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YouTube

Your Brain On 34,000 Hours of Meditation - When Science and Tech Meet Spirituality

World Science Festival via YouTube

Overview

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This panel discussion from the World Science Festival explores the intersection of neuroscience, technology, and spirituality through the lens of meditation and sacred experiences. Join moderator Brian Greene alongside experts Richard Davidson, Karen Armstrong, and Kate Stockly as they delve into fascinating topics including what brain scans reveal about long-term meditators, the historical relationship between science and religion, how rituals foster human connection, and whether technologies like virtual reality can authentically create transcendent experiences. The 76-minute conversation examines the ethics of merging technology with spiritual practices, the potential for making meditation more accessible, and ultimately questions how these developments might redefine our understanding of human consciousness and experience. Part of the Big Ideas series supported by the John Templeton Foundation.

Syllabus

00:00 Humanity’s Desire for Transcendence
03:44 Participant Introductions
07:00 Can Technology Help Us Reach Enlightenment?
15:00 Science vs. Religion: A History of Conflict and Collaboration
22:00 The Role of Rituals in Spirituality and Human Connection
30:00 What Brain Scans Reveal About Long-Term Meditators
38:00 Making Meditation Universal
46:00 The Ethics of Merging Technology and Spirituality
54:00 The Future of Meditation Research and Consciousness Studies
1:02:00 Can Virtual Reality Create Sacred Experiences?
1:12:00 Redefining What It Means to Be Human

Taught by

World Science Festival

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