Cheetah House

Josie Lee is a PhD student in clinical psychology at Duquesne University. Before beginning graduate school, Josie worked as a research assistant in the Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory at Brown University, where she led a secondary analysis of the Varieties of Contemplative Experience study examining the role of dietary changes in the onset and trajectory of practitioners' challenges. Josie also served as the Program Coordinator for Cheetah House. Her research explores the relationship between food, mind, and embodiment, and pays particular attention to how culture shapes the lived experience of this relationship and its relevance for individual wellbeing and therapeutic change. In the original Varieties of Contemplative Experience (VCE) study, the authors found that nearly half of practitioners described their diet as influencing their meditation related challenges— many of whom altered their diet as a response. Of those who tried changing their diet, over half reported the change to be "helpful." Fascinated by these findings, Josie and colleagues conducted a secondary analysis of the VCE study to explore the relationship between dietary changes and meditation-related challenges. This talk presents their findings and offers biological and psychological hypothesizes regarding how and why dietary changes can impact meditation-related experiences.