Zen Brain Reflections

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Zen-Brain Reflections

James H. Austin
Zen Brain Reflections Book PDF

Author : James H. Austin
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 615 pages
File Size : 48,9 Mb
Release : 2010-09-24
Category : Medical
ISBN : 9780262260374

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Zen-Brain Reflections by James H. Austin Pdf

A sequel to the popular Zen and the Brain further explores pivotal points of intersection in Zen Buddhism, neuroscience, and consciousness, arriving at a new synthesis of information from both neuroscience research and Zen studies. This sequel to the widely read Zen and the Brain continues James Austin's explorations into the key interrelationships between Zen Buddhism and brain research. In Zen-Brain Reflections, Austin, a clinical neurologist, researcher, and Zen practitioner, examines the evolving psychological processes and brain changes associated with the path of long-range meditative training. Austin draws not only on the latest neuroscience research and new neuroimaging studies but also on Zen literature and his personal experience with alternate states of consciousness. Zen-Brain Reflections takes up where the earlier book left off. It addresses such questions as: how do placebos and acupuncture change the brain? Can neuroimaging studies localize the sites where our notions of self arise? How can the latest brain imaging methods monitor meditators more effectively? How do long years of meditative training plus brief enlightened states produce pivotal transformations in the physiology of the brain? In many chapters testable hypotheses suggest ways to correlate normal brain functions and meditative training with the phenomena of extraordinary states of consciousness. After briefly introducing the topic of Zen and describing recent research into meditation, Austin reviews the latest studies on the amygdala, frontotemporal interactions, and paralimbic extensions of the limbic system. He then explores different states of consciousness, both the early superficial absorptions and the later, major "peak experiences." This discussion begins with the states called kensho and satori and includes a fresh analysis of their several different expressions of "oneness." He points beyond the still more advanced states toward that rare ongoing stage of enlightenment that is manifest as "sage wisdom." Finally, with reference to a delayed "moonlight" phase of kensho, Austin envisions novel links between migraines and metaphors, moonlight and mysticism. The Zen perspective on the self and consciousness is an ancient one. Readers will discover how relevant Zen is to the neurosciences, and how each field can illuminate the other.

Zen and the Brain

James H. Austin
Zen and the Brain Book PDF

Author : James H. Austin
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 876 pages
File Size : 46,9 Mb
Release : 1999-06-04
Category : Medical
ISBN : 0262260352

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Zen and the Brain by James H. Austin Pdf

A neuroscientist and Zen practitioner interweaves the latest research on the brain with his personal narrative of Zen. Aldous Huxley called humankind's basic trend toward spiritual growth the "perennial philosophy." In the view of James Austin, the trend implies a "perennial psychophysiology"—because awakening, or enlightenment, occurs only when the human brain undergoes substantial changes. What are the peak experiences of enlightenment? How could these states profoundly enhance, and yet simplify, the workings of the brain? Zen and the Brain presents the latest evidence. In this book Zen Buddhism becomes the opening wedge for an extraordinarily wide-ranging exploration of consciousness. In order to understand which brain mechanisms produce Zen states, one needs some understanding of the anatomy, physiology, and chemistry of the brain. Austin, both a neurologist and a Zen practitioner, interweaves the most recent brain research with the personal narrative of his Zen experiences. The science is both inclusive and rigorous; the Zen sections are clear and evocative. Along the way, Austin examines such topics as similar states in other disciplines and religions, sleep and dreams, mental illness, consciousness-altering drugs, and the social consequences of the advanced stage of ongoing enlightenment.

