Public Talks, Press, and Interviews
2020-2024
Dr. Vago was interviewed for a piece on How Mindfulness Affects the Brain and Body
Dr. Vago was interviewed for a piece in the Washington Post on how to find peace of mind by turning off your brain
Dr. Vago was interviewed for a piece on How Mindfulness improves brain and cognitive health based on a comprehensive review of 45 studies conducted in which he was a senior author. The publication in Neuropsychology Review can be found Here.
2020
Dr. Vago participated in the Contemplative Research Conference November 5-8th, 2020. He participated on the program and planning committee, presented research on attentional bias and meta-awareness with students and colleagues, and had the opportunity to moderate panels with program officers from the NCCIH, with Vivek Murthy, Richie Davidson and Molly Crockett concerning the public health crisis of disconnection, with Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad on contemplative science, with Margaret Cullen on equanimity, and more…
Serenity Ridge Dialogues
Dr. Vago participated in A FREE ONLINE SUMMIT WITH TENZIN WANGYAL RINPOCHE AND GUESTS (10-9-2020)
The Mind session brings together perspectives from quantum physics, psychiatry, and neuroscience to discuss the dialectic between mind and nature. With a presentation on quantum visions of the mind, the session will discuss principles of duality and nonduality, the universality of knowledge, and the interactivity of factors that range from the atomic level of particles to the subject / object dualities of the ordinary mind.
Dr. Vago speaks with Sadhguru and other Medical Experts about the benefits of contemplative practices during the Pandemic
Dr. Vago speaks with Dr. Andrea Wilkinson on the benefits of mindfulness for brain health for aging populations.
How practicing Mindfulness Can Relieve Stress. – July 2020
Dr. Vago comments on the benefits of mindfulness in the context of life stress like COVID-19, discusses the STOP method, and some of the science of meditation
2019
Vago talks to Thrive Global about the effectiveness of mindfulness for workplace stress. Research on mindfulness in the workplace shows, mindfulness reduces stress, worry, and emotional reactivity, whilst increasing working memory, cognitive flexibility, self-awareness, ethical behaviour, relationship satisfaction and well-being.
Dr. Vago participates in Immersion 2019. Dr. Vago participated in a free, online meditation retreat April 10th – 14th, 2019. It was hosted by Unified Mindfulness. The Immersion Summit hosted over 70 presenters sharing their direct, personal experience with mindfulness meditation – what led them to make it a life-long practice, or devote their entire lives to it, and how this very powerful practice has transformed their personal and professional lives. Running simultaneously with the Summit was the Immersion Retreat, a full 5-day meditation retreat, live-streamed via interactive video conferencing. FIND OUT MORE
Dr. Vago speaks with Scott Kaufman on his podcast about the latest science of mindfulness
- What is contemplative science?
- History of the idea of “contemplation”
- The aim of mindfulness
- What do we know after 25 years of mindfulness research?
- The link between mindfulness and how we cope with pain
- The link between mindfulness and reducing anxiety
- The link between mindfulness and improving depression
LIGMINCHA SYMPOSIUM FOR CONTEMPLATIVE SCIENCES: BODY, BREATH & MIND: April 14-16, 2019
This year’s program is the first of three scheduled annual programs to revolve around topics central to the body, breath and mind. These themes will be further developed over the next two years for programs in spring 2020 and 2021. Each program will be held at Serenity Ridge Retreat Center and will be available via live-streaming for those who cannot join in person. Dr. Vago will be presenting with Dr. Wolever on a model developed by Dr. Schoenberg and himself on states and stages of contemplative practice.
Contemplative Sciences Center at UVA – April 12, 2019
Dr. Vago presented models underlying specific meditative practices, the underlying neurobiological and psychosocial processes supporting those practices, and data from his lab and others in support of short- and long-term changes—from clinical outcomes to unified compassion.
