Consciousness at the Crossroads: Conversations with the Dalai Lama on Brain Science and BuddhismOrganized by the Mind and Life Institute, this discussion addresses some of the most troublesome questions that have driven a wedge between Western science and religion. Consciousness at the Crossroads resulted from meetings of the Dalai Lama and a group of eminent neuroscientists and psychiatrists. Is the mind an ephemeral side effect of the brain's physical processes? Are there forms of consciousness so subtle that science has not yet identified them? How does consciousness happen? The Dalai Lama's incisive, open-minded approach both challenges and offers inspiration to Western scientists. The book consists primarily of dialogue and intense, frank conversations between the Dalai Lama and participants. |
Contents
Introduction | 7 |
Toward a Natural Science of the Mind | 17 |
A Buddhist Response | 33 |
Copyright | |
11 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
ability activity affection Alan Wallace ALLAN HOBSON animals ANTONIO DAMASIO arise awareness become behavior body brain stem brain structures Buddhist causal cells cognitive color compassion conceptual conference cortex DALAI LAMA damage dependence depression Descartes Dharamsala dialogue dualism evidence example exist experience eye movements face feel Francisco Varela function genetic Holiness human important individual Jinpa kind LARRY SQUIRE lesion LEWIS JUDD lucid dreaming Madhyamaka view means meditation memory mental disorders mental events mental illness mental phenomena mind muscles nature ness neurons neuroscience neuroscientists nondreaming sleep nonphysical objects occur one's organized particular patient PATRICIA CHURCHLAND perception person philosophical question reality recognize recollect relation REM sleep representation response ROBERT LIVINGSTON schizophrenia scientific scientists sciousness sensory sentient soul specific substantial causes subtle consciousness suffering theory things Tibetan Buddhism tion understanding Varela visual field waking Western science