A teacher may pass on in this life, but their lessons never do. Today, my heart is full of gratitude for having learned from Dr. James Doty, a brilliant mind and deeply compassionate soul whose work continues to ripple through every person he’s touched.
Dr. Doty was a neurosurgeon at Stanford University and the founder of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education. But beyond the titles, he was a rare bridge between head and heart, someone who could translate science into soul-level understanding.
His award-winning New York Times bestseller, Into the Magic Shop, changed how I think about attention, intention, and compassion. I’ve given it to just about everyone I know. In it, he shares the story of a chance encounter with a woman who taught him how to quiet his mind, open his heart, and imagine from a place of love instead of fear. Decades later, his research revealed the neuroscience behind those very practices.
His later work explored what many call “manifestation” but through a scientific lens, showing how focused attention and emotional resonance reshape the brain. When we visualize with presence and compassion, we’re not just daydreaming; we’re rewiring.
I was fortunate to study with him in person through his classes at Stanford and the Center for Compassion, and his teachings live on in my own daily practices.
If you haven’t read Into the Magic Shop, I hope you will. It’s a story about the quiet power of presence and the magic that happens when science finally catches up to the heart.
Here’s also a short seven-minute video where you can hear directly from him, and maybe take away a piece of his wisdom for yourself. Watch here: https://bigthink.com/perception-box/brain-briefs-somatic-awareness/
