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Inside the brain of a Buddhist Monk.
DaltheJigsaw
Mountain View Veteran
Since 2008, Dr Zoran Josipovic, a research scientist and adjunct professor at New York University, has been placing the minds and bodies of prominent Buddhist figures into a five-tonne (5,000kg) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) machine. He says he has been peering into the brains of monks while they meditate in an attempt to understand how their brains reorganise themselves during the exercise.
“Meditation research, particularly in the last 10 years or so, has shown to be very promising because it points to an ability of the brain to change and optimise in a way we didn’t know previously was possible.”
Dr Josipovic’s research is part of a larger effort better to understand what scientists have dubbed the default network in the brain. He says the brain appears to be organised into two networks: the extrinsic network and the intrinsic, or default, network.
The extrinsic portion of the brain becomes active when individuals are focused on external tasks, like playing sports or pouring a cup of coffee. The default network churns when people reflect on matters that involve themselves and their emotions. But the networks are rarely fully active at the same time. And like a seesaw, when one rises, the other one dips down. This neural set-up allows individuals to concentrate more easily on one task at any given time, without being consumed by distractions like daydreaming.
“What we’re trying to do is basically track the changes in the networks in the brain as the person shifts between these modes of attention,” Dr Josipovic says.
Dr Josipovic has found that some Buddhist monks and other experienced meditators have the ability to keep both neural networks active at the same time during meditation – that is to say, they have found a way to lift both sides of the seesaw simultaneously. And Dr Josipovic believes this ability to churn both the internal and external networks in the brain concurrently may lead the monks to experience a harmonious feeling of oneness with their environment.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12661646
“Meditation research, particularly in the last 10 years or so, has shown to be very promising because it points to an ability of the brain to change and optimise in a way we didn’t know previously was possible.”
Dr Josipovic’s research is part of a larger effort better to understand what scientists have dubbed the default network in the brain. He says the brain appears to be organised into two networks: the extrinsic network and the intrinsic, or default, network.
The extrinsic portion of the brain becomes active when individuals are focused on external tasks, like playing sports or pouring a cup of coffee. The default network churns when people reflect on matters that involve themselves and their emotions. But the networks are rarely fully active at the same time. And like a seesaw, when one rises, the other one dips down. This neural set-up allows individuals to concentrate more easily on one task at any given time, without being consumed by distractions like daydreaming.
“What we’re trying to do is basically track the changes in the networks in the brain as the person shifts between these modes of attention,” Dr Josipovic says.
Dr Josipovic has found that some Buddhist monks and other experienced meditators have the ability to keep both neural networks active at the same time during meditation – that is to say, they have found a way to lift both sides of the seesaw simultaneously. And Dr Josipovic believes this ability to churn both the internal and external networks in the brain concurrently may lead the monks to experience a harmonious feeling of oneness with their environment.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12661646
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Comments
Basically, they all pretty much more or less come up with the same conclusion:
Meditation is good for you in more ways that you could imagine.
What these scientists seem to occasionally miss, (although a research article exists pointing this fact out) is that there's a huge difference between 'brain' and 'mind'.
(And even 'mind' and 'Mind'.....);)
I think Jesus said it's "the holder of the thoughts"
And when we die, some subtle element of mind goes onto our next life.
From an analytical point of view, it is also said that the brain comprises of fire, water, earth, and air; or that's their characteristics (warmth, fluid, solid, gases), and from these things you cannot get consciousness, from these, because according to Buddhist philosophy, an effect must be similar to it's cause; i.e. you plant an apple seed and eventually you'll get an apple tree; not an orange tree.
So, out of form, liquid, warmth and gases you can't get consciousness; therefore consciousness must be separate from the brain.
I'm not sure if the above is exactly text book, but I think it's pretty close.
Where did you read about software and hardware part?
I know I read the same thing, but it was from a David Icke book. Ehh, not sure how much I agree or disagree with it. Thank you!
To understand how Buddhists understand conventional truth and ultimate truth, it could be helpful to study the Two Truths doctrine.
So yes, the mind is a concept - but so is the brain.
A decent book on the subject, which I've worked my way through for my course is:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Buddhist-Psychology-Foundation-Thought/dp/0861712722/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1324929878&sr=8-3
It amazes me how I've carefully worked my way through this book, yet can recall so little about it; my mind isn't great is it?
So, with the concept of Two Truths doctrine. Is that a Buddhist concept?
In Buddhism mind is not the same as consciousness.
With metta.
But from a Buddhist point of view, things exist conventionally and ultimately. Conventionally a car is a car, but Ultimately it's empty of inherent existence. Both statements are true.
It's a big subject, and one that seems to be be taught from the point of view of four different Buddhist schools, building from a simplistic view to the highest view; Madyamika Prasangika.
If not, what's the difference?
Consciousness is just one of minds operations, thats why consciousness is not the same as mind, yet consciouness is not outside of mind.
Consciousness cognices. "And what does it cognize? It cognizes 'pleasant.' It cognizes 'painful.' It cognizes 'neither painful nor pleasant.' 'It cognizes, it cognizes': Thus it is said to be 'consciousness.'"
Mind has also perception (naming), memory and "mind states".
With metta.
http://www.bigissueground.com/philosophy/ash-mindandbrain.shtml
For what they're worth.....
http://viewonbuddhism.org/mind.html
There are six main minds (which correspond to our senses) and a traditional list of 51 mental factors.
In the first paragraph of the link, in the introduction, this is what it says; and here consciousness is used as a general term for 'Mind'. I seem to remember my Tibetan teacher saying something along the lines of that in Tibet they have a word for the Mind, which is different for the Main Minds, so it's less confusing that way. If you scroll down the page you will see the 51 mental factors and none of them are consciousness.