First post here on The Dharma Overground. I'm particulary interested in the mutual validation of modern science and ancient Dharma wisdom.

I thought this article from the bbc.com was fascinating, especially as it relates to the discrete nature of quanta of consciousness:

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140624-the-man-who-saw-time-freeze

Peace,

Lawrence

Interesting article!  Seems like the scientists have their hand on the door knob alright.  They did a good job describing the same perceptions as meditators but of course they have a different perspective on it.   Instead of saying reality flickers, they are saying your brain's ability to process reality flickers.  Not surprisingly, they assume reality holds steady.  And in the article, they are assuming that although we apparently have a flakey choppy frame speed of processing most of the time, we sometimes can speed it up in go into a kind of hyperdrive of processing, thus making the world seem to slow down, at least in comparison to us when in our hyperdrive mode.  They also mentioned the 'trailing' visual anomaly that LSD users (and other people) sometimes see.  In this article they are still attributing it to drug use but not everyone gets it that way.  Another visual anomaly of interest is 'visual snow,' which kinda sounds to me like the flickering or static it is said some see when meditating.  An interesting article on visual snow here: http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/AAN/32416 .  I see they have gotten away from blaming it on drug use in this article after actual research was done.  Maybe the same will eventually be said about trailing and other visual anomalies as well.   Are these visual snow people seeing the flickering of reality or is their brain that is flickering?
-Eva   

Here's a recent study I heard about on the radio a few days ago: http://www.cnet.com/news/free-will-may-be-an-illusion-study-says/

Patient had encephalitis lethargica, took the patient a period of several hours to complete the motion of scratching his head, but to the patient the movement was in normal time...


Excerpt from  Awakenings by Oliver Sacks


For example, in one incident in the book, Sacks notices a patient holding his arm out rigidly in front of him. Awhile later he happens to look at the patient again, and after at first thinking he hasn't moved, he realizes the patient's hand is maybe an inch or two closer to his head. After a great deal more time passes, the hand makes contact with the head. Sacks has the impression that if one could observe the movement with time lapse photography, it would look like someone reaching up to scratch his head.

During a subsequent period when the patient is more functional and is able to communicate, Sacks asks him about this super slow motion arm movement, and the patient confirms that he was indeed scratching his head. To him, though, it was not in slow motion. He experienced it as if the motion had taken place at a normal speed, and not taken the hours that it actually had.

http://voices.yahoo.com/book-review-awakenings-oliver-sacks-12640400.html

 All very interesting comments and links.

Who is the watcher and what is being observed? Is this truly the quantum world writ large?

Here is a link to a more interesting study showing the gap between the brains decision and the resulting conscious decision.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i3AiOS4nCE#t=268
Of course neither really goes into the details enough to know if what they are saying is really true or not.  Would have to read the actual study vs the infotainment truthiness.
~D

"...infotainment truthiness."  I like that phrase! May I co-opt? ;-)

Came across this....free will is so passe....it's all about "free won't"
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/dont-delay/201106/free-wont-it-may-be-all-we-have-or-need
Interesting
~D

skeptical response - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCM5BFU01YU

Yes, that comes up a lot in discussions of free will, and of course it completely misses the point. The mind is aware of stopping itself or not stopping itself from taking some action, but either way it's a conditioned response... no "decision" actually gets made, there is just the perception of one.