Center Completes First Year of Programming

February 2004 marked the one year anniversary of our Local Societies Initiative grant from the Metanexus Institute. In that time we have hosted lectures and workshops on meditation and yoga, spirituality and alcohol use, spirituality in psychotherapy, the interface of science and religion, ethical and practical issues involved in providing psychological services as part of a medical mission team, Jewish Mysticism, and the spiritual experiences that one individual has had through her work with the global AIDS crisis. We have also co-sponsored programs on harp therapy, Buddhism, and spirituality and health. This spring, two Center affiliated faculty offered courses at ISU related to health, religion, and spirituality. Dr. Jean Kristeller taught a course in the psychology of meditation. Dr. Margaret Moga offered a course on Acupuncture.

We have a number of exciting programs planned for the next year, including professional education workshops, more public speakers, and further development of our web site.

• In cooperation with Union Hospital and the West-Central Indiana AHEC, we will be bringing Dr. Harold Koenig to Terre Haute on December 18, 2004. Dr. Koenig will present a CME program for Physicians and a workshop for health care staff, psychologists, students, and the general public.
  
• The Center will also co-sponsor the United Campus Ministries Center's Campus & Community Luncheon series in the fall. The topic will be spirituality and health.
  
• We will hold a conference on Spirituality and Addiction: Scientific, Clinical, & Religious Perspectives in March or April, 2005.
  
• Our research projects continue to gather exciting information, and we are awaiting word on funding for several additional proposals to continue work on meditation treatment for binge eating disorder, addressing spiritual concerns of oncology patients, and spirituality and religiousness as they related to alcohol use in college students.