Zen and the Brain
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- Опубликовано: 13 окт 2011
- Google Tech Talk (more below)
November 8, 2010
Zen and the Brain
Presented by Dr James Austin
ABSTRACT
What has been learned about the brain that helps understand how selfless insight-wisdom can develop on the long-term meditative path? Recent brain-imaging research clarifies the relationships between two key issues: 1) How we use both top-down and bottom-up modes of attentive processing; and 2) How we constructed an egocentric Self so strong that it so often generates suffering.
Speaker Info: James H. Austin
James H. Austin is Emeritus Professor of Neurology, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Austin is the author of his well known book Zen and the Brain, which aims to establish links between the neurological workings of the human brain and meditation. Austin has written two sequels to it: Zen-Brain Reflections (February, 2006), and Selfless Insight (2009). He was student of the late Rinzai roshi Kobori Nanrei Sohaku. 
Наука
A wonderful exemplar of the unification of neuroscience and the ancient Zen philosophy. The content was enthralling and the delivery allowed time for understanding.
You can concentrate, practice,
Zen is void, be like the cup seeking to be empty of itself, then you will know Zen.
Peace my friend.
Best work of it's type I have ever seen. Knew of his book, but never read. Worth watching every couple of weeks. It starts off slow, but be patient.
Not surprised by the comments here, considering our perpetually distracted society. This whole presentation, including the people in the audience, the noises, etc., is a lesson in zen. Pay attention.
i had to stop listening halfway through because of the noises I had a hard time being able to 'get into it'
Smug, moronic comment. The background noise is intolerable for such a subtle presentation. One learns to swim in calm waters, not in a tsunami.
forogafold
Take the content and apply it to how it relates to one's self. The Presentation is not relevant.
may you be well.
36:00 felt like tripping!
very good and informative talk
while the subject matter genuinely interests me...i find myself watching the video more at night to fall asleep then to learn anything...
Me too
Well you learn to fall asleep.
Very nice info for those interested in meditation AND the science of the brain and consciousness. For those others (who have commented below, lol), I do understand your frustration. But if you're interested in the topic in a direct way, the talk is actually RIVETING!
Thank you, Google, for this vídeo! It would be wonderful if you at Google could make the handout available through Google Docs and a link here in the description of this great lecture!
Maybe there is a generational gap here. Old=willing to be patient. Young="egocentric". 😀 I'm old and I am aware of how much repeated effort it takes to achieve something worthwile without even being sure there is anything that can or will be achieved. If I worked for Google under constant pressure to reach specific goals I probably could not stand these slow elaborations. Great Google, you have these lectures - even though they are contrarian to your daily culture. Big "thank you"!
I'm glad there is so much greater diversity in the presentation of information these days. This is the most boring way to learn that I can imagine.
Turn the speed up to 1.25
hilarious
ha. that's awesome
That's not very zen dude.
Thanks.. ironically, that work!
:D I had to crank it to 1.50
The idea is that meditation makes you better at all the important ordinary things, e.g. less easily bored, more attentive. Presumably you're not opposed to any spare time at all? So why not use it to train your brain, instead of watching TV? Using meditation to escape reality is common but it's not the goal. In zen monasteries in particular, long hours of chores are a central part of the practice. "Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water."
thanks for posting...read many years in this area...he's answered many questions for me...
His talking turned out to be mantra ;)
Thank you for the upload
Thank you ,for this material
Very interesting. I was drawn here after getting a copy of "Living Zen Remindfully" and wanted to learn more about James' outlook before reading his book.
I wish I could see where his laser was pointing...
...my long road back to Zen; thank you !
what do you mean?
Showing that there is scientific evidence for what happens in meditation (or in anything) motivates a lot of people in our society when nothing else might.
Turn the speed up to 1.5:)
1.75x is even better.
2x was good for me
Fantastic. I would like to purchase your book. Does it contain more info related to Zen? I would have liked to heard more discussion linking Zen with the brain. Lecture was very brain function centric.
This guy is the REAL thing
53:00 a cut in the mind/a great chart and explaination here
Thank you, MisterNightGuy, I am happy to accept your point 'old cultural norm'. Thank you again.
Good info.
I really enjoyed this,
23:15 ladies hold babies and gentlemen hammer.
So does he recommend top-down attention or bottom-up attention training for the mind? I must have missed it but is he recommending that external meditation is the best way to bypass the psychic-self therefore achieving Samadhi?
