Zen-Brain Reflections
"A monumental melding of wisdom from Zen and other contemplative traditions with modern neuroscience. This extraordinary synthesis will serve as an important resource for many years to come. A must-read for any serious student of the emerging discipline of contemplative neuroscience."--Richard J. Davidson, William James and Vilas Research Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin--MadisonPlease note: I thought I had circulated this some time ago, but heard from a few people that they never saw it. Apologies for the omission. It did arrive a few days too late to make the book jacket."While the Decade of the Brain has ended cognitive neuroscience continues to flourish. The understanding of how parallel distributed modular networks mediate behavior is gained both by studying patients with brain injury-related disorders and by imaging the normal brain during cognitive activity. This remarkable volume organizes and synthesizes data from both of these paradigms for a variety of cognitive domains and helps the readerto better understand brain-behavior relationships."--Kenneth M. Heilman, James E. Rooks Jr. Distinguished Professor of Neurology, University of Florida College of MedicinePlease note: The first sentence may be omitted for space reasons."Following his monumental masterpieceZen and the Brain, James Austin here presents further reflections on the koan 'How do neural mechanisms create enlightened consciousness?' This superb sequel not only reviews the most recent relevant neuroscience research but also stands alone as a readable survey of mind-brain relationships underlying the spectrum of mental states. Austin's unique expertise as a neurologist and Zen practitioner, as well as an articulate writer, makes him the perfect guide to elucidate the profound interrelationships between consciousness, the brain, and the world."Eberhard E. Fetz, Professor of Physiology & Biophysics, University of Washington"InZen and the Brain,James Austin quoted Einstein's dictum that 'Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.' Neurophysiological studies help us understand the biological bases of behavior, but attempting to understand experience is a heroic pursuit. In this sequel,Zen-Brain Reflections, Austin continues his quest of allowing us to better grasp how Zen practices influence and alter brain functions. His quest is not complete, but in this new book he reviews and synthesizes the substantial progress that has been made in understanding the biological basis of Zen experience, providing the reader with further enlightenment."Kenneth M. Heilman, James E. Rooks Jr. Distinguished Professor of Neurology, University of Florida College of Medicine"In *Zen and the Brain*, James Austin quoted Einstein's dictum that 'Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.' Neurophysiological studies help us understand the biological bases of behavior, but attempting to understand experience is a heroic pursuit. In this sequel, *Zen-Brain Reflections*, Austin continues his quest of allowing us to better grasp how Zen practices influence and alter brain functions. His quest is not complete, but in this new book he reviews and synthesizes the substantial progress that has been made in understanding the biological basis of Zen experience, providing the reader with further enlightenment."--Kenneth M. Heilman, James E. Rooks Jr. Distinguished Professor of Neurology, University of Florida College of Medicine"Following his monumental masterpiece *Zen and the Brain*, James Austin here presents further reflections on the koan 'How do neural mechanisms create enlightened consciousness?' This superb sequel not only reviews the most recent relevant neuroscience research but also stands alone as a readable survey of mind-brain relationships underlying the spectrum of mental states. Austin's unique expertise as a neurologist and Zen practitioner, as well as an articulate writer, makes him the perfect guide to elucidate the profound interrelationships between consciousness, the brain, and the world."--Eberhard E. Fetz, Professor of Physiology & Biophysics, University of Washington