Some of you may find this announcement on Joan Halifax's blog of interest. Below is an excerpt of the post about the Zen Brain, Selfless Insight Retreat being held January 16-20, 2008.
Popular and scientific interest in the relationships between Buddhism and neuroscience has dramatically increased, accompanied by the publication of both theoretical proposals and new laboratory investigations relating Buddhist practice to the brain. In this important retreat/seminar, Joan Halifax Roshi and four renowned scientists who have contributed to this growing field of research, and are each long-term Zazen practitioners, will interactively share with participants their perspectives on what has specifically been learned about Zen practice and the brain, how this research is relevant for practice, and how experienced practitioners can help sharpen the research questions being asked. During the retreat, discussion will be integrated with Zazen practice throughout each day.
Clinical neurologist and neuroscientist James Austin, M.D. will provide an overview of brain structure and physiology with high theoretical relevance to understanding many of the phenomena of Zen practice. His books, Zen and the Brain, and Zen-Brain Reflections, have been an extraordinarily rich source of hypotheses for neuroscientists who study long-term meditators. Dr. Austin will also provide retreat participants with a new speculative neuroscientific account of “what may have happened 2500 years ago under the Bodhi tree,” as well
as information to help retreat participants appreciate how the tools and methods of modern neuroscience can contribute to our understanding of the transformative processes of Zen practice.
Clinical neuropsychologist and neuroscientist Al Kaszniak, Ph.D. will describe recent research in his laboratory focused on emotion response and emotion regulation in long-term Zen and Vipassana practitioners. His presentation will explain how emotion can be studied through both behavioral and psychophysiological research technologies, and will address the potential relevance of this research for understanding the cultivation of compassion in Zen practice. Retreat participants will be encouraged to reflect on how the experiments described relate to their own experience in practice, and propose ways in which future research might more accurately capture this experience.
Psychology graduate researcher and cognitive/affective neuroscientist Jason Buhle will
Thanks for pointing this article out, I am a huge fan of both Buddhism and Western Psychology and half the books I read are on the dialog between these two systems.
Cheers,
Albert | UrbanMonk.Net
Modern personal development, entwined with ancient spirituality.
Posted by: Albert | UrbanMonk.Net | December 12, 2007 at 07:49 PM