NEWS

Lausanne, Switzerland — Eyes closed. Attention turned inward.

For several minutes, a full auditorium at the University of Lausanne entered into meditation together.

Heartfulness Global Guide and esteemed leader Daaji (Kamlesh D. Patel) led the room through the practice. Then Prof. Christoph Michel, Chief Neuroscientific Director at All Here, took the audience inside the neuroscience of meditation, drawing on decades of research to describe how the brain shifts away from mind-wandering and towards greater presence and self-awareness during the practice.

Meditation is not “just relaxing,” he emphasized. “It’s an effort.”

“And neuroscience helps us to demystify meditation,” he told the audience — a pursuit closely aligned with All Here’s work exploring the Meditative Mind and Brain through scientific research, measurement and technology.

The event, aptly named “Meditation: A Path Toward Individual and Collective Health?”, brought together leading voices across meditation, neuroscience, global health and psychology.

WHO Chief Scientist Dr. Sylvie Briand reflected on 20 years of responding to epidemics and pandemics, saying how meditation helped her “remain compassionate” in the face of human suffering. CHUV psychologist and psychotherapist Emmanuelle Jeker Frésard brought the clinical perspective, describing how meditation can deepen awareness of our thoughts and judgments and strengthen “emotional regulation.”

Beyond the stage, Daaji and All Here founder Erkin Bek also exchanged perspectives on meditation practice and the role of scientific research in deepening our understanding of it.

For All Here and Heartfulness, our exchange extends beyond Lausanne. In India, our researchers have worked with experienced Heartfulness practitioners through Quantified Meditation, using high-density EEG to study the brain during meditation.