Free the Mind

2012, Denmark, Phie Ambo, 76 mins.
Can you rewire the brain just by taking a breath?
Richard Davidson, one of the world’s leading researchers of the human brain, sets out to discover if and how the brain might be physically altered using only the power of thought. The test cases include a 5-year-old suffering from ADHD and veterans trying to cope with PTSD.
Nalanda Institute’s Joe Loizzo will address questions raised by the film at a brief Q&A after the screening.
You may also be interested in Brainwave, which starts January 28.

The film features the experimental work of Renowned neuroscientist and New York Times best-selling author Richard Davidson who is one of the world’s leading experts on the impact of contemplative practices on the brain and overall well-being. At the behest of the Dalai Lama to study qualities like kindness and compassion, Davidson has revealed the profound effects of meditation. The results are a rigorous scientific validation of an ancient spiritual practice, supporting the idea that meditation can “re-wire” the brain over time to elicit positive feelings more often than negative ones. In the film Davidson shares how these practical tools for self-transformation can benefit anyone willing to try. The test cases include a 5-year-old suffering from ADHD and veterans trying to cope with PTSD.

About the Speaker

Joe Loizzo, M.D., Ph.D. is a contemplative psychotherapist, researcher and teacher who integrates ancient contemplative science and technology with current breakthroughs in neuroscience and optimal health. After training in psychiatry at Harvard and completing a Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies at Columbia, he founded Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science, a contemplative learning community that teaches timeless tools of self-healing and interdependence for today’s complex world. He next appears on the Rubin calendar in conversation with Meredith Monk on February 4.