Monks in the lab

"Monks in the lab" is a story of human and scientific adventure. "Monks in the lab" enables viewers to explore the frontiers of scientific research, personal health and mind and spirit. Why is contemporary science interested in meditation? Why is meditation good for your health? Why are Buddhist monks allowing Western researchers to use technology to probe their brains and bodies?

Buddhists have been studying the human mind and spirit with no technological tools at all for 2500 years. They have developed meditation techniques that increase mindful attention and transform the emotions. But these techniques have been long unknown or ignored in the West.

But today’s scientific researchers have more and more to deal with the nagging and universal questions of the nature of the emotions and the mind. Buddhist experience and knowledge are of increasing interest. Just what are “emotions”? What do we mean by “mind”?

The scientists of the project “Mind and life” who are studying the meditative states are pioneers in their field. They try to understand the mechanisms by which the mind influences the body and explore the extraordinary plasticity of the brain.

Watch the video here. Time 53 minutes. Enjoy!

Script & director: Delphine Morel
camera: Jean-Jacques Mrejen
sound: Murielle Damain & Patrick Genet
editor: Variety Moszynski
with: Clifford Saron, René Feusi, Rabjam Rinpoché, Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoché, Matthieu Ricard, Monastère de Shechen, Nepal, Jonathan Cohen, Jason Chein, Brent Field, Leigh Nystrom, Paul Ekman, Erika Rosenberg, Margaret Kemeny, Alan Wallace, Richard Davidson, Antoine Lutz, Nancy Rawling, Yonten, Chokey Livingston, Gendrun Rinchen, Rigzin Samdrup, Tsultrin Tawa
co-production & commisioning editor: ARTE France, Hélène Coldefy & BOS: Babeth M. VanLoo
in cooperation with YLE 2