Zen and the Brain: The James H. Austin Omnibus Edition (Meditating Selflessly, Zen-Brain Horizons, and Living Zen Remindfully)

James H. Austin
Zen and the Brain The James H Austin Omnibus Edition Meditating Selflessly Zen Brain Horizons and Living Zen Remindfully Book PDF

Author : James H. Austin
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 905 pages
File Size : 53,7 Mb
Release : 2018-08-02
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780262352482

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Zen and the Brain: The James H. Austin Omnibus Edition (Meditating Selflessly, Zen-Brain Horizons, and Living Zen Remindfully) by James H. Austin Pdf

Three books on Zen and the brain by the celebrated Zen practitioner-neurologist James Austin. This compilation in digital form of three books by the celebrated Zen practitioner-neurologist James Austin offers concrete advice about various methods of meditation, provides timeless wisdom of Zen masters, integrates classical Buddhist literature with modern brain research, and explores mindfulness (and remindfulness) training. In these books, Austin clarifies the benefits of meditative training, guiding readers toward that open awareness awaiting them on the cushion and in the natural world. He discusses different types of meditation, meditation and problem-solving, and the meaning of enlightenment; addresses egocentrism (self-centeredness) and allocentrism (other-centeredness) and the blending of focal and global attention; and considers the illuminating confluence of Zen, clinical neurology, and neuroscience. He describes an everyday life of “living Zen” while drawing on the poetry of Basho, the seventeenth-century haiku master, and illuminates the world of authentic Zen training—the commitment to a process of regular, ongoing daily life practice that trains and enables us to unlearn unfruitful habits, develop more wholesome ones, and lead a more genuinely creative life.

Zen-Brain Horizons

James H. Austin
Zen Brain Horizons Book PDF

Author : James H. Austin
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 301 pages
File Size : 51,5 Mb
Release : 2014-08-22
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780262321167

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Zen-Brain Horizons by James H. Austin Pdf

A neurologist and Zen practitioner clarifies the benefits of meditative training, drawing on classical Buddhist literature and modern brain research. In Zen-Brain Horizons, James Austin draws on his decades of experience as a neurologist and Zen practitioner to clarify the benefits of meditative training. Austin integrates classical Buddhist literature with modern brain research, exploring the horizons of a living, neural Zen. When viewed in the light of today, the timeless wisdom of some Zen masters seems almost to have anticipated recent research in the neurosciences. The keen attentiveness and awareness that we cultivate during meditative practices becomes the leading edge of our subsequent mental processing. Austin explains how our covert, involuntary functions can make crucial contributions to the subtle ways we learn, intuit, and engage in creative activities. He demonstrates why living Zen means much more than sitting quietly indoors on a cushion, and provides simplified advice that helps guide readers to the most important points.

Living Zen Remindfully

James H. Austin
Living Zen Remindfully Book PDF

Author : James H. Austin
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 326 pages
File Size : 47,5 Mb
Release : 2016-11-04
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780262035088

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Living Zen Remindfully by James H. Austin Pdf

In Conclusion -- 2 In Zen, What Does It Mean "To BeEnlightened"? -- 3 Developing Traits of Character on the Way to Altruism -- Cultural Estimates of Character, East and West -- What Can Zen Buddhism Offer Today? -- Native Capacities -- Altruism -- Recent Interviews with Contemporary Buddhist Teachers in the West -- Part II Implications of a Self-Other Continuum -- 4 The Self: A Primer -- The Semantics of Self -- Where Is the Self? -- Recent Studies of Our Normal Autobiographical Self: A Progress Report

Meditating Selflessly

James H. Austin
Meditating Selflessly Book PDF

Author : James H. Austin
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 279 pages
File Size : 54,5 Mb
Release : 2013-09-20
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN : 9780262525190

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Meditating Selflessly by James H. Austin Pdf

A guide to Zen meditative practice informed by the latest findings in brain research. This is not the usual kind of self-help book. Indeed, its major premise heeds a Zen master's advice to be less self-centered. Yes, it is "one more book of words about Zen," as the author concedes, yet this book explains meditative practices from the perspective of a "neural Zen." The latest findings in brain research inform its suggestions. In Meditating Selflessly, James Austin—Zen practitioner, neurologist, and author of three acclaimed books on Zen and neuroscience—guides readers toward that open awareness already awaiting them on the cushion and in the natural world. Austin offers concrete advice—often in a simplified question-and-answer format—about different ways to meditate. He clarifies both the concentrative and receptive styles of meditation. Drawing widely from the exciting new field of contemplative neuroscience, Austin helps resolve an ancient paradox: why both insight wisdom and selflessness arise simultaneously during enlightened states of consciousness.

