In this episode, Wendy speaks with social neuroscientist and contemplative researcher Tania Singer. Tania is a world leader in studying empathy and compassion, and her pioneering work explores the interpersonal aspects of the brain and contemplative practice. This conversation covers many topics, including:

her lifelong fascination with social interactions;
foundational studies on empathy in the brain;
distinguishing the physical vs. emotional aspects of pain;
a chance meeting with Mind & Life and critical insights from a Buddhism-science collaboration;
the difference between emotion contagion, empathy, and compassion;
exploring the trainability of empathy and compassion;
schadenfreude in the brain;
empathy burnout and compassion as an antidote;
the importance of correlating subjective reports with brain scans;
a landmark longitudinal study of training different aspects of meditation;
why what you practice really matters;
contemplative dyads and the power of practicing with another person;
the benefits of dyads for the negative effects of COVID lockdown;
moving dyad work into schools and hospitals;
shifting from studying individual change to systems change;
and the role of contemplative science amidst current societal challenges.

Full show notes and resources