The New York Times bestselling author of “The Awakened Brain: The New Science of Spirituality and Our Quest for an Inspired Life,” Lisa Miller, presented a keynote address on the scientific connection between spirituality and mental health on Oct. 1 for the final event in the Compassion Shift Global Launch week at Emory University.
The event, held in the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, welcomed over 300 attendees and is part of an initiative to promote a compassionate global society and help individuals develop their inner compassion. Miller’s speech focused on teaching Cognitively-Based Compassion Training (CBCT) and Social, Emotional and Ethical Learning (SEE Learning) to healthcare professionals. These programs are a part of the Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics’ mission to promote human flourishing and compassion through a research-based approach.
Miller emphasized the intersection between spirituality and mental health during her speech, especially spirituality’s role in reducing suicide rates.
“In a study of studies, a meta-analysis, it was shown that when spiritual life is shared, shared in this hall song, shared in the classroom, we are 82% less likely to take our own lives,” Miller said. “We have the antidote to the greatest epidemic of our time.”
Through decades of work in clinical psychology, Miller demonstrated how spirituality affects the human body biologically.
“When we build what they call spiritual health, strengthening the red brain, we’re nearly four times more likely to have good mental health,” Miller said. “We are nearly two and a half fold more likely to have social health and twice as likely to have good physical health.”
Miller also praised Emory for being “a wellspring of joy and spirit and sacred energy” worldwide by promoting conversations about the mind and body at events.
Attendees appreciated Miller’s talk because it connected various disciplines and represented the diverse groups of people in attendance. Kelly McPharlin, a creative partner of Compassion Shift’s Global Launch, praised the connection Miller made between science and academics.
“[The speech] did a really great job connecting science and academics to happiness, to compassion and then to spirituality,” McPharlin said.
CBCT Teacher Certification Assistant Director Leslie Langbert emphasized the innate compassion of humanity.
“I really appreciated Dr Miller’s talk that she just gave,” Langbert said. “That was really powerful about the connection between spirituality and health.”
CBCT Senior Instructor Reshma Piramal said that the event reminded her that this work comes from the efforts of a larger community.
“It reinforces the fact that this work is not in isolation, and there are so many people doing wonderful things and so much to learn from, so much to celebrate,” Piramal said.
McPharlin highlighted the work the compassion center is doing to spread CBCT around the world.
“The diversity of people and groups represented from all over the world: different professions, backgrounds, beliefs, religions,” McPharlin said. “Just an amazing collection of people coming together under the banner of compassion to celebrate and introduce the year of compassion.”
