Third, from a historical perspective, a novel form of Buddhism known as “Buddhist modernism” emerged in the nineteenth century as a hybrid of Buddhist and Western discourses. This discourse is of great interest to neuroscientists and psychologists, who are in desperate need of anything that might help alleviate America’s mental health crisis. Second, the Buddhist tradition contains an extensive discourse on the nature of the mind. How did scientists become interested in Buddhist-derived meditation? First, Jon Kabat-Zinn, the creator of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, veiled Buddhist concepts with psychological and biological language and thereby created a standardized, replicable program of meditation, ready for export. And some even integrate concepts from Buddhist psychology and philosophy into their research. They develop clinical meditation programs, such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, to treat psychopathologies. They conduct brain scans of monks meditating in fMRI machines. The scientists-whom New York Times columnist David Brooks has called “the neural Buddhists”-study the effects of meditation. It has also brought “mindfulness” into Western popular culture.
This dialog has produced thousands of scientific papers on the neurological and clinical effects of meditation. Benson’s research stunned many in the West and paved the way for several decades of scientific interest in Buddhist or Buddhist-derived meditation.
Some could even spend a night on a rocky ledge at an elevation of 15,000 feet in the Himalayas, where temperatures fell to zero degrees Fahrenheit, while they wore only woolen or cotton shawls. They could raise the temperature of their fingers and toes by as much as 17 degrees. They could use their body heat to dry wet towels placed around them, where most people would shiver uncontrollably. In meditative states, the monks had remarkable control over their body temperature and oxygen intake. This book presents an unprecedented intersection of psychology, neurology, and contemplative practice, and is filled with practical tools and skills that you can use every day to tap the unused potential of your brain and rewire it over time for greater well-being and peace of mind.Benson’s findings were astounding. Most importantly, you will foster positive psychological growth that will literally change the way you live in your day-to-day life.
Using guided meditations and mindfulness exercises, you'll learn how to activate the brain states of calm, joy, and compassion instead of worry, sorrow, and anger. Buddha's Brain draws on the latest research to show how to stimulate your brain for more fulfilling relationships, a deeper spiritual life, and a greater sense of inner confidence and worth. Science is now revealing how the flow of thoughts actually sculpts the brain, and more and more, we are learning that it's possible to strengthen positive brain states.īy combining breakthroughs in neuroscience with insights from thousands of years of mindfulness practice, you too can use your mind to shape your brain for greater happiness, love, and wisdom. Great teachers like the Buddha, Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, and Gandhi were all born with brains built essentially like anyone else's-and then they changed their brains in ways that changed the world. If you change your brain, you can change your life.