Sapienza University of Rome

Faculty of Medicine and Psychology. Second International Conference on Mindfulness (ICM-2)

Following the very successful First International Conference on Mindfulness in May 2013, the Consciousness, Mindfulness, Compassion (CMC) International Association, MacTavish Behavioral Health and the Associazione Italiana per la Mindfulness (AIM) are hosting ICM-2 at the Sapienza University in Rome, Italy. Over 330 participants from a wide range of disciplines representing 35 countries attended the first conference.

Although mindfulness has traditionally been shrouded in the world’s wisdom traditions, it is now beginning to be a common term that is in the lexicon of laypersons as well as of scientists. The concept and practice of mindfulness has taken hold in clinics, universities, schools, hospitals, politics, management, and in our daily lives. Indeed, mindfulness-based procedures are now a part of mainstream science and clinical practice, and it it is taught in medical schools, in social science departments at universities and colleges, and even in high schools. The unifying theme in the growing art and science of mindfulness has been an effort to lessen suffering and bring more joy and compassion in this world. This growth has created an on-going need for bringing everyone together at an international forum to synthesize and disseminate what we know, spur future research on what we do not know, and motivate us to be more mindful in our daily lives.

ICM-2 continues the tradition of the First International Conference on Mindfulness to provide an international forum for clinicians, contemplatives, researchers, academics, teachers, students, politicians, communities, and practitioners to strengthen this process.

We look forward to an exciting conference in the beautiful city of Rome, Italy.
Organizing Committee Chairpersons:

Dr. Antonino Raffone
Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.

Dr. Fabio M. Giommi
Associazione Italiana per la Mindfulness (AIM), Milan, Italy; Radboud University, Netherlands.

Dr. Nirbhay N. Singh
Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, USA.

Keynote speakers

Ven. Bhikkhu Analayo

Ph.D., University of Hamburg, Germany - Bhikkhu Anālayo was born in Germany in 1962 and ordained in Sri Lanka in 1995. In the year 2000 he completed a Ph.D. thesis on the Satipatthana-sutta at the University of Peradeniya (published by Windhorse in the UK). In the year 2007 he completed a habilitation research at the University of Marburg, in which he compared the Majjhima-nikaya discourses with their Chinese, Sanskrit, and Tibetan counterparts. At present, he is a member of the Numata Center for Buddhist Studies, University of Hamburg, as a professor, and works as a researcher at Dharma Drum Buddhist College, Taiwan. Besides his academic activities, he regularly teaches meditation.

Rebecca Crane

Ph.D., Bangor University, United Kingdom - Rebecca Crane (PhD, MA, DipCouns, DipCot) directs the Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice at Bangor University and has played a leading role in developing its training and research programmes since it was founded in 2001. She teaches and trains internationally in both Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), and is a certified MBSR teacher with the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Her research focuses on how the evidence on mindfulness-based interventions can be implemented with integrity into practice settings. She has written Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy: The CBT Distinctive Features Series; Routledge, 2009.

Paul Gilbert

Ph.D., OBE, University of Derby, United Kingdom - Paul Gilbert, Ph.D., OBE, is Head of the Mental Health Research Unit, and Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Derby, where he developed Compassionate Mind Training (CMT) and Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT). He has a BA in Economics (1973), a Diploma in Clinical Psychology (from the BPS), and an MA in Experimental Psychology (1975), and a PhD in Clinical Psychology (Edinburgh, 1980). He was made a fellow of the British Psychological Society for contributions to psychological knowledge in 1993, and was president of the British Association for Cognitive and Behavioural Psychotherapy in 2003. He served on the government depression NICE guideline committee. Gilbert has published and edited 21 books, including the best selling Overcoming Depression, and The Compassionate Mind. He is the series editor for the 'compassionate approaches to life difficulties' series, published by Constable Robinson. He received an Order of the British Empire (OBE) Award in 2011 for his contributions to mental healthcare.

Antoine Lutz

Antoine Lutz is a tenured scientist (Chargé de Recherche) at the Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CNRL), INSERM, France. He did his PhD in cognitive sciences in Paris, France with Francisco Varela and his postdoctoral work with Richard Davidson, at the University of Madison-Wisconsin. After working for ten years in the US as a scientist, he joined the CNRL in January 2013. His main research interest is in the neuroscience of mindfulness and compassion meditations and their impact on consciousness, attention and emotion regulations, and pain perception. His most recent research in Madison includes a project funded by NIH-NCCAM to investigate the cognitive and neuronal mechanisms of actions of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) intervention, and its impact on attention, pain perception and fear conditioning. Dr. Lutz has been awarded in December 2013 an ERC consolidator grant to extend his research program on mindfulness meditation in Lyon, France.

Peter Malinowski

Ph.D., Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom - Peter Malinowski, Ph.D., is Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the Research Centre for Brain and Behaviour at Liverpool John Moores University and founding director of their Meditation and Mindfulness Research Group. He received his PhD in Psychology at the University of Konstanz (Germany) in 2001. Drawing from his extensive expertise in cognitive neuroscience his primary research is concerned with the psychological and neurophysiological mechanisms underpinning the positive changes resulting from meditation and mindfulness practices. His approach is underpinned by more than 25 years of meditation practice within the Karma Kagyu Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, learning from some of the most highly regarded Buddhist teachers such as H.H. the 17th Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje, Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche, Sherab Gyaltsen Rinpoche and Lama Ole Nydahl and more than 20 years as Diamond Way Buddhist Teacher. In a substantial research project his group explores the neuroprotective effects of mindfulness practice, in particular following the question whether integrating such practice into daily life can positively influence cognitive effects of ageing. Several further international and national collaborations are concerned with other aspects, such as the potential of mindfulness practice to improve health-related behaviours including eating and physical activity. In his research blog, Peter regularly comments on the latest developments in meditation research

Ven. Shi-Yan-Hui

Shi-Yan-Hui, is a monk and 34th Generation Shaolin Warrior, brother of Shi-Yan-Da and direct disciple of XXX abbot of Shaolin Temple, the Venerable Shi Yong Xin . And 'official representative in Italy of the Shaolin Temple and directs "SHAOLIN QUAN FA" , Association, based in Rome to support the project of the Venerable Abbot Shi Yong Xin to spread the true and original Shaolin Kung Fu.

Ven. Shì-Héng-Chán

Shi-Heng-Chan was born in Milan (Italy) in 1966. He studied Martial Arts and Kung-Fu from the age of six years, starting to practice philosophy and Eastern spirituality 11 years. Disciple of the Grand Master and Worshipful Shì-yan-Dá was named descendant of the 35th generation Shaolin warrior monks. He lived 10 years in the East, with study visits to Shaolin and in India. Among the first to welcome the Italian masters Shaolin Monks arriving in our country, he has been Technical Director of "Team National Exhibition Shaolin" ("Shaolin Italian Team") led by monaco Shaolin Shi-Xing-Song. Italian first Shaolin master to bring the teaching of Shaolin Kung Fu and Shaolin Qi-Gong in Italian Schools. Author of SHAOLIN FIRST SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE IN ITALIAN - 30 volumes with translation from the original Chinese Temple Shaolin- on history, philosophy, spirituality, psychology, art indoor / outdoor and cultural back-ground of the monks-warriors.