The Conversation

The Portal review: can meditation change the world?

Author: Peggy Kern, Associate professor, University of Melbourne

The Portal uses individual stories of meditative transformation to suggest a bigger change is possible. Supplied

The Portal follows six individuals who undergo a personal transformation from trauma and struggle to calmness, self-acceptance, and compassion towards others. These personal changes are intertwined with contemplations about the broader...

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The Conversation

Sustainable Erosion Control Strategies for Australia's Environment
Erosion control stands as a paramount concern in Australia, particularly amidst the backdr…
Generate More ROI by Properly Equipping Your Call Center
Small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) seek to increase their ROI without losing a lot of m…
Coronavirus highlights the painful political truth about health inequality. Is social democracy the answer?
AAP/EPA/Ciro FuscoHealth inequality was a major concern of 20th century social democrats i…
Friday essay: today's grandmothers grew up protesting. Now they have nothing to lose
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Coronavirus an ‘existential threat’ to Africa and her crowded slums
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What a simulated Mars mission taught me about food waste
George Frey/EPAAs a food waste researcher, I’m interested in how humans prepare food…
With everyone stuck indoors, esports is poised for its time in the sun
Against a global backdrop of cancelled sports leagues, and as part of their season opening…
Open or else face funding cut – Minister Tehan's edict to independent schools
Education Minister Dan Tehan has warned non-government schools that if they fail to open f…
Australia's coronavirus debate turns to the way out
Remember how last year’s Easter felt bizarre because the country was in election mod…
Politics with Michelle Grattan: MPs Tim Watts, Fiona Martin, Clare O'Neil and Helen Haines talk about serving their electorates during…
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VIDEO: Michelle Grattan on Australia's exit out of coronavirus restrictions
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Coronavirus: what causes a 'second wave' of disease outbreak, and could we see this in Australia?
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What to do if you've been fined for breaching coronavirus restrictions
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The coronavirus lockdown might help limit this year's flu season – but you should still get your flu jab anyway
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Easter eggs can bring a little 'normality' to kids in isolation. But should we ration them or let kids eat…
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Scientific modelling is steering our response to coronavirus. But what is scientific modelling?
As they released the modelling of the COVID-19 pandemic behind Australia’s social is…
Teachers could be called on to estimate year 12 student grades – this is fairer than it sounds
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Personalities that thrive in isolation and what we can all learn from time alone
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The psychology of lockdown suggests sticking to rules gets harder the longer it continues
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Most laws ignore ‘human-wildlife conflict’. This makes us vulnerable to pandemics
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Could coronavirus bring back our faith in experts?
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From the bushfires to coronavirus, our old 'normal' is gone forever. So what's next?
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Great time to try: cleaning the house (while fitting in a workout)
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Vital Signs: a lesson from game theory the coronavirus contrarians ignore
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Pell decision: why sexual offence trials often result in acquittal, even with credible witnesses
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Pandemic policing needs to be done with the public's trust, not confusion
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As use of digital platforms surges, we'll need stronger global efforts to protect human rights online
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Without international students, Australia's universities will downsize – and some might collapse altogether
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Does JK Rowling's breathing technique cure the coronavirus? No, it could help spread it
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Should everyone be wearing face masks? It's complicated
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The coronavirus ban on elective surgeries might show us many people can avoid going under the knife
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Time well spent, not wasted: video games are boosting well-being during the coronavirus lockdown
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I'm an asthmatic: what should I do during the coronavirus pandemic?
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What governments can do about the increase in family violence due to coronavirus
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Where the wild things are: how nature might respond as coronavirus keeps humans indoors
AP NewsIntriguing things sometimes happen in places deserted by people. Plants creep back,…
Rents can and should be reduced or suspended for the coronavirus pandemic
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We're not all in this together. Messages about social distancing need the right cultural fit
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Yes, we're flattening the coronavirus curve but modelling needs to inform how we start easing restrictions
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Courts are moving to video during coronavirus, but research shows it's hard to get a fair trial remotely
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Now we're in lockdown, how can we get out? 4 scenarios to prevent a second wave
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5 big environment stories you probably missed while you've been watching coronavirus
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Indonesia was in denial over coronavirus. Now it may be facing a looming disaster
