Close Menu
Behavioral Healthcare

How mindfulness changes the emotional life of our brains | Richard J. Davidson | TEDxSanFrancisco



How mindfulness changes the emotional life of our brains | Richard J. Davidson | TEDxSanFrancisco

“Why is it that some people are more vulnerable to life’s slings and arrows and others more resilient?” In this eye-opening talk, Richard Davidson discusses how mindfulness can improve well-being and outlines strategies to boost four components of a healthy mind: awareness, connection, insight, and purpose.

Richard Davidson is researching how mindfulness changes the emotional life of our brains and what we know about people’s brains of individuals showing more resilience than others. Davidson is Wiliam James and Vilas professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as well as founder and director of the Center for Healthy Minds. His research is focused on the neural bases of emotion and emotional style and methods to promote human flourishing, including meditation and related contemplative practices. #Neuroscience #Wellbeing #MentalHealth Richard Davidson is Research Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry and Founder & Director of the Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison.Davidson’s research is focused on the neural bases of emotion and emotional style and methods to promote human flourishing including meditation and related contemplative practices. He has published more than 400 articles and is the co-author of “The Emotional Life of Your Brain” and “Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body”, both published by Penguin. Davidson has been recognized for his research through various awards, such as a National Institute of Mental Health Research Scientist Award and an Established Investigator Award from the National Alliance for Research in Schizophrenia and Affective Disorders (NARSAD). Davidson received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in Psychology and has been teaching psychology and psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison since 1984. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

View 49 Comments

49 Comments

  7. @sarahyorkmethod on

    How are we measuring these trends? Are we seeing an increase in diagnosis because more individuals are being tested and because diagnostic criteria has shifted or because there are truly more cases. In the past ADHD was severely underdiagnosed in women as they were under testing, and the testing criteria did not support the dominant characteristics seen in women.

  9. @김성은-s1y on

    In this lecture, it was most impressive to say that we can actually take more responsibility for our own brains by changing our minds. I thought learned behavior was important for a healthy mind. I hope everyone has the same wish for happiness and the same wish to escape from pain.

  14. @narvancin on

    did this what my teacher said in the end of 10 days Vipassana meditation. I think this dude is also attempted Vipassana meditation.

  29. @MissVanHelsing on

    Writing this pre having watched the video: Alcoholics Anonymous is a design for life works. Emotional sobriety. Not just addicts. Sorry if this looks like a plug… I just know it's real, it works, it's a simple program for complex people, made by doctors and psychologists.
    Post video: AA is a wonderful place to learn these skills and to have fellowship in living in them. It's really cool. Idk if you're not an addict just… read the literature and apply it to whatever is f*cking you up.

  30. @Yakiraw on

    so suicide went up about the same time we started using mobile phones.. Nowadays I see kids "haning out" together and each staring in to a screen… no human connection anymore..

  34. @monskie1111 on

    A video of fours years could never be this relevant today in my whole life. Blessed are those who advocate to share their knowledge to help people.

  39. @WizardImp on

    Any thoughts on what might be the most over-used word in the lexicon right now? I suggest… "narrative". Sick of hearing it. The sign of the bullshitter.

    11:30 "Narrative" used 5 times in under a minute.

    That'll do me, I think….

  40. @klanderkal on

    When i lost my family, i had so much grief,… then i lost my ability to participate in my favorite sport.. Then o lost my career job of 20yrs.. and i was destroyed. I started panicking,. I got anxiety, then insomnia… then severe depression. I became homeless and extremely afraid. Depression is so horrifying. Im so negative and can't stop the torture. I feel like im dying. I just don't want to live anymore. I can't feel pleasure in any thought.
    … i hate this….. is anyone else suffering like this?

  42. @harogadde on

    1. Distractibility (what are you doing, where is your mind and how happy are you doing what tou are doing) – wandering mind is an unhappy mind.
    2. Negative self talk and narrative
    3. Loneliness is. It’s likely to kill
    4. Neuro plasticity can be harnessed to control these – low sense of purpose people die early
    5, pervasive loss of purpose and meaning of like – low purpose of life people will die early

    Pillars of mental health –
    A. Awareness -meta awareness
    B. connection – nurture harmonious relationship
    C. Insight – into the narrative that we have about ourselves change your relationship with your own narrative
    D,. Purpose – life is headed for particular direction

  45. @DanielleFireandIce on

    I will never stop being my best. God helps me i have to give him that credit. I died and came back and i am a very in tuned woman spiritually and in dreams. Sometimes the pressure over me is strong because truly a good person is good in all they do which always involves choosing Righteousness

  48. @kumar67749 on

    Solution to all mental, emotional problems, negativity, depression, anxiety = Understand the true meaning of life (it needs a seeker approach and not believer, like Sadguru tells), it will bring gratitude, satisfaction, empathy, happiness in you and make you humble + Ability to pause your mind, stay hours sitting idle without any (or negligible) thought, basically full control over your mind (sandip Maheshwari sir meditation trick works for me)

Leave A Reply