You know, sometimes I really wonder what neurology and/or psychoanalysis would make of the altered states achievable via the contemplative practices of meditation. What does unification achieved in jhana tell us about the unconscious? What does stream entry look like from an MRI?

I know there are a few books on neurology and Buddhism, such as Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom by Rich Hanson, Contemplative Science: Where Buddhism and Neuroscience Converge by B. Alan Wallace, Zen and the Brain: Toward an Understanding of Meditation and Consciousness by James H. Austin, etc.. Has anyone read these and can they recommend them?

I am really interested in what neurology has to say about jhanas and the stages of insight, not just "the benefits of mindfulness..."

I know this is a little rarified but has anyone read any books about the connections and/or lack of connections between psychoanalysis and Buddhism? Note: Not psychotherapy, but good ol' Freudian and/or Lacanian psychoanalysis. I am really interested in what Buddhism contemplation reveals about the unconscious mind as it is detailed in psychoanalytical practice...

There is some info on some of the current studies with fMRi machines and meditators from a participant here:


http://happinessbeyondthought.blogspot.com/

You might be interested in part two of this: http://leighb.com/Absorption_Bronkhorst.pdf

It is not exactly what you're looking for, but you may enjoy it anyway.

There are a few studies of mediators undergoing MRIs and the like. See here...

www.reddit.com/r/meditationpapers

But what does knowing what MRIs look like, tell you about what it feels like to be free from suffering ?

Here is, neuroscientist / best selling author, Sam Harris' view on the limitations of neuroscience in exploring consciousness.

http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/the-mystery-of-consciousness/
http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/the-mystery-of-consciousness-ii/

and the value of meditation

http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/whats-the-point-of-transcendence/



Freud would consider meditative states to be a dysfunctional regression to an infantile state. But this analysis is problematic.

The integral movement are spot on about the pre / trans fallacy in conventional thought, even if they are wrong about many other things. The following article discusses both the value in and problems with Freud's line of thought on spiritual enlightenment...

http://www.praetrans.com/en/ptf.html

Here is a link to the Full Text article, by Judson Brewer et al,
http://www.scribd.com/doc/76831607/PNAS-2011-Brewer-20254-9
written about the study in which yogis from this forum participated in.

Thanks for all the links! I enjoyed the Sam Harris stuff, particularly.


Regarding Freud, I'm not convinced Freud would characterize meditation as regression to an infantile state. I am also not fundamentally of the belief that Buddhism and psychoanalysis are at odds with each other.


David Loy, for instance, has done some interesting work combining psychoanlysis and Buddhism, particularly in his book Lack and Transcendence: The Problem of Death and Life in Psychotherapy, Existentialism, and Buddhism. He describes his basic thesis here, in which he builds on existential psychotherapy, which built on classical psychoanalysis http://www.holosforum.org/davidloy.html


There are also a few books available which explore the connections, such as Psychoanalysis and Buddhism: An Unfolding Dialogue by Jeremy D. Safran and Mixing Minds: The Power of Relationship in Psychoanalysis and Buddhism by Pilar Jennings.


Many years ago when I was studying French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan I immediately was reminded of Buddhism and thought there were interesting comparisons. For instance Lacan posits that "lack" is the cause of human desire, and lack is something which can never be filled or solved. We think, "this house" or "this marriage" or "this child" or "this Playstation" or "this hit of crack," etc., is what I need to be happy. And then we get it, and we still aren't happy. This concept is diagnostic, in that Lacan doesn't suggest a cure for lack, but perhaps Buddhism does provide the cure.


Also, it is interesting because Freud posited in Civilization and its Discontents that human societies are made possible by a fundamental sublimation of the psychosexual and death drives within us, which are redirected into creation, development, and other "ends." It is interesting to speculate what would become of human society if we no longer needed to sublimate the eros and thanatos drives, because people had been "cured" of them (via Buddhist awakening). Would civilization as we know it end (meaning, corporate capitalism, hierachy, patriarchy, etc)?

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oceanic_feeling.

But agree that the practice is not fundamentally at odds with his ideas, I just don't think Freud understood meditation.

Not familiar enough with this stuff to comment further.