Selfless Insight

James H. Austin
Selfless Insight Book PDF

Author : James H. Austin
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 371 pages
File Size : 51,8 Mb
Release : 2011-09-30
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780262260367

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Selfless Insight by James H. Austin Pdf

Attention, self-consciousness, insight, wisdom, emotional maturity: how Zen teachings can illuminate the way our brains function and vice-versa. When neurology researcher James Austin began Zen training, he found that his medical education was inadequate. During the past three decades, he has been at the cutting edge of both Zen and neuroscience, constantly discovering new examples of how these two large fields each illuminate the other. Now, in Selfless Insight, Austin arrives at a fresh synthesis, one that invokes the latest brain research to explain the basis for meditative states and clarifies what Zen awakening implies for our understanding of consciousness. Austin, author of the widely read Zen and the Brain, reminds us why Zen meditation is not only mindfully attentive but evolves to become increasingly selfless and intuitive. Meditators are gradually learning how to replace over-emotionality with calm, clear objective comprehension. In this new book, Austin discusses how meditation trains our attention, reprogramming it toward subtle forms of awareness that are more openly mindful. He explains how our maladaptive notions of self are rooted in interactive brain functions. And he describes how, after the extraordinary, deep states of kensho-satori strike off the roots of the self, a flash of transforming insight-wisdom leads toward ways of living more harmoniously and selflessly. Selfless Insight is the capstone to Austin's journey both as a creative neuroscientist and as a Zen practitioner. His quest has spanned an era of unprecedented progress in brain research and has helped define the exciting new field of contemplative neuroscience.

The Zen Brain

Raven Walker
The Zen Brain Book PDF

Author : Raven Walker
Publisher : iUniverse
Page : 130 pages
File Size : 43,5 Mb
Release : 2000
Category : Medical
ISBN : 9780595090853

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The Zen Brain by Raven Walker Pdf

The greatest marvel of the universe is the human brain, but it comes without an instruction manual. The Zen Brain tells the compelling story of the human brain, from its astonishing appearance in evolution to its perplexing present form, with all its extraordinary abilities as well as its sorry penchant for aberration. If left uncultivated, the human mind grows like a weed garden. But when disciplined in the natural way, the human mind is the finest prize of nature. Such a mind also tends to be more effective, resilient, and happy. Part I, Foundations, begins with the origins of life that have moved relentlessly in one biological direction, a better brain. But the human brain appeared with abilities that far outstripped the environments that spawned it. It mediates between stimulus and response in a new way. It thinks. Oddly, we can all drive cars, yet there were no cars present when we emerged. Just as oddly, we can go insane without any apparent organic reason. Part II, Applications identifies and explains in depth the conditioning methods of self-betterment. With cultivation, the human brain becomes the natural mind that performs better, feels better, and simply works better in adapting us to the many strange, new environments we have created for ourselves. The potential for a finer mental life, a finer quality in experience, exists in all humans. But without discipline, you have to live in the weed garden all your life.

Developments in Meditation and State of Consciousness

James H. Austin
Developments in Meditation and State of Consciousness Book PDF

Author : James H. Austin
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 47,8 Mb
Release : 2009-03
Category : Consciousness
ISBN : 8120833481

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Developments in Meditation and State of Consciousness by James H. Austin Pdf

This sequel to the widely read Zen and the Brain continues James Austin’s explorations into the key inter-relationships between Zen Buddhism and brain research. In Zen-brain reflections, Austin, a clinical neurologist, researcher, and Zen practi-tioner, examines the evolving psycho-logical processes and brain changes associated with the path of long-range meditative training. Austin draws not only one the latest neuroscience research and new neuroimaging studies but also on Zen literature and his personal experience with alternate states of consciousness. Zen-Brain Reflections takes up where the earlier book left off. It addresses such questions as: how do placebos and acupuncture change the brain? Can neuroimaging studies localize the site where our notions of self arise? How can the latest brain imaging methods monitor meditators more effectively? How do long years of meditative training plus brief enlightened states produce pivotal transformations in the physiology of the brain? In many chapters testable hypotheses suggest ways to correlate normal brain functions and meditative training with the phenomena of extraordinary states of consciousness. After briefly introducing the topic of Zen and describing recent research into meditation, Austin reviews the latest studies on the amygdale, frontotemporal interactions, and paralimbic extensions of the limbic system. He then explores different state of consciousness, both the early superficial absorptions and the later, major “peak experiences†. This discussion begins with the states called kensho and satori and includes a fresh analysis of their several different expressions of “oneness†He points beyond the still more advanced states toward that rare ongoing stage of enlightenment that is manifest as “sage wisdom†. Finally, with reference to a delayed “moonlight†phase of kensho, Austin envisions novel links between migraines and metaphors, moonlight and mysticism. The Zen perspective on the self and consciousness is an ancient one. Readers will discover how relevant Zen is to the neurosciences. And how each field can illuminate the other.

