My lab’s research takes a “big picture” perspective in attempting to understand the nature of mental life, and in particular consciousness. Combining empirical, philosophical, and contemplative traditions, we address broad questions that cross traditional disciplinary boundaries.
Members
Principal Investigator
Project Scientists
James Elliott, Ph.D, is a cognitive neuroscientist with a background in behavioral, EEG, and fMRI methodologies. He has a keen interest in exploring how traditional meditation techniques can be used to help inform a scientific understanding of consciousness.
Michael Mrazek, Ph.D. is the director of research at the University of California's Center for Mindfulness & Human Potential. His research identifies innovative ways to increase the effectiveness of mindfulness training, particularly in high schools. He also tests the limits of how much a person can improve through intensive evidence-based training programs that target health, mindfulness, and self-control.
Postdoctoral Researchers
Madeleine studies the psychological basis of creative idea generation and insight. Using eye tracking technology, she also investigates how inter-individual differences in eye movement behavior may relate to dopamine-related cognition and personality traits, such as curiosity, schizotypy, and creativity.
Research Specialist
Stephen Baumgart contributes to an an interdisciplinary effort to research the nature of time with a focus on anomalous cognition in the Theoretical and Applied Neurocausality Laboratory (TANC Lab), which he cofounded.
Robert Bernstein has an MS from UCSB Physics 1984 and a BS in Physics from MIT 1980. He is interested in the Hard Problem of Consciousness: How it is that we have phenomenal experience at all.
Marissa Ericson is interested in oscillopathies, resonance and neural models of sub-threshold perceptual processes, as well as intra-somatic coherence among bodily systems and organs (EEG, EKG, and EGG). Her research interests and current projects span computational and information processing models of consciousness, General Resonance theory (GRT) of consciousness, mindfulness, brain-body dynamics, self-transcendence and peak states, neural synchrony, and quantum theories of consciousness.
Tam Hunt is an Affiliate Guest in Psychology in the META Lab. His work focuses on the philosophy of mind, reconciliation of scientific and spiritual views of the world, and the interaction of mind and matter. A practicing lawyer, Hunt brings a unique perspective to psychology and philosophy. Hunt also teaches at UCSB's graduate program Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, where he focuses on climate change law and policy and renewable energy law and policy.
Elliott's research interests include peak experiences, neuroplasticity, affective neuroscience, and the nature of consciousness.
Alan Macy is currently focusing on psychophysiology, emotional and motivational state measurements, magnetic resonance imaging and augmented/virtual reality implementations. His recent research and artistic efforts explore ideas of human nervous system extension and the associated impacts upon perception. As an applied science artist, he specializes in the creation of cybernated art, interactive sculpture and environments.
Alissa Mrazek is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at UT Austin as well as a long-time collaborator with the META Lab. Alissa conducted a post-doctoral fellowship at the Center for Mindfulness and Human Potential with Dr. Jonathan Schooler from 2016-2020. Before working at UCSB, Alissa completed her Ph.D. in 2016 at Northwestern University where she began appreciating the synergistic benefits of integrative interventions—particularly when combining mindset training with strategy training.
Protzko is an Assistant Professor at Central Connecticut State University, Director of the ASSUMPTION lab, and Associate Director of the Psychological Science Accelerator. He studies underlying assumptions of people, scientists, and society. This work is primarily in metascience, social psychology, and cognitive psychology.
One line of Claire's research focuses on the role meta-awareness plays in the dynamic changes between states of mind wandering and focused attention. Another line examines the relationship between different types of mind wandering, creativity and curiosity.
Lab Manager
Jacqueline is a 4th year Psychological and Brain Sciences major at UCSB. She has worked in the META Lab as an undergraduate assisting Josh Ortega with his research on the impact of aesthetic experiences on creative thinking. Her main research interests center around the cognitive mechanisms and benefits of mindfulness meditation. Particularly, she is interested in exploring the effects of meditation on creative performance.
