Australian Winter School

On 22 and 23 June, Chris will be presenting at the Australian Winter School in Brisbane. Details as follows:

Plenary Presentation 22 June 2010
Mindfulness and Addictions: A Buddhist Perspective
There are a number of concepts in Buddhist literature pertaining to the issue of addictions. In classical Buddhist presentations of the four noble truths and twelve links of dependent arising, terms such as contact (Pali: phassa), craving (tanha) and clinging (upadana) rooted in mis-knowing (avijja) suggest a nexus of sensorial, volitional, affective, and cognitive-perceptual processes that might relate to what we now call “addiction”. Also relevant are the forces of habituation (kamma) and latent afflictions (anusaya-kilesa) in driving and influencing behavioural manifestations of addiction. Somatic activity of the organism (rupa-khanda) in its experienced world (loka) bound up with hedonic pleasure (kama) plays a key role in the evolution of afflictive craving and clinging that eventually leads to suffering (dukkha). This cycle of affliction and suffering can become iterative and chronic, sustained by uncontrolled conceptual proliferation (papañca). This paper will explore how these various Buddhist concepts link up to give a coherent picture of addiction, and suggest possible avenues for ameliorating addiction and suffering through integrated training in ethics (sila), mental balance (samadhi), and wisdom (pañña).

Workshop 23 June 2010
Mindfulness for Human Flourishing: Towards a Contemplative Science of Mind
Mindfulness has featured significantly in a number of “third-wave” cognitive behavioural therapies such as mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP), dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and captured the interest of many researchers. As fundamental understanding of the concept and practice of mindfulness continues to grow, it is fitting to explore dimensions of mindfulness found in Buddhist traditions but currently unexplored by researchers. An expanded and richer understanding of mindfulness through a dialogue of Buddhism and psychology may well offer new potentials for emancipation of human consciousness. This workshop aims to draw upon over 2,500 years of well-documented Buddhist insights into the nature of mind, mindfulness, and mind training methods, to introduce an emerging innovative framework of contemplative science. There will be exploratory discussions on how to apply mindfulness to foster human flourishing in personal and clinical contexts. Experiential guided mindfulness practice through the day will help consolidate new learnings and cultivate personal embodiment of mindfulness.

Go to www.winterschool.info for full conference program and registration. Australian Winter School is an APS (Australian Psychological Society) endorsed activity worth 9.5 CPE (Generalist) points.