A series of dialogues
Contemplation + is an ongoing series of dialogues that explores intersections of contemplation with diverse topics. Leading specialists are invited into conversation about how their expertise couples with contemplation. These dialogues elicit crucial questions and insights at the junctures of contemplative knowing, practicing, and living.
We invite you to read about the many topics that intersect with contemplation.
Ian H. Solomon is dean and professor of practice at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. He served in the US Senate as legislative counsel to then-Senator Barack Obama. Later, under the Obama administration, he was confirmed unanimously by Congress as the US executive director for the World Bank Group, where he championed private-sector development in Africa and negotiated a range of multi-stakeholder agreements.
Fadel Zeidan is a professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at the Center of Pain Medicine and is Director of the Pain Health and Mindfulness Laboratory. He is also the inaugural Endowed Professor of UC San Diego’s Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion. He is Co-Founder and Director of Neuroscience at the UC San Diego Center for Psychedelic Research. Fadel’s research is focused on identifying the neurobiological mechanisms supporting the modulation and cultivation of empathy and compassion.
Stuart Ray Sarbacker is professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Philosophy in the School of History, Philosophy, and Religion at Oregon State University. He is the author of Tracing the Path of Yoga: The History and Philosophy of Indian Mind-Body Discipline (2021).
Pierce Salguero is professor of Asian History & Health Humanities at the Abington College of Pennsylvania State University. He is the author of A Global History of Buddhism & Medicine (2022), co-editor of Buddhism and Healing in the Modern World (2024), and host of the podcast Black Beryl.
Donata Schoeller is the co-founder and academic director of the European Erasmus training program Embodied Critical Thinking and Understanding (TECTU), and the principal investigator and conceptual director of the international research project “Freedom to make sense: embodied, experiential and mindful research.” She is the author of Close Talking and co-editor of Embodied Thinking in Research and Learning, Saying What We Mean, and Thinking Thinking.
Agnieszka Olszewska-Guizzo is the president and founder of NeuroLandscape and editor in chief of the Journal of Urban Design and Mental Health. She is the author of Neuroscience for Designing Green Spaces: Contemplative Landscapes (2023).