1/18/2019 – Mind Body Medicine Day at Northwestern University Medical Center
Dr. Vago speaking on “Mapping the Meditative Mind” along with a number of colleagues from integrative medicine, including Peter Wayne, PhD and David Victorson, PhD
Dr. Vago talks with Community health matters about Mindfulness and Integrative Medicine from Nashville News Channel 5 in January, 2019
2018
Dr. Vago talks to Self Magazine on “What Meditation Can and Can’t Do for your Health”
Mindfulness meditation is one wellness trend that shows no signs of disappearing. But what does the science say? Dr. Vago comments on the progress of the science of meditation FIND OUT MORE
2017
Mind the Hype (10-11-2017)
Mindfulness experts call for more scientific rigor, less hype. Mindfulness and cultivating it may be a good thing, but operationalizing it as a singular construct has proven difficult and research that claims to capture ‘It’ as a state or trait remain confusing. ‘Mindfulness’ has been getting oversold by much of the news media relative to available scientific evidence for supporting its benefits; So much so that Dr. Vago and 14 of his colleagues wrote a critical evaluation of the extant literature and prescriptive agenda for future research with the hopes of tempering some of the hype and pointing out some of the limitations
Uplift Podcast and Documentary on Compassion (9/13/2017)
Dr. Vago discusses his work studying the effects of mindfulness for nearly two decades. He says we all fall into the trap of defining ourselves by the emotions that we feel. Through Mindfulness, he describes how we change our thoughts, mind and behaviour. Listen here for Dr. Vago’s strategies for everyday mindfulness and the research on the practice. LISTEN HERE
Mindfulness experts call for more scientific rigor, less hype
David Vago, Ph.D., is one of the principal authors of a “Mind the Hype” article in Perspectives on Psychological Science that calls for more scientific evaluation, circumspect reporting and uniform treatment standards for mindfulness and meditation. Basically, the article raises a red flag about the media hype on mindfulness and meditation getting ahead of the scientific rigor. FIND OUT MORE
Dr. Vago co-wrote a piece on the importance of inflammation in disease with Deepak Chopra, William C Bushell, PhD, Ryan Castle, and Rudolph E. Tanzi, Ph.D. FIND OUT MORE
In an article published recently in the Review of General Psychology, David Vago, Ph.D., director of research at the Osher Center for Integrative Health at Vanderbilt, and colleagues explore the mechanisms behind self-transcendent experiences and their positive effect on wellbeing. FIND OUT MORE
Dr. Vago talks about Tonglen – The Compassion-based practice of “Giving and Receiving” – How to exchange negative thoughts and emotions with each inhale and exchange them with positive altruistic motivations in each exhale for the Uplift Documentary on Compassion
2016
Dr. Vago talks to Channel 5 Boston on the benefits of mindfulness for stress.
2015
Dr. Vago speaks with the Boston Globe on Stress
Dr. Vago was interviewed in a piece on the benefits of yoga for stress in the Boston Globe. This interview cites a new publication where Dr. Vago is a principle author describing the mechanisms by which yoga facilitates self-regulation. That paper can be found [HERE] FIND OUT MORE
Dr. Vago and Scott Carney speak about Meditation at the Rubin Museum Brainwave Series
[Link] Dr. Vago took part in the BrainWave series at the Rubin museum in a discussion with Scott Carney concerning his new book, A Death on Diamond Mountain. The talk went into depth on ideas and experience of spiritual bypassing, spiritual materialism, obsession with spirituality.Redesign My Brain
[Link] Dr. Vago and Dr. Fadel Zeidan are interviewed about the benefits of meditation in the context of pain and managing stress by Todd Sampson for the Discovery Channel series – Redesign My Brain. WATCH CLIP
Dr. Vago’s work on Interoception is mentioned in April, 2015
This piece was on “Is it possible to heal depression and anxiety with yoga?”. It spoke with yoga teacher and collaborator, Bo Forbes concerning the benefits of yoga for symptoms of anxiety and depression through body awareness (interoception). FIND OUT MORE
2014
Dr. Vago dialogued with Russel Simmons at the Rubin Museum on the Science of Meditation and its benefits as part of the BrainWave series. Russell Simmons, the entrepreneur and co-founder of Def Jam Recordings and Def Comedy Jam, claims meditation can help you live a calmer, healthier, more mindful, spiritual and successful life. [Link] to the event. [Facebook] and [Link] to the pictures.
Dr. Vago and colleague, Jake Davis spoke with Vincent Horn of Buddhist Geeks on the Neuroscience of Enlightenment.
2012
More than good vibes: Researchers propose the science behind mindfulness
Dr. Vago talks about presenting the S-ART model to His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Now and Zen: How mindfulness can change your brain and improve your health
A few Harvard scientists, including Dr. Vago, have been first to better understand the impact of meditation on health. Their findings were presented to this packed audience and live stream as part of the Longwood Seminars at Harvard Medical School.
Listen to Mind & Life XXIV from 2012: Latest Findings in Contemplative Science with His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Dr. Vago was one of 5 emerging contemplative scientists chosen to present his research directly to His Holiness.
2010
Sustainable Happiness with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche – Part I/II
Dr. Vago participated in a dialogue with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, Tibetan Buddhist meditation master, and Dr. Robert Roeser, developmental psychologist and educator entitled, “Sustainable Happiness: A dialogue between science and contemplative wisdom” that explores the concept of sustainable happiness from modern scientific, contemplative and practical perspectives at Portland State University, sponsored by Tergar International. WATCH HERE
What is sustainable happiness? Is sustainable happiness possible in this life? How might it be cultivated through contemplative practices like meditation? What does scientific research tell us about how meditation affects health and happiness? How might sustainable happiness be linked to the broader concept of ecological sustainability? WATCH HERE
2009
Dr. Vago participated in a panel discussion entitled, “Happiness and the Brain” on the Toronto-based television program, “The Agenda with Steve Paikin.”The discussion included coverage of affective neuroscience, the neural correlates of happiness and the benefits of Buddhist mental training exercises such as mindfulness meditation.
