The Neuroscience of Spirituality and the Spirituality of Neuroscience

Dr. Stephen Kaplan will give a lecture on spirituality and neuroscience at Florida International University. His research interests are Hindu and Buddhist thought with a special interest in comparative psychological and philosophical studies.

Dr. Stephen Kaplan is a Professor at Manhattan College.

Research and Scholarly Interests:

Hindu and Buddhist thought with a special interest in comparative psychological and philosophical studies. The comparative studies have often revolved around the use of holography as a model for understanding psychological and philosophical issues in a cross-cultural context.
Awards:

Dr. Kaplan received a 2002 Science and Religion Course Award from the Center for Theology and Natural Sciences.  This grant was for the design and implementation of Mind, Brain and the Search for the Self - an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural approach to understanding human nature, utilizing materials from religion, philosophy, the neurosciences and the field of artificial intelligence.  This course is offered as   RELS 425: Psychology and Religion (WordPerfect format). In 2006, Kaplan was a Senior Investigator at the Mind & Life Summer Research Institute exploring the intersections of Buddhist thought and the neurosciences.
Publications:

His most recent book is Different Paths, Different Summits: A Model for Religious Pluralism (Rowman and Littlefield, 2002).  Dr. Kaplan has published articles in a number of edited volumes and leading journals such as Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Philosophy East and West, Journal of Indian Philosophy, Journal of Asian Philosophy, Zygon, Journal of Religious Pluralism, and Eastern Buddhist as well as another book on Indian and comparative philosophy.
Community Activities:

In addition to his scholarly pursuits, Stephen Kaplan has also been involved in New York City public school reform. He has chaired the development and establishment of an alternative elementary school - PS 51. He also received a New Vision II Award to open a public middle school and a high school in New York City. This school, the Jonas Bronck Academy, an educational collaboration with Manhattan College, originally located on the MC campus, is moving to a new location in the Bronx (2009).  Kaplan has also been actively engaged as a community organizer for over a decade working on the redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory as a commercial, recreational, and educational center.