On the Varieties of Attention, digital original edition

James H. Austin
On the Varieties of Attention digital original edition Book PDF

Author : James H. Austin
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 86 pages
File Size : 53,8 Mb
Release : 2014-01-10
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780262318846

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On the Varieties of Attention, digital original edition by James H. Austin Pdf

During the past three decades, neurology researcher James Austin (author of Zen and the Brain) has been at the cutting edge of both Zen and neuroscience, constantly discovering new examples of how these two large fields each illuminate the other. In this BIT, Austin discusses how meditation trains our attention, reprogramming it toward subtle forms of awareness that are more openly mindful. He reveals many subtleties in our networks of attention. They enable us to direct attention voluntarily—from the top down—or reflexively—from the bottom up—and to focus it either internally or externally.

That Is Not Your Mind!

Robert Rosenbaum
That Is Not Your Mind Book PDF

Author : Robert Rosenbaum
Publisher : Shambhala Publications
Page : 317 pages
File Size : 53,7 Mb
Release : 2022-08-09
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781645470793

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That Is Not Your Mind! by Robert Rosenbaum Pdf

Viewed through the lens of psychology and neuroscience, a classic Zen sutra becomes a springboard for exploring sensory experiences and realizing freedom. What does it mean to be liberated through one’s sensory life? In That Is Not Your Mind! Zen teacher Robert Rosenbaum explores this question by taking readers on a step-by-step journey through the Surangama Sutra. This Chinese Mahayana sutra is known for its emphasis on practicing with the senses (sight, sound, taste, smell, touch, and the Buddhist “sixth sense” of mind or cognition), as well as its teachings on the necessity of basic ethical commitments, like not killing or stealing, to support the development of one’s meditation practice and insight. Rosenbaum interweaves passages from the sutra with contemporary insights from neuroscience and psychology, illustrating the usefulness of the text with anecdotes from his life and his forty years of teaching experience. In addition to learning about a sutra that played an important role in the creation of Chinese Chan and Japanese Zen Buddhism, readers are guided through meditations and other practices derived from the sutra’s teachings, such as hearing meditations (awareness of sound, awareness of silence, turning hearing inwards) and centering meditations (basic centering as well as centering on compassion). "One of the most difficult aspects of Buddhist practice is wrapping our minds around how every moment is both a deceptive seeming and also a true gateway to awakening," writes Rosenbaum. "Nothing is hidden, but there is an infinite field we cannot see."

Contemplative Practices in Action

Thomas G. Plante Ph.D.
Contemplative Practices in Action Book PDF

Author : Thomas G. Plante Ph.D.
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Page : 273 pages
File Size : 53,8 Mb
Release : 2010-07-15
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN : 9780313382574

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Contemplative Practices in Action by Thomas G. Plante Ph.D. Pdf

This groundbreaking primer illuminates contemplative methods that can improve mental and physical health. Contemplative practices, from meditation to Zen, are growing in popularity as methods to inspire physical and mental health. Contemplative Practices in Action: Spirituality, Meditation, and Health offers readers an introduction to these practices and the ways they can be used in the service of well being, wisdom, healing, and stress reduction. Bringing together various traditions from the East and West, this thought-provoking work summarizes the history of each practice, highlights classic and emerging research proving its power, and details how each practice is performed. Expert authors offer step-by-step approaches to practice methods including the 8-Point Program of Passage Meditation, Centering Prayer, mindful stress management, mantram meditation, energizing meditation, yoga, and Zen. Beneficial practices from Christian, Buddhist, Jewish, Hindu, and Islamic religions are also featured. Vignettes illustrate each of the practices, while the contributors explain how and why they are effective in facing challenges as varied as the loss of a partner or child, job loss, chronic pain or disease, or psychological disorders.

