it can be helpful, and hopefully energise you to find out more about CFT in the future! --- Dr Chris Irons, PhD, is a Clinical Psychologist, and Director at Balanced Minds, an independent psychology practice in London set up to bring compassion-focused approaches to individuals and organisations in London and the UK. In his clinical work, he uses Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT; Gilbert, 2009; Gilbert & Irons, 2005) in working with people suffering from a variety of mental health problems, but also in bringing these ideas to the general public. He is an internationally recognised trainer and supervisor of CFT, and the author of a number of CFT books, including: “The Compassionate Mind Workbook”, “CFT from the Inside Out” and “CFT for Difficult Emotions”. Chris also works with the Compassionate Mind Foundation, a charitable organisation aiming to: “Promote wellbeing through the scientific understanding and application of compassion”. --- Links: - Get our latest psychology lectures emailed to your inbox: http://bit.ly/new-talks - Check out our next event: http://theweekenduniversity.com/events/ - Dr Chris’s website: https://balancedminds.com/dr-chris-irons/ - Dr Chris’s books: https://amzn.to/3oTF1il

For many, facing the existential threat of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic has been a shared traumatic experience – a kind of collective trauma. What exactly is collective trauma, what are the different kinds, and what effects do they have on us? How can they impact our beliefs and narratives, and how do posttraumatic narratives and beliefs perpetuate collective trauma going forward? How might we instead be able to utilize this period as a time of emotional and social enrichment, even while we may be experiencing anger and grief? Synthesizing both academic research on trauma and lessons from indigenous teachers, Sousan will be sharing a concrete framework for developing capacities that will not only allow us to heal but create new potentialities for ourselves and our communities going forward. —- Dr. Sousan Abadian earned a Ph.D. in Political Economy and Government from Harvard University, an M.P.A. in International Development from Harvard’s Kennedy School, and an M.A. in the Anthropology of Social Change and Development, also from Harvard University. Her earlier research on healing the effects of long-standing collective trauma and cultural damage, a key contributing factor in violence and impoverishment, was described by Nobel laureate in economics Amartya Sen as “pioneering” and “highly original.” She now has an independent practice teaching, speaking, and consulting internationally on leadership, innovation, culture change, and her A.R.I.A. principles.  She builds on her earlier work at Cambridge Leadership Associates facilitating workshops and speaking on Adaptive Leadership. Between June 2017-June 2019, Dr. Abadian served as a Franklin Fellow at the U.S. State Department’s Office of International Religious Freedom, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. Her portfolio included preventing violent extremism, rights of religious minorities in the Middle East and South Asia, gender issues, atrocity prevention, and cultural restoration.  She has also served as a Fellow at M.I.T.’s Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values as well as at Harvard’s Center for Public Leadership. More information can be found at www.sousanabadian.com —- Links: - Get our latest psychology lectures emailed to your inbox: http://bit.ly/new-talks5 - Check out our next event: http://theweekenduniversity.com/events/  - Dr Sousan’s website: https://www.sousanabadian.com/

Dr. Rupert Sheldrake is a biologist and author of more than 85 scientific papers and 14 books. He is a leading researcher into anomalous phenomena and was named among the top 100 Global Thought Leaders for 2013. He studied biology and biochemistry at Cambridge University where he earned his Ph.D., followed by a fellowship at Harvard where he spent a year studying philosophy and history. In this session, we discuss Rupert’s latest work on scientific approaches to spirituality, why they work, how they improve psychological wellbeing, and how you can use them - even if you do not identify with any kind of religion. Get early access to our latest psychology lectures: http://bit.ly/new-talks5

Human beings have evolved to be highly adaptable creatures, psychologically and physiologically. From moment to moment we continually monitor the social and physical environment in order to assess opportunities or threats that lie ahead; and we change the face we present to the world accordingly. In this talk I’ll explain how these adjustments to personality, mental and physical health can occur without our knowing it, as we respond instinctively to environmental cues. But of course we may sometimes get it wrong. We may be deceived by accidental or deliberate disinformation into forming a false picture of our prospects. Or we may be misled by information that – in evolutionary terms – is simply out of date. I’ll show how this explains not only the placebo effect, but much else about the misfit between human nature and the modern environment. --- Nicholas Humphrey is a theoretical psychologist, based in Cambridge, who is known for his work on the evolution of human intelligence and consciousness. His interests are wide ranging. He studied mountain gorillas with Dian Fossey in Rwanda, he was the first to demonstrate the existence of “blindsight” after brain damage in monkeys, he proposed the celebrated theory of the “social function of intellect”, and he is the only scientist ever to edit the literary journal Granta. His books include Consciousness Regained, The Inner Eye, A History of the Mind, Leaps of Faith, The Mind Made Flesh, Seeing Red and most recently Soul Dust. He has been the recipient of several honours, including the Martin Luther King Memorial Prize, the British Psychological Society’s book award, the Pufendorf Medal and the International Mind and Brain Prize . He has been Lecturer in Psychology at Oxford, Assistant Director of the Subdepartment of Animal Behaviour at Cambridge, Senior Research Fellow in Parapsychology at Cambridge, Professor of Psychology at the New School for Social Research, New York, and School Professor at the London School of Economics. --- Links: - Get our latest psychology lectures emailed to your inbox: http://bit.ly/new-talks - Check out our next event: http://theweekenduniversity.com/events/ - Professor Humphrey’s website: http://www.humphrey.org.uk/ - Professor Humphrey’s books: https://amzn.to/2TQVGWp