The Spiritual Brain

[GreytoWhite]

http://www.scribd.com/doc/25681429/Spiritual-Brain

 

I've been reading this lately. Much of the information is not new to me but it is well compiled. It definitely caters to my interest in neuroscience and how my cultivation may work on a physical level.

[Encephalon]

http://www.scribd.com/doc/25681429/Spiritual-Brain

 

I've been reading this lately. Much of the information is not new to me but it is well compiled. It definitely caters to my interest in neuroscience and how my cultivation may work on a physical level.

 

I really dig this material. I dug into it years ago when I was in college but it seems even more pertinent after learning nei kung.

 

Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom

by Rick Hanson is also great. There's little mention of God, obviously; it follows neuroscience from west to east. The Dalai Lama has really dug into this subject a lot too. he regularly participates in conferences on this subject. Thanks for the tip.

[RyanO]

http://www.scribd.com/doc/25681429/Spiritual-Brain

 

I've been reading this lately. Much of the information is not new to me but it is well compiled. It definitely caters to my interest in neuroscience and how my cultivation may work on a physical level.

 

Thanks for the link! Cool stuff, I'm into this material as well.

 

I've been wanting to start a topic on brain damage vs spiritual development because I think that's an interesting evolution of this concept, perhaps there are some insights in this book.

 

Does it have a Christian basis? If so that would turn me off, in which case I would go for something like Blasto's Buddha's Brain.

[GreytoWhite]

Does it have a Christian basis? If so that would turn me off, in which case I would go for something like Blasto's Buddha's Brain.

 

Nothing overtly Christian in it so far. It has mentioned that Christianity as the predominant religion of Western culture has influenced certain paternal godhead assumptions in psychiatry. I think one of the studies involves nuns but I have yet to come across any sort of agenda other than attempting to have spirituality viewed as something more than just physical.

 

RyanO brain damage is definitely something of interest to me. I've had multiple TIAs, a concussion, and much physical abuse throughout my life and my brain is definitely damaged. I recently had an experience in my cultivation practice that my teacher and I think was part of my brain healing or becoming reactivated. It was quite incredible and a daunting experience.

[ralis]

I have known about Persinger's work for years and just found these videos on his work.

 

 

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2184059515285733378#

[DalTheJigsaw123]

Thank you!

Very interesting!

[RyanO]

...

 

RyanO brain damage is definitely something of interest to me. I've had multiple TIAs, a concussion, and much physical abuse throughout my life and my brain is definitely damaged. I recently had an experience in my cultivation practice that my teacher and I think was part of my brain healing or becoming reactivated. It was quite incredible and a daunting experience.

 

Wow, congratulations! That sounds like quite an accomplishment!

 

I myself have always wondered what would happen if an accomplished practitioner suffered a terrible brain injury which really set them back. Would they maintain their spiritual capacity? If not then what is the reality of spiritual development?

 

Beginning psychology students often learn the story of Phineas Gage, a railway worker who suffered serious frontal lobe damage from a terrible accident (railway spike impaling his skull). Before the accident, he was an amiable man who everyone liked. Afterwards he became cold and grumpy (more or less from what I know, here's more : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phineas_Gage )

 

I wonder if things could have been different for a cultivator? Perhaps you're inspiring story grants that such things are possible, at least to a certain extent.

[GreytoWhite]

Wow, congratulations! That sounds like quite an accomplishment!

 

I myself have always wondered what would happen if an accomplished practitioner suffered a terrible brain injury which really set them back. Would they maintain their spiritual capacity? If not then what is the reality of spiritual development?

 

Beginning psychology students often learn the story of Phineas Gage, a railway worker who suffered serious frontal lobe damage from a terrible accident (railway spike impaling his skull). Before the accident, he was an amiable man who everyone liked. Afterwards he became cold and grumpy (more or less from what I know, here's more : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phineas_Gage )

 

I wonder if things could have been different for a cultivator? Perhaps you're inspiring story grants that such things are possible, at least to a certain extent.

 

It's a good line of inquiry for sure. I still have a case of burnout because when that started working again I gained certain Upper Dantian sensory abilities I was not expecting or any where close to trained to use. It was a combination of herbal medicine, diet, proper cultivation, taiji/bagua/xingyi practice, as well as a lower stress environment that contributed to my healing process. It was an incredible experience to say the least.