The following story originally appeared on the website for the William & Mary College of Arts & Sciences. – Ed. For centuries, humans have contemplated the meaning of life to better understand themselves and the world around them. The religious studies department is reshaping that ancient tradition for modern contexts by introducing a new contemplative studies major that invites students to look inward and explore humanity’s oldest questions through an interdisciplinary lens. Faculty in religious studies, psychological sciences and the neuroscience program collaborated to create the new contemplative studies major, available beginning this fall. Offering a holistic and integrative approach, the new major encourages students to engage with ideas actively and experientially through practices like mindfulness, meditation and reflective inquiry. According to the faculty, “This program of study fosters rigorous intellectual formation as well as reflexive inquiry into how individuals develop awareness, empathy, and resilience — skills vital for leadership and success in a wide array of career fields. In addition to professional preparation, the contemplative studies major cultivates authentic self-understanding, ethical discernment and psychological well-being.” Mark McLaughlin, professor of religious studies, said, “It’s an exciting new field that bridges disciplines like neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, religious studies, education, and the arts to explore fundamental questions of self and one’s being in the world.” To Patton Burchett, an associate professor in religious studies, contemplative studies can be taught with both narrow and broad lenses. For example, part of the curriculum focuses on different types of meditation and how it affects the brain, while other aspects provide a broader understanding of contemplative studies as a whole. What makes contemplative studies unique is that it requires a first-person perspective. “If you’re studying something that’s...