satori and the brain
This is an article I found that refers to the subject of 'intra hemispherical intrusion' as a possible occurrence in sudden enlightenment experiences. I have no idea about the qualifications of the author but it's an interesting reading. I'm no science buff and I pretty much understood the gist of it. The pictures help alot. The guy seems to have a distorted view of what enlightenment is, but it could explain the experiences of people like Byron Katie and Eckhart Tolle.
http://%20www.innerworlds.50megs.com/enlightenment.htm
posted by Anonymous @ Sunday, April 16, 2006
4 comments
4 Comments:
I suspect maybe discussions like this are why Brad says there's no such thing as enlightenment.
The only thing resembling a "blissed out vegetable" state I've seen or heard of is someone under the influence of drugs, and that state only lasts a short time. Before long, the high energy levels run out and the person goes from "heaven" straight to "hell". I would think the effect would be the same whether the effect was drug induced or not.
The article talks a lot about the goals of Buddhism and meditation... the problem with this is that any goal you have is by definition an idea. It might be an idea of bliss, or oneness, or enlightenment (whatever that word means to you), or magical powers, but it's still just an idea. As long as you think that idea's important, in meditation you will spend more time focusing on that idea than just living in the present. In shikan-taza, we're supposed to be trying to spend less energy focusing on ideas, not more... right?
I don't know that much about brain biology but I spotted enough grammatical errors in that article to make me doubt the author's scholarly authority on the matter. His linking of Darwinian evolution to enlightenment was particularly weak in my mind. For example:
A species that's really improving its ability to live isn't trying to arrive at a 'perfect' form.
He's correct that there is no 'perfection' that results from evolution - only adaptation to temporary local conditions, however, he makes a common mistake (even among biologists!) when he says "a species that's really improving its ability..." because the species is improved by natural selection, not by its own choice. This is where his linking to enlightenment fails for me - a human CHOOSES to meditate, a species does not choose to evolve.
That all aside - I much prefer Brad's emphasis that blissed-out satroi-like states are at best temporary excitements that might have an influence on your perception of things from that point, but should not be 'grasped' and clung to as some sort of 'life-raft' from suffering.
This seeking of blissed out states is exactly why Buddhism is sometimes associated with drug use - a clear dead-end to actually being in the moment regularly (unless you can maintain a 'high' permanently, but no one can & the more they try the more they miss the reality of the moment & the worse their 'lows' become).
Pay attention to the here and now, enlightenment is this moment. Lack of enlightenment is missing this moment. Or so I've read...
Hi Jules, glad to see you're back! (& funny how close our comments are - written oblivious to each other).
Hi me, I'm glad to be back. Things are going a lot better for me now, though I still don't have a lot of free time to spend on teh intarwebs. Later!
-J
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