Zen and the brain
Subtitle: toward an understanding of meditation and consciousness
By: James H. Austin.
Publisher: MIT Press
Published: 1998
Place of publication: Cambridge, Mass
Language: eng
Number of pages: 844
Subjects: Meditation -- Zen Buddhism -- Physiological aspects; Meditation -- Zen Buddhism -- Psychology; Consciousness -- Religious aspects -- Zen Buddhism; Zen Buddhism
Description: 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.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [712]-[713] and index.