The Background to CCR and Miyo Samten Ling in Crestone, CO

The idea of Centers for Contemplative Research was inspired by the great success of The Shamatha Project which took place in 2007. Dr. Alan Wallace launched this project with a group of scientists led by Dr. Clifford Saron of UC Davis.

The Shamatha Project was one of the most ambitious and comprehensive longitudinal studies of meditation ever conducted. Investigators studied how intensive contemplative training benefits mental and physical health. The results demonstrated the many benefits of meditation, which have been the source of numerous peer-reviewed articles appearing in scientific journals. Learn more about the project.

As a result of this project, Dr. Alan Wallace developed his vision of establishing places where meditators and scientists could collaboratively investigate—over many years rather than a few months—the remarkable claims made by contemplatives of the past concerning the potentials of consciousness. These include the premise that consciousness is foundational to the very fabric of the universe and how understanding this can be the source of genuine well-being.

Thus, the journey to set up such ‘contemplative observatories’ was begun.