Welcome to the unfolding chapters of Frontiers of the Mind: The 100-Year Project, a documentary film inspired by the 14th Dalai Lama’s vision of a world in which Buddhist tradition and modern science intersect.

Thanks to the Emory-Tibet Science Initiative (ETSI), I have serendipitously been granted the opportunity, as this film’s director, to amplify Tibetan stories. I am honored to lead the documentation of the manifestation of the Dalai Lama’s vision wherein young Tibetan monks and nuns, no longer mere subjects of scientific study, are now themselves conducting scientific research in the field of neuroscience.

Through their partnership with a global community of neuroscientists, these monastic scientists have built science labs in monasteries in India where, among other studies, they investigate sleep and dreaming. They pose incisive and salient questions: Can sleep enhance memory? Do practices such as intentional lucid dreaming impact psychological and emotional healing? Where do positive mental qualities, such as compassion, reside within the existing neuroscientific paradigm?

While the Dalai Lama is a globally-identifiable figure, known for his commitment to promoting peace, religious harmony, and Tibetan culture, his commitment to a dialogue between Buddhist tradition and modern science is lesser known — an endeavor he dubbed “The 100-Year Project.” Our documentary aims to help amplify this project, along with the individual stories of the film’s infectiously-compassionate and joyful monastic and neuroscientist subjects. Listening to their repeated intention to “train our minds in order to help make the world a healthier, happier place,” I am compelled to share in the exploration. Our aim is to create an accessible film for all ages, inspiring each of us to tap into a curiosity and compassion that transcends the bounds of culture, generation, religion, and pre-existing perspectives.