As the founder and director of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, or CCARE, Dr. James Doty studies the neurological foundations of compassion, manifestation and empathy.
A renowned neurosurgeon and neuroscientist, he uses his own childhood experience to fuel his work.
Growing up the child of an alcoholic father and a mother battling mental health issues, Doty often felt neglected.
He felt his life was in a downward spiral when he walked into a magic shop one day where he met a woman named Ruth who would change his life forever by teaching him the practices of mindfulness and manifestation.
“She treated me like an equal, not like a child,” he said. “She taught me a mindfulness practice…When you’re relaxed, you’re open, you’re calm, your brain is functioning at its best and when I changed how I looked at the world, the world changed how it looked at me.”
On the latest episode of “LA Stories” with Giselle Fernandez, Doty shares how, through the practices he learned from Ruth, he became a neurosurgeon and a successful investor in medical innovations, leading to a life of wealth and luxury.
When the dotcom crash caused him to lose millions, he reexamined his life and realized he needed to reset his mind and life to come from a place of service to others, rather than thinking of himself.
He gave the rest of his money away in donations and set out on a new path of discovery.
“There is a narrative that success means money, power, position, and it’s a false narrative,” he said. “The reality is it will not make you happy at the end of the day… The best way to manifest is being in the right mental state: this idea that being of service, being connected to others.”
Doty established CCARE with the backing of the Dalai Lama.
He’s also authored two books on the science of manifestation, “Into the Magic Shop” and his latest book, “Mind Magic,” where he offers the tools needed to manifest our dreams.
Today, he continues to teach the science and soul of living mindfully, emphasizing the importance of compassion and empathy in both medicine and everyday existence, hoping to help others to lead a more valuable, fulfilling life.
“There’s no magic in the universe that’s going to come and save you. You have the power to do it yourself, you just have to believe it,” he said. “Once you understand that, you’d be amazed at what’s possible.”