The Nature and Rationale of Zen/Chan and Enlightenment

Ming Dong Gu
The Nature and Rationale of Zen Chan and Enlightenment Book PDF

Author : Ming Dong Gu
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
Page : 297 pages
File Size : 54,5 Mb
Release : 2023-07-14
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781000916355

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The Nature and Rationale of Zen/Chan and Enlightenment by Ming Dong Gu Pdf

This book initiates a paradigm shift away from Zen/Chan as quintessentially Buddhist and examines what makes Chan thought and practice unique and original through an interdisciplinary investigation of the nature and rationale of Chan and its enlightenment. Exploring how enlightenment is achieved through Chan practice and how this differs from other forms of Buddhism, the book offers an entirely new view of Chan that embraces historical scholarship, philosophical inquiry, textual analysis, psychological studies, Chan practice, and neuroscientific research and locates the core of Chan in its founder Huineng’s theory of no thinking which creatively integrates the Taoist ideas of zuowang (forgetting in seated meditation) and xinzhai (fast of heart-mind) with his personal experiences of enlightenment. It concludes that Chan is the crystallization of an innovative synthesis of Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism as well as other resources of somatic and spiritual cultivation, and that enlightenment is a momentary return to the mental state of a baby before birth. This book will appeal to students and scholars of religion, philosophy, and neuroscience. It will also offer new insights to thinkers, writers, artists, therapists and neuroscientists as well as those practicing Zen, Mindfulness, and psychotherapy.

The Five Invitations

Frank Ostaseski
The Five Invitations Book PDF

Author : Frank Ostaseski
Publisher : Flatiron Books
Page : 288 pages
File Size : 45,8 Mb
Release : 2017-03-14
Category : Family & Relationships
ISBN : 9781250074669

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The Five Invitations by Frank Ostaseski Pdf

Death is not waiting for us at the end of a long road. Death is always with us, in the marrow of every passing moment. She is the secret teacher hiding in plain sight, helping us to discover what matters most. Life and death are a package deal. They cannot be pulled apart and we cannot truly live unless we are aware of death. The Five Invitations is an exhilarating meditation on the meaning of life and how maintaining an ever-present consciousness of death can bring us closer to our truest selves. As a renowned teacher of compassionate caregiving and the cofounder of the Zen Hospice Project, Frank Ostaseski has sat on the precipice of death with more than a thousand people. In The Five Invitations, he distills the lessons gleaned over the course of his career, offering an evocative and stirring guide that points to a radical path to transformation. The Five Invitations: -Don’t Wait -Welcome Everything, Push Away Nothing -Bring Your Whole Self to the Experience -Find a Place of Rest in the Middle of Things -Cultivate Don’t Know Mind These Five Invitations show us how to wake up fully to our lives. They can be understood as best practices for anyone coping with loss or navigating any sort of transition or crisis; they guide us toward appreciating life’s preciousness. Awareness of death can be a valuable companion on the road to living well, forging a rich and meaningful life, and letting go of regret. The Five Invitations is a powerful and inspiring exploration of the essential wisdom dying has to impart to all of us.

Zen and the Kingdom of Heaven

Tom Chetwynd
Zen and the Kingdom of Heaven Book PDF

Author : Tom Chetwynd
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
Page : 170 pages
File Size : 50,8 Mb
Release : 2001-03
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN : 9780861711871

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Zen and the Kingdom of Heaven by Tom Chetwynd Pdf

Using the teachings of Christ and the writings and stories of Christian spiritual masters, Chetwynd delves into the history of the tradition of meditation within Christianity. "Zen & the Kingdom of Heaven" offers provocative insights into the role of meditation in the East and the West.