Beyond the Self: Conversations between Buddhism and Neuroscience (The MIT Press)

Synopsis

Buddhism Shares With Science The Task Of Examining The Mind Empirically; It Has Pursued, For Two Millennia, Direct Investigation Of The Mind Through Penetrating Introspection. Neuroscience, On The Other Hand, Relies On Third-person Knowledge In The Form Of Scientific Observation. In This Book, Matthieu Ricard, A Buddhist Monk Trained As A Molecular Biologist, And Wolf Singer, A Distinguished Neuroscientist—close Friends, Continuing An Ongoing Dialogue—offer Their Perspectives On The Mind, The Self, Consciousness, The Unconscious, Free Will, Epistemology, Meditation, And Neuroplasticity. Meditation And The Brain. A Science Of Mind ; Awareness Adn Mental Constructs ; Working With Emotions ; Gradual And Lasting Changes ; Outer And Inner Enrichment ; Processing Of Neuronal Changes ; Emotional Nuances ; Effortless Skills ; Relating To The World ; How Young Can One Start To Meditate? ; Mental Distortions ; Attention And Cognitive Control ; Attentional Blink ; Attention, Rumination, And Open Presence ; Mindfulness And Distraction ; Consolidating Learning Through Sleep ; Compassion And Action ; Compassion, Meditation, And Brain Coherence ; Altruism And Well-being ; Magic Moments ; Could Feedback Replace Mind Training? ; Are There Limits To Mind Training? ; Meditation And Action -- Dealing With Subconscious Processes And Emotions. On The Nature Of The Unconscious ; Side Effects Of Meditation ; Love Versus Attachment ; On The Joy Of Inner Peace ; Watching The Mind, Training The Mind --^ How Do We Know What We Know? What Reality Do We Perceive? ; How Do We Acquire Knowledge? ; Can There Be Valid Cognition Of Some Aspects Of Knowledge? ; Is Cognitive Delusion Inescapable? ; Each Person To His Or Her Own Reality ; Is There An Objective Reality Out There? ; Causality As A Correlate Of Interdependence ; Constructing And Deconstructing Reality ; Refining The Tools Of Introspection ; First-, Second-, And Third-person Experience ; A Physician And A Cure ; The Ethics Of Practice And Science ; Three Aspects Of Buddhist Philosophy ; A Summary -- Investigating The Self. Investigating The Self ; The Self Exists In A Conventional Way ; The Self And Freedom ; Weak Self, Strong Mind ; Ego And Egolessness ; The Scourge Of Rumination ; Who's In Charge Here? --^ Free Will, Responsibility, And Justice. The Process Of Decicion Making ; The Responsibility To Change ; Free Will And The Range Of Choices ; Attenuating Circumstances ; Looking With The Eyes Of A Doctor ; True Rehabilitation ; Horrendous Deviations ; Breaking The Cycle Of Hate ; Is There A Self That Bears The Responsibility? ; Can One Prove Free Will? ; Architects Of The Future -- The Nature Of Consciousness. Something Rather Than Nothing ; Cultivating States Of Subtle Consciousness Or Pure Awareness ; On Various Levels Of Consciousness ; Puzzling Experiences ; Remembering Past Lives? ; What Can Be Learned From Near-death Exneriences? ; Could Consciousness Be Made Of Something Other Than Matter? -- A Concluding Note Of Gratitude. Matthieu Ricard And Wolf Singer. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.