Swapping Lab Coats for Yoga Mats
A CAS student’s experience researching the intersection of neuroscience and philosophy
Alexa Woodrow spent the final weeks of her 2024 summer vacation researching consciousness and language at the Lama Tzong Khapa Institute’s Summer School of Consciousness and Cognition, a Buddhist institute in Pomaia, Italy, thanks to the Department of Philosophy’s Karbank Fellowship.
The fellowship, funded by Steven Karbank (CAS’79)—who double majored in philosophy and psychology—provides up to $6,500 for students who have taken at least two philosophy classes to enhance their “philosophical understanding of self and world.”
Woodrow (CAS’25) is a neuroscience major, minoring in biology and philosophy. She researches the mosquito brain in the Younger Lab, but was interested in studying the mind from a different perspective. As a Karbank fellow, she spent 10 weeks on campus, delving into connections between cognitive philosophy, the philosophy of perception, and neuroscience. Then she headed to the Lama Tzong Khapa Institute for eight days. There, she studied quantum mechanics and the neuroscience of meditation and practiced yoga and phenomenology, a philosophical movement focused on human consciousness and self-awareness. At the end of the program, she submitted a report to the philosophy department. Here is an excerpt from her reflection:
Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa lies nestled amongst vineyards in the hills of Tuscany, overlooking the Ligurian Sea. The campus—distinct from a monastery, as it focuses on Buddhist philosophy rather than faith—is organic, lending to a peaceful and quiet atmosphere. Strings of Tibetan flags hang through the trees, the reds and yellows bright in contrast against the greenery. There are statues of Buddha, meditation areas, and temples.
Our classes were held in a stone castle, which rests in the center of the main courtyard. We spent the majority of our time in the Mandala Room, named for the traditional Buddhist mandala (a geometric design on a large, wooden structure) that watched over us from its place in the corner. We sat on cushions with low, wooden desks.
Our courses ranged from quantum mechanics to psychedelics/altered states of consciousness to meditation in Buddhism. Each course was taught by a professor, researcher, or monk. The range and intensity of the courses left me with so many thoughts, which I am still trying to process; it would be impossible to try to detail everything I learned. But I found the parallels between Western philosophy, Eastern tradition, and the hard sciences to be the most prominent thread. [They] opened my eyes to an entirely new way of thinking about the world. This program was one of the most unique experiences I have had, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to attend.