Contemplation +

I discovered that the mere reflection upon our emotions was an intervention towards well-being.

Conducted by Michael Overstreet, a doctoral candidate at the University of Virginia and a Research Assistant at the Journal of Contemplative Studies (JCS). JCS: I’d first like to tell you what an honor it is for me to be able to have this conversation with you, Lance. I’d like to start our conversation in asking whether contemplative practices have always been part of…

As far as there being categories of East and West, of philosophy versus spirituality or religion, I can’t even draw the boundaries anymore. 

JCS: Welcome—I’m excited to talk with you today. I have three core questions, but first I’d love it if you could give us a brief bio and a background of who you are and where you’re coming from.  AH: I come from Boulder, Colorado and have an academic background. I got a double degree in classical music—piano performance—and biology. I then studied physics and later got a doctorate in dental oral surgery. I’ve also had a pretty contemplative…

JCS: I’m so happy to have this opportunity to speak with you, Pir Zia. I’m interested in how you stumbled into the spiritual and contemplative path of your life. Was there anything in your upbringing that encouraged or facilitated this way of living? It does sound like you’ve had a pretty intercontinental life. Did that play a part at all?   PZ: Yes, thank you. Well, it’s a pleasure to be speaking with you. And in my case, my entry…

JCS: Welcome! Can you tell me a bit about your background in contemplation and education? RR: I’m trained as a PhD in Developmental Science and Education, and I also hold master’s degrees in clinical social work and religion. My research interest centers on schools—including primary, secondary, and post-secondary educational environments—as a central cultural context of…

JCS: Thanks for joining us for this series called Contemplation Plus. What we’re interested in is contemplation and its myriad of expressions. It’s about contemplation and whatever that means to you at the intersection of an area that is the focus of your work. Let’s call that leadership, if we may. To get started and…

JCS: You work at this very interesting intersection between a variety of things: pain management, health, neuroscience, psychedelics research, phantom limb syndrome, but also, contemplation. How did you get to this point? Either in your training, in the research that you do, or just in your personal life—how did you get into this kind of…

JCS: How do you bring yogic traditions and psychedelic science together? What brought you to this point? SS: There are a number of different factors. Part of it came out of my own experiments with contemplative practices and with psychedelics, which, among other things, had played a part in my interest in the study of…

JCS: I’m really curious how you came to this intersection of Contemplative Studies and Health. You’ve largely been studying Buddhist medicine, is that right? What brought you here? Either professionally, personally, or all of the above. PS: I never felt like I fit into any discipline, from my college years up until the present, because…