At the Metta Center one of our favorite scientists is, without a doubt, Prof. Frans de Waal. In the short video in this post, he offers some preliminary evidence to make the case for “morality from below,” that is, human beings have not “invented” justice, fairness, cooperation and forgiveness as ideas and concepts, rather, they… read more
Tag Archives: science of nonviolence
The Science of Love
In the following article from the Aeon Magazine, Barbara Frederickson explores some of evidence maintaining that love benefits us as a species and that we can increase our capacity for love through meditation. Of interest is what she terms ‘calm and connect,’ a response sometimes also heard referred to as ‘tend and befriend’ which is… read more
The How of Happiness: A “Rap” video…
This interesting video on explores strategies for cultivating lasting happiness. We’d add a few more points: 1. Unplug from the mass media and engage in practices for unlearning oppression 2. Learn everything you can about nonviolence 3. Get personal and “practice personhood” 4. Get involved in the issue you are passionate about. Thanks to Jeff… read more
Mirror Neurons
Mirror neurons in the brain fire not only when an animal acts, but also when an animal observes another animal act. Brain scientists at the University of Parma discovered these neurons in the late 1980′s. The discovery was made using new, non-invasive technologies that enable scientists to detect the activity or firing of single neurons… read more
