Zen and the Brain : Toward an Understanding of Meditation and Consciousness

by James H. Austin

• ISBN13: 9780262511094
• ISBN10: 0262511096
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-07-02
• Publisher: Mit Pr

Summary

Winner of the Scientific and Medical Network 1998 Book Prize Aldous Huxley called humankind's basic trend toward spiritual growth the "perennial philosophy." According to James Austin, the trend implies a "perennial psychophysiology"-for awakening, or enlightenment, occurs only because the human brain undergoes substantial changes. What are the peak experiences of enlightenment? How could they profoundly enhance, and yet simplify, the workings of the brain? Zen and the Brainsummarizes the latest evidence. The book uses Zen Buddhism as the opening wedge for an extraordinarily wide-ranging exploration of consciousness. In order to understand the brain mechanisms that produce Zen states, one needs some understanding of the anatomy, physiology, and chemistry of the brain. Austin, a neuroscientist and Zen practitioner, interweaves his teachings of the brain with his teachings/personal narrative of Zen. The science, which contains the latest relevant developments in brain research, is both inclusive and rigorous; the Zen sections are clear and evocative. Along the way, Austin covers such topics as similar states in other disciplines and religions, sleep and dreams, mental illness, consciousness-altering drugs, and the social consequences of advanced stages of enlightenment.

Author Biography

James H. Austin, M.D., is Professor Emeritus of Neurology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and the author or coauthor of more than 130 publications in the fields of neurochemistry, neuropharmacology, and clinical neurology.

Table of Contents

Contents in Detail	xi
Chapters Containing Testable Hypotheses	xvi
List of Figures	xvii
List of Tables	xviii
Preface	xix
Acknowledgments	xxi
By Way of Introduction	xxiii
Starting to Point toward Zen	1	(54)
Meditating	55	(92)
Neurologizing	147	(144)
Exploring States of Consciousness	291	(80)
Quickening	371	(96)
Turning In: The Absorptions	467	(52)
Turning Out: The Awakenings	519	(106)
Being and Beyond: To the Stage of Ongoing Enlightenment	625	(79)
In Closing	695	(3)
Appendixes
A Introduction to The Heart Sutra	698	(2)
B Selections from Affirmation of Faith in Mind	700	(2)
C Suggested Further Reading	702	(2)
Glossary	704	(8)
References and Notes	712	(113)
Source Notes	825	(2)
Index	827