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Lack of help for local councils in coronavirus package undercuts industry support
The Warrick Lane redevelopment is a major construction project overseen by local governmen…
50 years of bold predictions about remote work: it isn't all about technology
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Book review: The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams
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Traffic jams are contagious. Understanding how they spread can help make them less common
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Scott Morrison indicates 'eliminating' COVID-19 would come at too high a cost
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No, 5G radiation doesn't cause or spread the coronavirus. Saying it does is destructive
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The jury may be out on the jury system after George Pell's successful appeal
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Coronavirus: as culture moves online, regional organisations need help bridging the digital divide
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JobKeeper is quick, dirty and effective: there was no time to make it perfect
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Turning to Easter eggs to get through these dark times? Here's the bitter truth about chocolate
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How George Pell won in the High Court on a legal technicality
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US private schools often inflate student grades. This could happen in Australia if we cancel year 12 exams
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More Australians are worried about a recession and an increasingly selfish society than about coronavirus itself
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We just spent two weeks surveying the Great Barrier Reef. What we saw was an utter tragedy
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The mushroom cloud's silver lining: how the Cold War is helping the biggest fish in the sea
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Why coronavirus impacts are devastating for international students in private rental housing
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Open letter to the prime minister: extend coronavirus support to temporary workers
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Head lice drug Ivermectin is being tested as a possible coronavirus treatment, but that's no reason to buy it
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Morrison sees massive ratings surge in Newspoll over coronavirus crisis; Trump also improves
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A coronavirus spike may put ICU beds in short supply. But that doesn't mean the elderly shouldn't get them
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Coronavirus support packages will reshape the future economy, and that presents an opportunity
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Great time to try: 5½ ways to make movie masterpieces at home
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Sorry to disappoint climate deniers, but coronavirus makes the low-carbon transition more urgent
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During the Great Depression, many newspapers betrayed their readers. Some are doing it again now
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'Stupid coronavirus!' In uncertain times, we can help children through mindfulness and play
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Can I visit my boyfriend or my parents? Go fishing or bushwalking? Coronavirus rules in the Northern Territory and Tasmania
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Can I visit my boyfriend or my parents? Go fishing or bushwalking? Coronavirus rules in Western Australia
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Young people are anxious about coronavirus. Political leaders need to talk with them, not at them
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Sleep won't cure the coronavirus but it can help our bodies fight it
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Can I visit my boyfriend? My parents? Go fishing or bushwalking? Coronavirus rules in the ACT and South Australia explained
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This lizard lays eggs and gives live birth. We think it's undergoing a major evolutionary transition
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Vale Bruce Dawe, Australia's 'Poet of Suburbia'
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While we fixate on coronavirus, Earth is hurtling towards a catastrophe worse than the dinosaur extinction
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Thanks to coronavirus, Scott Morrison will become a significant prime minister
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Friday essay: mom jeans and nostalgia in a time of uncertainty
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Automatic doors: the simple technology that could help stop coronavirus spreading
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Vital Signs: Scott Morrison is steering in the right direction, but we're going to need a bigger boat
The Australian government’s JobKeeper wage subsidy, estimated to cost A$130 billion,…
It is necessary to worry about health, but pessimism about the economy will hurt us
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Grattan on Friday: Imagine if we could extract a permanent vaccine against hyper-partisanship from COVID-19
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Where are we at with developing a vaccine for coronavirus?
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Democracy 2025 - How does Australia compare: what makes a leading democracy? With Michelle Grattan, Mark Evans and Ian Chubb
In this special hour long podcast presented by Mark Evans, professor of governance and dir…
Morrison has rescued childcare from COVID-19 collapse – but the details are still murky
ShutterstockPrime Minister Scott Morrison has announced free childcare for more than one m…
Free child care to help nearly one million families, especially workers in essential services
The government will provide free child care in a move aimed at ensuring parents, especiall…
Who can get tested for coronavirus?
To control the spread of COVID-19 we need to identify as many people with the virus as pos…
1 in 10 children affected by bushfires is Indigenous. We've been ignoring them for too long
The catastrophic bushfire season is officially over, but governments, agencies and communi…