Zen and the Brain: Toward an Understanding of Meditation and Consciousness
by James H. Austin
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Book Summary Information
Author: James H. AustinEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1999-07-02
ISBN: 0262511096
Number of pages: 872
Publisher: The MIT Press
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Book Reviews of Zen and the Brain: Toward an Understanding of Meditation and Consciousness
Book Review: Information overload
Summary: 2 Stars
The author, a neurologist and a Zen practitioner, addresses complex topics in this book and has made a huge literary effort (844 pages). He describes many aspects of Zen philosophy and Buddhism, meditation practice and enlightenment, brain physiology and neurology, and hypotheses about alternate states of consciousness either meditation-, drug- or mental illness-induced. He also includes personal experiences of meditation practice related to his relationship with Zen masters in Japan. To my understanding, the text is presented as an overflow of ideas, concepts, theories, models and thoughts that, not easy to understand by themselves, become additionally difficult to follow when put together and discussed and rediscussed again and again over hundreds of pages. There is such an excess of information that even after reading the book I wonder what exactly is the purpose of the book.
The scientific contribution of the book is certainly valuable. There are exhaustive descriptions of brain structure and physiology, neurotransmission processes, as well as of neurological changes associated with the different states of awareness with special interest given to those related to meditation practice. I particularly liked the comparison of enlightenment reached through meditation with the mental effects induced by psychotropic drugs, especially LSD. However, from this point on, the author tries to link neurological concepts with Zen elements in so many ways that the train of thought seems to jump back and forth over and over, and one progressively gets lost in a sea of confusion. Moreover, I think that some of the philosophical discussions presented go way beyond the limit of "understanding of meditation and consciousness" as the subtitle of the book claims. Hence, at times the biomedical explanations are directed towards the purely religious side of Zen and Buddhism, that is, its supposed truths, ethically correct behaviors and morality. This gives me the impression that the book is intended to be Zen proselytism as opposed to a positive contribution to bridge the gap between science and human mind. It is clear that this book deals with Zen, as the title states. However, Zen philosophy also contains a strong charge of eastern culture, and as the author is a westerner and a scientist, I expected a more neutral discussion of the nature of enlightenment since similar experiences may also be found outside Buddhism. It is well known that Christian mystics such as Saint John of the Cross, Saint Teresa of Avila and Meister Eckhart reached alternate states of consciousness equivalent to Zen enlightenment. However, these states were interpreted according to their Christian faith, in a God-communion oriented manner. This is very different to what is practiced by eastern cultures. The author, as a Zen practitioner, channels his arguments in favor of the Zen perspective. I do not mean that this is incorrect or unfair. I feel that a broader discussion would be more appropriate taking into account that the author has already opened the door to the presence of religion. This is in contrast to the tendency of the author to touch on all possible implications of his postulates. For example, there are some philosophical and rather pseudoscientific discussions about time, space and eternity that, in my opinion, are out of place. I think that these topics would be more appropriate in a debate on quantum physics, for which the author does not appear to be qualified.
As a final remark, I think that this is a complex work with an excess of information to be presented in a single book. Although it seems to be intended to popularize Zen, it does not appear to be appropriate for anyone just wanting to become familiar with Zen or even for a trained meditation practitioner. Maybe the book could be useful for a scientist aiming to learn about brain function and consciousness, but as I have described above, the lack of clarity and a certain religious bias are major handicaps. In summary, I feel that if the objective of the author was to generate a heavy, dense compilation of knowledge and erudition, then he probably succeeded. If his objective was, however, to write an instructive and didactic book for a popular audience, then I think he missed the point.
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Summary of Zen and the Brain: Toward an Understanding of Meditation and Consciousness
Winner of the Scientific and Medical Network 1998 Book PrizeAldous Huxley called humankind's basic trend toward spiritual growth the "perennial philosophy." According to James Austin, the trend implies a "perennial psychophysiology"--for awakening, or enlightenment, occurs only because the human brain undergoes substantial changes. What are the peak experiences of enlightenment? How could they profoundly enhance, and yet simplify, the workings of the brain? Zen and the Brain summarizes the latest evidence.
The book uses Zen Buddhism as the opening wedge for an extraordinarily wide-ranging exploration of consciousness. In order to understand the brain mechanisms that produce Zen states, one needs some understanding of the anatomy, physiology, and chemistry of the brain. Austin, a neuroscientist and Zen practitioner, interweaves his teachings of the brain with his teachings/personal narrative of Zen. The science, which contains the latest relevant developments in brain research, is both inclusive and rigorous; the Zen sections are clear and evocative. Along the way, Austin covers such topics as similar states in other disciplines and religions, sleep and dreams, mental illness, consciousness-altering drugs, and the social consequences of advanced stages of enlightenment.
Take a trip through the topography of the brain, and you're likely to get lost somewhere around the medulla oblongata. Zen can lose you before you've even pretzeled your legs into the lotus position. But a unique neurologist-Zen Buddhist has written a tome that is a map to all the mysteries of meditation and mind. Take breathing out, for example. We spend just over half of our breathing time exhaling. For meditating monks, it's a full three-quarters. EEGs show us that the act of exhaling helps physically quiet the brain. Many other causal connections can be found between Zen practices and the physiology of the brain, and James H. Austin lays them out one by one, drawing from his own Zen experiences and the latest in neurological research. So if you've ever wondered what the corpus callosum has to do with consciousness or how the limbic system contributes to enlightenment, Austin will get your brain racing and put your mind at ease. --Brian Bruya
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