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Contemplative Science: Where Buddhism and Neuroscience Converge (Columbia Series in Science and Religion) By B. Alan Wallace ( Columbia University Press )
Release Date: 2006-09-29
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Product Description
Science has long treated religion as a set of personal beliefs that have little to do with a rational understanding of the mind and the universe. However, B. Alan Wallace, a respected Buddhist scholar, proposes that the contemplative methodologies of Buddhism and of Western science are capable of being integrated into a single discipline: contemplative science. The science of consciousness introduces first-person methods of investigating the mind through Buddhist contemplative techniques, such as samatha, an organized, detailed system of training the attention. Just as scientists make observations and conduct experiments with the aid of technology, contemplatives have long tested their own theories with the help of highly developed meditative skills of observation and experimentation. Contemplative science allows for a deeper knowledge of mental phenomena, including a wide range of states of consciousness, and its emphasis on strict mental discipline counteracts the effects of conative (intention and desire), attentional, cognitive, and affective imbalances. Just as behaviorism, psychology, and neuroscience have all shed light on the cognitive processes that enable us to survive and flourish, contemplative science offers a groundbreaking perspective for expanding our capacity to realize genuine well-being. It also forges a link between the material world and the realm of the subconscious that transcends the traditional science-based understanding of the self.
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 A very informative read.
B. Alan Wallace is a leading scholar and author on this subject. His way of writing in simple language about complicated concepts makes for very informative and fascinating reading. His insights can bring about a major shift in our perception of the relationship between science and spirituality.
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good place to start
dr wallace is a sophisticated scientist who is very experienced in talking about the details of buddhism. he understands the thousands of years of studying the mind from a buddhist perspectice and how to integrate it with modern science. he has the input of the dalai lama too, having been a translator for him for years. i encourage the serious reader to take a look.
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 Contemplative Science
good shape copy of a good readable book. arrived quickly
would have preferred paperback but was ok.
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 Not quite what it suggests ( mindcurious )
Readers be warned: the subtitle to this book,"Where Buddhism and Neuroscience Converge" is quite misleading--there are only a few very cursory references to anything about neuroscience. Based on the title and introduction, I purchased this assuming it might explain how scientific research on the brain illuminates the practice of meditation and the contemplative tradition (and vice-versa). It does not. For those interested in the connection between meditation and Western neuroscience, you'll find little here to satisfy you.
The book you want is Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain, by Sharon Begley. The unfortunate title suggests little more than standard pop-psych self-help, but Ms. Begley's book provides a solid, readable account of neuroscience research from the last 10-15 years that relates specifically to the potential changes brought about in the brain through the practice of meditation, including recent studies on the brains of highly experienced meditators. I cannot recommend that book highly enough.
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scientifically clear ( larravealex )
the perfect book to understand the link between science and the arts of the mind.
well written and clearly presented
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Addiction
