Meditative Story My monkey teacher, by Dr. Laurie Santos
Mar 18, 2025
Laurie Santos, a psychology professor known for her popular Science of Well-Being course and host of The Happiness Lab podcast, shares her captivating experiences from long-term research trips to a monkey island in Puerto Rico. She reveals how observing rhesus monkeys mirrors human social dynamics and desires, drawing parallels between their needs and our own. Laurie's bond with a particular monkey, Chester, illuminates the contrast between a frantic human mind and the calm of presence, guiding listeners to reflect on mindfulness and connection.
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First Visit That Changed A Career
- Laurie Santos first visits Monkey Island as a college student and is mesmerized by the rhesus monkeys and their social life.
- That initial week sparks a long-term fascination that anchors her research and recurring trips to the island.
Monkeys Reveal Human Wants
- Observing rhesus monkeys revealed that many core goals (family, status, food, relationships) mirror human aims.
- Their straightforward behaviors spotlight how our anxious, symbolic thinking complicates similar basic drives.
Lunch With Chester, The Crooked-Headed Monkey
- Laurie shares a quiet lunch on the isthmus with Chester, a low-ranking rhesus monkey she knows well.
- Their shared moment of present, simple companionship becomes a long-lasting lesson about attention and presence.