Graduate Students
Anusha studies the mechanisms and content of mind wandering. In the past, she's worked on assessing the content of the spontaneous stream of consciousness. She's currently investigating the differences between the quality of thoughts obtained during think aloud and silent mind wandering protocols.
Josh studies the phenomenology of thought across the sleep/wake cycle, and whether certain personality traits, such as creativity and transliminality, correspond with greater overlap between dreams and waking thoughts. He is also interested in the interaction between personality and aesthetic preferences.
Shivang's interests lie in interactions between mind-wandering, memory, and attentional capture. He also uses principles in attention neuroscience to better understand human-computer interactions. He is co-advised by Barry Giesbrecht.
Asa is a doctoral student in Dr. Jonathan Schooler’s META Lab at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He earned his Bachelors of Science in Psychological and Brain Sciences at UCSB and conducted research as the lab manager of META Lab and research assistant to Dr. Miguel Eckstein’s VIU lab. He is also the former Research Specialist for Neurofield Neurotherapy. Asa’s research concerns the origin and mechanisms of phenomenal consciousness within the complex dynamics of neural rhythms within and without the brain.
Research Assistants
Devon Acker-James is a third year Psychology and Brain Sciences major with a minor in Applied Psychology. He is interested in the psychological and physiological effects of meditation and psychedelics. He loves to surf, hike, and play basketball.
Remy is a third year Psychological and Brain Sciences student with a minor in Spanish. She is interested in scientific writing, cultural psychology, and the effects of meditation on mental health.
Annabelle is a fourth-year Psychological & Brain Science major interested in cognitive psychology. As an EEG research assistant in META Lab, she works closely with Stephen Baumgart and Asa Young to investigate the brain's neural activity during cognitive processes.
Ava Kelly is a second year Psychological and Brain Sciences student assisting Anusha Garg on various projects regarding think aloud. She is specifically interested in environmental psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and interpersonal relationships.
My name is Jinny Kim, and I am a 3rd year Biopsychology major and Applied Psychology minor. I am assisting James Elliott regarding fluctuations of experience and EEG during meditation. My specific interests are dream analysis and psychotherapy for criminals.
Emilija is a first year pre-Biopsychology major interested in mindfulness and its impacts on health. She is assisting James Elliott in studying alterations in brain state during meditation through EEG.
Simone is a second year Art major with an interest in creative expression, mental health, and meditation. She is currently assisting James Elliott in studying fluctuations of mental states during meditation using EEG.
Alumni
Benji is working primarily with John Protzko on research exploring The Decline Effect.
Alex Landry is a Ph.D. student at Stanford's Graduate School of Business, where he studies the social psychology of extreme intergroup conflict. Most of his work has focused on dehumanization - the process of conceiving of another group of people as less than fully human - and its role in the perpetuation of intergroup hostility. He also studies the psychology of ideological extremism and radicalization, both in terrorist organizations abroad and among American political partisans.
Dharma is a Mexico City native who is passionate about education and outreach. She earned her Biopsychology B.S. at UCSB where she studied the link between mindfulness, growth mindset, and mind-wandering as META Lab Manager. Her work currently focuses on pedagogical implications of meta-cognition, and the role of culture and mindsets in mindfulness.
Ben's research investigates distortions in the subjective experience of time and the resulting perceptual concequences.
Jonathan is a Biopsychology and Applied Psychology student that assists Asa Young by reviewing articles on synchrony within the body and synchrony with environmental factors, drafting and writing a psychological paper on the same topic, and is also being trained to run psychophysiological tests on participants. His passions include researching and sharing the practice of meditation and applying it as a tool to improve mental, social, and emotional health in all ages. He is also the Meditation Intern at UCSB's department of Health and Wellness.
Kiana is interested in the relationship between meditation, mind wandering, and belief in free will. She completed an honors thesis with advisor James Elliott and graduated from UCSB in June of 2022 with a B.S. in Psychological & Brain Sciences and a B.A. in Philosophy. She is currently the assistant at UCSB's Brain Imaging Center.