Thank you...Very good,helpful lecture...
thanks a lot !!
Is the process for a woman balancing a baby different to a man holding a baby and for a male and female hammering?
禅は集中力を向上させ、生活の能率を向上させます。
the soundtrack seems to be skipping bits.... darn... and what are all theses sounds in the background?
I think, he was talking of what was actually happening in the brain, an MRI scan, the question was directed at this: If there was a difference between the two?
I am happy to accept the fact that the linguistic culture of his time rather than an actual research finding was the cause for the statement.
Did someone really let their phone ringer go off, and then answer and have a full conversation on the phone while this guy was talking? Wow.
>_< Really hard to watch with all the noise from the remote audience.
The Haskel talk I just watched also had this problem at the beginning. Is it that hard to make sure they are muted before recording, Google?
Where can we get the handouts for this?
anywhere we can go the handout?
excelent talk, but i wanted more information about the meditation understanding mode. it's diferente for each one though.
There's a lot of talk about the brain and various functions, but precious little is actually linked or put into any context. Why are these different functions and their relations mentioned? He doesn't say. What does most of this have to do with the topic of meditation? Not sure because he doesn't say.
Dr. Austin really is fantastic, but this talk was just very poorly put together. When data is mentioned, it needs to be in context so people know what is being said, why, and how it relates to the topic at hand. I feel like there's a truly great talk in here somewhere, just wish it came through.
Where can one find the handouts from this presentation?
so, if language is on the left side, and awareness on the right, then the "witness" of the stream of thought- is, the right side observing the left side?
You can always make the video faster by simply clicking the right buttom...
+Aleksandra Olejnik Thanks, It's so much easier to listen to now.
there are occassional loud noises, like a door closing, that were very distracting in this video.
La nature est belle
What is a 'TRUE ying yang person'?
Not asking rhetorically, concept new to me & would appreciate
your explanation. Thanks :)~
If only I had the concentration to watch this whole video
who came up with the idea to use this glowing effect?
Does Google do these kinds of seminars to create the best employees possible?
I'm confused to how the pineal gland was not discussed at all
It's because the pineal gland doesn't do any cognitive processing. It produces melatonin, which regulates your sleep cycle.
Thanks, but that sounds pretty glossy
What significance does the pineal gland have in context to Zazen's affects on the brain? You've piqued my interest.
Well truthfully, I don't really know. But to my understanding, it is significant in inducing a "heightened state" when meditating.
Well, I'm no endocrinologist, but it's a gland just like any other. Pretty much all glands produce psychoactive chemicals like adrenaline or adenosine. Your melatonin levels influence your levels of wakefulness, and if you're meditating I'm sure matters heavily.
...and the bird said "KAAAAAAAAAA"! :)
I fell asleep and... KAAAAAAAAAA!
😱😱😱
...almost had a heart atttack...
CAW!!!!
Very good talk, thank you very much. But what is that freaking noise and people doing in the background. It just ruined everything, geez.
If only they could show us where he was pointing with the laser pointer
Interesting, but hard to understand... I didn't get the connection between Zen and all the brain explanations
~there once was a future I was heading into but found out it was only a past and I was just a passenger going through time that made the essence of who I was right here~hence then it was not me that was here only the essence~
His name is Ming!
Nice
care to elaborate?
idk guy..he's zen as hell..he doesn't even need to avoid technical terms
It's always fun to listen to "experts". Does the "inner" you need this?
Why not listen to them?
*****
I'm not sure what his point was - maybe the old "science can't contribute anything to spirituality" argument, which is just not true. I think the melding of science and spirituality will transform both, with huge consequences for the individual and all of society.
Spirituality is inner, not outer.
Jay Ingram
So is science. Where do you think scientific ideas arise from?
Science is nebulous. The Overself laughs at science and then dances on.
Wauw, who is this person, does he had a name?
ying yang represents two neural networks that are in competition with each other, the first network is the one you share with everything else that's alive the Beast network, this network has no sound in your head, it just knows what it is experiencing, if that experience matters !
the 2nd network has a different neural map which includes the prefrontal cortex and has sounds, humans have the largest prefrontal cortex and the ability to make more complex sounds
Now the extremes of these two networks are feral and us now, the feral child lives only in the 1st network and lives with very little sound in the head,
We live with almost constant sound in the mind(our thoughts) and we have no awareness of the 1st network anymore which makes us the opposite extreme to being raised feral
The idea is to live in balance with the 2 networks hence the ying and the yang,
But Judaism, Christianity and Islam all preach 1 god which actually means 1 network , its a religious fanatical idea to live only in the 2nd network, and causes lots of illness
He talks as Eckhart tolle
An interesting adaptation is to realize the primate brain of the past has developed to protect itself, hence, various conformations, and sidedness. Probably why, as tree huggers we have the heart on the left and a stronger side on the right.
