The Positive Neuroscience Project has announced the recipients of the 2010 Templeton Positive Neuroscience Awards, $2.9 million given to 15 new research projects at the intersection of neuroscience and positive psychology. Read on to learn about the winning projects that explore a range of topics including how the brain enables humans to flourish, the biological bases of altruism, and the effects of positive interventions on the brain.

“Nobody ever changes anyway.” I suspect that many of us had at least a flicker of agreement with these words. And yet we are all changing all the time. Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey present a model that shows why people have resistance to change in their book, Immunity to Change. hey also offer ways to melt the resistance in yourself and in groups.

Jenny Fox Eades and I had an interesting discussion about pausing, taking time, and using silence to consider what to say or do next. Jenny is a great supporter of little drops of quiet.

Is there any substance and meaning behind the choice of who wins an Academy Award? In an analysis of 1,132 films, Simonton found that the Oscars do matter; they provide meaningful information about creativity and …

We like to think that we are in charge of our choices. But what if making a choice or decision is based on things that we don’t notice? A new article from Song and Schwarz at the University of Michigan looks at the consequences.

Despite the research, very few people ever make a meditative practice part of their daily lives. The most commonly offered excuse is lack of time. I’d like to offer a solution to time constraints. You can combine a meditative practice with another powerful positive psychology intervention – exercise. At first glance you might think that I’m crazy. Surely you have to be in a quiet room to meditate – not a smelly noisy gym.

I want to travel to Pandora, the fictional planet depicted in Avatar.  I saw James Cameron’s newest film that has rocked box offices since its release in December on I-MAX 3-D and have since …

I visited Maui, a breath-taking beautiful island where I experienced multiple moments of awe, elevation, spirituality, and connection with all things larger than myself. Stepping outside urbanization and its demands stimulated my strengths of open-mindedness, appreciation of beauty and capacity to love. Today, I am more motivated than ever to be respectful of the environment through the dozens of everyday choices that we know about, and should never fail to make.

Mind and Its Potential conference, held in Sydney on 2-3 December 2009, was an “opportunity to hear the world’s top scientists, psychologists, and philosophers explain how to apply the new science of the brain …

We all know that a guiding principle of positive psychology is that “Other people matter.” What is it that makes other people matter to us? Empathy.
Empathy is commonly defined as the ability to …