[Buddha-l] Mirror neurons, anyone?

[S.A. Feite]

On Jan 13, 2009, at 4:30 PM, jkirk wrote:

> Here's the link to the conference (on "neuroesthetics"), borrowed
> from another list:
>
> <http://plaisir.berkeley.edu/> http://plaisir.berkeley.edu/
>
> Abstracts of the papers below. If you only have time to hear one
> paper, go with Iacoboni's (if I do attend, I plan to ask him
> about the necessity for positing "mirror neurons" as a special
> class of cells).
>
> Note also the papers that claim that so-called mirror neurons are
> involved in the development of empathy and other culturally
> relevant phenomena.

For a wonderful treatment of Mirror Neurons in a Buddhist context, see  
the excellent _The Mindful Brain: Reflection and Attunement In The  
Cultivation of Well-Being_ by Daniel J. Siegel, MD.

I was disappointed to see that Dr. Siegel was not speaking at the  
upcoming Harvard conference on compassion, meditation research and  
psychotherapy with HH the 14th Dalai Lama. He's an incredible resource  
and a pioneer in Reactive Attachment Disorder in children.

Steve Feite