You can find some of this data in Selfless Insight: Zen and the Meditative Transformations of Consciousness (look it up on Google Books here: books.google.com / books?id=3pt33ED2q1UC), around page 60
I don't know, but I think it's pretty damn cool myself.
1:55
this is real
It's okay to have a "Zen" teacher but when one makes reference to, "my Zen master" I have a problem with this?
+Sonny Corbi
would you feel better if the reference was "my Zen teacher"? as far as i know, the term master in this context is the eastern way of referring to teacher. was master an inaccurate translation? who can say.
+Fedup I have spent 50, some years out of 73 practising and studying Visual Art - metaphysics & philosophy - I produce works of "Art" that depict future events along with other things - unlike a "palm reader" my work, pictures substantiate my findings?
These so-called "Zen Master - Preachers - adorn customs - read other people's books - burn incense - and pass the basket for money collection - Call them what you will, "Rabbi - priest - Zen master - Buda its all the same "shit" money punk costume wearing clowns -
Does this mean they are not "wise" no it just means if one tells a lie long enough it becomes the truth?
My reply is abstract and a bit harsh - I realise that and I do apologise - my patients is short tonight -
Sonny Corbi lol zen and buddhism dont pass around the hat for money, its not the same shit..
this presentation is however weak imo
+Fedup There is a center downtown where I live and the person who runs it is Asian and has a Phd., in religious study's - the place is called "The Darma Center" He follows the Buddhist format - the whole place is cluttered with Buddhist trinkets - He gives his talk, reads from the book and passes the "offering plate" around - and he wears an orange frock -
I am not trying to argue here - I'm just saying what is that's all - People need a place to turn to and I understand that but if they only knew, They are a manifestation of the Diety, "god" They are GOD and they don't know it - Turning over their Divine Right to a third party religious broker makes them a second class citizen, Sad!
Sonny Corbi
hah! okay, please forgive my ignorance but i think issue here is that people are human.
Academics trying to explain Zen is still so 20th century primitive,
Zen is a train running without tracks.
Suggestion: Break up the video into 5 parts.
Much too long!
Also when a video is filled with a great deal of info
you need time to 'digest'.
But, thanks for the video! :)
this was 7 years ago, before the pause button was invented
Thanks buddy. you talked me out of the self induced right brain lob sleep. 10:00 did it for me. You are the one in my opinion that has a frame of reference. I Choose what I want to do and wanted to act nice, acted too nice, and woke up in the weird world of "nirvana". its not for me, id rather be a TRUE ying yang person.
so thanks again!
your comments seem to be all over the place! i know this was 7 years ago, but would like to hear what you are up to now as your “nirvana” experience seems interesting to me.
A very knowledgeable man, but not beginners guide to zazen. :)
RULE OF THIRDS
nirvana is much broader than 'zen'..nirvana can exist in a zen state..but it rarely does..nirvana is to be impenetrable and accepting of one's own humanity..the zen state or zen nirvana is more in line with what nirvana is associated with...but nirvana can exist even among the nervous, if they do not feel concern for their anxiety, for instance..it is more dissociation i guess..zen is rooted and conservative..if you accept the world and yourself you have achieved nirvana
A lot about brain functions, but with very little connection to zen.
The Science says this and that, many numbers, many things, but if you know 100.000 meditators you will not find any of these amazing advantages!!!
good one.........I had to laugh
i know i need to quiet my mind but that was too quiet
Isn't the 'right brain / left brain' dichotomy obsolete now ?
+HotshotGTar Yeah, I'm certain it was debunked. People are still using the terms to differentiate our logical vs creative thinking.
+HotshotGTar almost... but not entirely... The brain carefully balances and assigns control of certain functions to each side - a natural way of ensuring the the brain splits up tasks to maximise efficiency.
It is debunked as far as claiming personality is determined by brain function etc... but it is still very factual to say that some tasks use one hemisphere more rigorously than the other, at certain times.
