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Vancouver Sun: Renowned University of B.C. social psychologist Ara Norenzayan, 37, spent his teenage years in bomb-ravaged Lebanon thinking he could die at any moment in a civil war largely fuelled by religion. Recently, Norenzayen has earned an international reputation for his ground-breaking research into trying to answer the question: How does religion affect the way people behave, pro and con? Or, as Norenzayan succinctly puts it: “What is it about religion that can turn nice people into murderers?” … Click to read more »

Herald Tribune: Why meditate? A better question is why not? A regular meditation practice is good medicine for body, mind and soul. Countless studies have explored its therapeutic benefits and found meditation can lower stress and your risk of heart disease, and treat many anxiety disorders. Read more here.

The Scotsman: A TEENAGE boy who many believe is the reincarnation of the Buddha has re-emerged from the jungle in southern Nepal, attracting thousands of devotees.
After retreating into the jungle for more than a year, Ram Bahadur Bamjan, 18, re-emerged on Monday near Nijgadh town, about 100 miles south of the capital, Katmandu. Read more here.

The Huffington Post: Many of us feel a need to believe in something larger than ourselves. And now researchers are beginning to uncover the biology behind this urge. Scientists say that some people may have a gene that makes them more spiritual, and they are discovering that religious feelings may come from specific areas of the brain. Read more here.

The Huffington Post: To meditate means to examine. It doesn’t mean you have to sit in a lotus position in silence (although you can). It means you are attending to what’s going on within you - perhaps with your breath and senses, your internal thoughts and feelings, or the space in between these objects of attention. This investigation of mind becomes somewhat habitual the more you practice. Read more here.

The Times Picayune: The ancient discipline of meditation is making a big comeback among brain scientists. Advances in brain imaging and monitoring have made it possible to see inside the brain and explore the biological forces creating and driving conscious thoughts.

“Now we are in a position to ask questions about people’s experience and measure brain activity in close to real time,” says Clifford Saron, a scientist at the Center for Mind and Brain at the University of California at Davis. … Click to read more »

Gulf Daily News: SPECIAL needs children have taken up yoga and meditation in a bid to relieve stress and make them happier. More than 15 youngsters from the RIA Centre, Adliya, have just concluded a five-day course led by the Art of Living, which also focused on improving self-esteem and their learning abilities. Read more here.

The Daily, University of Washington: Meditation is much more than chanting an extended “ohm” while sitting in an empty room listening to a recording of running water. Several cultures and religions have been practicing meditation for nearly 5,000 years. The goal of meditation is to gain control of thoughts and force mental distractions out, all while pushing the mind into a more relaxed, liberated state of mind. Read more here.

NewsOn6.com: Do your work, family, and personal responsibilities seem to persist with no end in sight? If so, you might think that adding one more item to your to-do list will make you go insane. Well, not if that one item is meditating. In fact, the more overscheduled you are, the more you need (and deserve) the benefits of meditation. Read more here.