{"id":19745,"date":"2017-03-30T12:16:49","date_gmt":"2017-03-30T16:16:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/greatminds\/?p=19745"},"modified":"2017-03-30T12:58:30","modified_gmt":"2017-03-30T16:58:30","slug":"making-brain-waves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/greatminds\/2017\/03\/30\/making-brain-waves\/","title":{"rendered":"Making (Brain) Waves"},"content":{"rendered":"

Perched impossibly high in the sky over Bordeaux, UMW senior Emily Ferguson releases her swing. She braces for that quick stomach flip as she swoops down toward the vibrant French port city, feels the wind rush through her hair, and takes it all in.<\/p>\n

\"Abigail <\/a>
Assistant Professor of Religion and Director of Contemplative Studies Dan Hirshberg adjusts a monitor on UMW freshman Abigail Reiman’s head. The device will measure Abigail’s brain waves. (Photo by Norm Shafer). <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Freshman <\/a>
Abigail Reiman meditates as a headset measures her brain waves. (Photo by Norm Shafer). <\/div> <\/div>
\"Projected <\/a>
The projected image clearly shows brain activity in Abigail’s head. (Photo by Norm Shafer). <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

\u201cI felt like I\u2019d had one of the most incredible experiences of my life,\u201d she said of the lucid dream she induced and directed, \u201cand I was just sleeping.\u201d<\/p>\n

When she graduates in May, Ferguson will be among the first to complete UMW\u2019s Contemplative Studies program, one of the few undergrad curricula of its type in the world. Melding ancient meditative techniques with cutting edge research in the cognitive sciences, the minor promotes mindfulness, self-exploration and critical inquiry. It teaches students to find their breath and relax in the present. And, with implications for reducing anxiety and increasing concentration, it can help them harness their dreams in more than one way.<\/p>\n

For Ferguson, a biology major and neuroscience minor on the pre-medical track, that means grad school and a career in academia or research. Contemplative studies brought the pieces together. \u201cBiology, philosophy, sociology \u2026 \u201d she said. \u201cIt merged all those things and gave me a real sense of clarity.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 18-credit curriculum also offers electives in anthropology, art history, geography, psychology and religion, among others. Students in the core courses must meditate daily, working their way up from five- to 45-minute sessions. Sensory headbands that record brain waves help monitor their progress.<\/p>\n

Kirsten George, a senior psychology major with a second minor in linguistics, is researching mindful eating, a potential treatment for disorders like anorexia and obesity. At least once a day, she grabs her favorite \u201cBetty Boop\u201d pillow, cracks open the window in her Alvey Hall room and sits down to meditate.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou need a lot of self-discipline,\u201d said George, whose coursework has helped her reduce anxiety and stress. \u201cYou have to look at it as a positive thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

UMW’s Leidecker Center for Asian Studies opened in 1998, thanks to the late Professor of Philosophy Kurt Leidecker, a Buddhism specialist who left his estate to Mary Washington. Rich with plump pillows, Buddha statues and Tibetan texts, it\u2019s the perfect place for students to focus their minds and relax.<\/p>\n

When Assistant Professor of Religion Dan Hirshberg came to campus in 2014, he brought his own expertise in Buddhism and meditation. After spending a semester abroad in India and Nepal as an undergrad, he said, \u201cIt was all over for me. I never wanted to do anything else.\u201d Hirshberg earned a master\u2019s degree in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism from Naropa University, a leader in contemplative education, and a Ph.D. in Tibetan studies from Harvard University.<\/p>\n

Along with Professors of Classics, Philosophy and Religion David Ambuel and Angela Pitts, who began offering the original meditation course in 2012, he launched UMW\u2019s Contemplative Studies program in fall 2016.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s a really important mindset,\u201d George said. \u201cI feel lucky to have experienced this at my school.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

UMW Peaks the Charts in Contemplative Studies<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":90,"featured_media":19746,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"umw_cb_additional_links":[[]],"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_advisory_expires_time":"","_advisory_meta_include":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-19745","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-show","8":"entry"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMaking (Brain) Waves - Great Minds<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/greatminds\/2017\/03\/30\/making-brain-waves\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Lisa Chinn Marvashti\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/greatminds\\\/2017\\\/03\\\/30\\\/making-brain-waves\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/greatminds\\\/2017\\\/03\\\/30\\\/making-brain-waves\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Lisa Chinn Marvashti\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/greatminds\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/eab3b9dd084c2488474792f0c391b8e7\"},\"headline\":\"Making (Brain) Waves\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-03-30T16:16:49+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-03-30T16:58:30+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/greatminds\\\/2017\\\/03\\\/30\\\/making-brain-waves\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":508,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/greatminds\\\/2017\\\/03\\\/30\\\/making-brain-waves\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/greatminds\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/20\\\/2017\\\/03\\\/GreatMinds_BrainWaves.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Show on Great Minds\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/greatminds\\\/2017\\\/03\\\/30\\\/making-brain-waves\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/greatminds\\\/2017\\\/03\\\/30\\\/making-brain-waves\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/greatminds\\\/2017\\\/03\\\/30\\\/making-brain-waves\\\/\",\"name\":\"Making (Brain) Waves - 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