Jordan Hoare Referring to the creative process as "utilizing the right hemisphere" more vigorously, as an example, sets off alarm bells for me. Hasn't it been proved that it's more complex than that? Can you provide sources? This topic intrigues me :)
To be honest I didn't even watch too much of the video so I can't comment on what he has quoted... haha!
As you said, it is more complex. I studied psych at University, so I don't have resources readily available. I'm just going off the dome.
But in somewhat his statement is true. For example; the functioning for speech and language, are found in the left hemisphere, but not ALL aspects of speech are left-sided, intonation, for example, is found on the right. So specific tasks activate areas of our brain, but using "the creative process" in general.. is too large to fit I suppose...
Google: peer-reviewed ....
or
"Scholarly articles" to find published work that is trustworthy
Psychology/neuroscience pop culture took over the internet in the last decade, so don't trust anything you read 100% haha, not even me !
The audio is terrible.
A Zen practitioner and acclaimed neurophysiologist speaks and trolls respond.
Sounds like part of a haiku.
But we are all students...
Combining neuroscience and Buddhism makes some people nervous, like Buddhism might have to adapt or something. (P.S. it will.)
It is possible that if he had said "a man holding a baby", some women would have complained that a woman wasn't used in the example. Sometimes speakers just can't win, and as is taught in Zen, praise and blame are to be ignored.
Here's one guy who's not a fast talking American !
Holy shit this dude speaks like the movie 300 is produced
The problem of all scientist experts is the fact that they are only an expert in their own field, wich causes a mass psychose
This is represented in the way how this presentation is performed.
I don't wanna be rude, but this tech talk can use some flavour, you are talking about intuition while acting like a robot without any expressions.. Intuition is the only thing algorithm can't grasp so be proud to have this power while still being human
He sounds a bit like Eckhart Tolle without the German accent.
why?
oh btw this was one week ago that I tried to snap out of nirvana state. But still keep falling back, its so addictive to be nice and friendly & helpfull.
But thats the tricky part.. Especially if you link this kinda state to something divine, which it's not...
didn't bother me..i just like the comment
A lot of technical terms and almost no Zen so if you're here for Zen it'd be best to look somewhere else
if this BORES you ... remember he never did acid
Very difficult to understand
I can't concentrate very heavy content
Old people are unknowingly sexist, so much so that at some point you just have to forget about it. They're stuck with a lot of old cultural norms, and this guy in particular doesn't seem to be intentionally insulting anyone, just sort of passively reflecting it. Your question is super valid.
That symbol is taoism
Well let me try to explain it to you.
Let's say the white is positive emotions and the black are defensive/negative emotions. If you eliminate all defensive&negative emotions... you will see the world through pink glasses and cry all the time and are unable to understand the world anymore.
If you are mostly black, you have dark sunglasses and cant see clearly.
Let's say Ying-Yang, a healthy balance between defensive & positive emotions.. is like seeing the world through clear glasses.
:-D
“God Has Come To You!”
The promise of eternal life is the result of God coming to us instead of humans trying to find and meet Him somewhere far away.
From the beginning, God has loved each of us with an unconditional and undying love. His original intention was to have a solid and living relationship with each of us. However, when Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the garden of Eden, their sins created a barrier between us and God. We are separated from Him forever.
Instead of allowing us to continue to distance ourselves from Him, God created a perfect plan for recovery-one motivated by His infinite love and mercy for us. The goal of His plan is to completely restore even the most intimate aspects of His relationship with mankind as it existed before Adam and Eve sinned.
More than 2,000 years ago, God sent His Son to earth to remove the barrier caused by sin and make salvation available to all.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent his Son into the world, not to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” John 3:16-17
Through his death and resurrection, Jesus paid the full penalty of sin on our behalf and removed the barrier between us and God. This forgiveness is available to all who fully accept Him as their Savior.
But this is just the beginning. Before completing His time on earth to join His Father in Heaven, Jesus described to His disciples another important element of God's larger plan. to completely restore humanity to Himself:
“In my Father's house (Heaven) there are many dwelling places; otherwise, I would have told you. I'll go and prepare a place for you. When I have gone, and have prepared a place for you, I will return and take you with me, that where I am, there you may also be." John 14:2-3
God not only sent Jesus to remove the barrier of sin, but one day in the future, Jesus will return to bring all believers “home” to be with Him forever. .
The Bible says: The time of the fulfillment of the kingdom of God is near, so Repent and Receive the Good News. " ....
“Doesn’t use email?” My God, he’s stuck in some antediluvian time period!
*Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn