Post by Admin on Dec 31, 2015 12:31:25 GMT -5
Moving this here so it's easier to find.
"The Minds Own Physician: A Scientific Dialogue with the Dalai Lama on the healing power of meditation",
edited by: Jon Kabat-Zinn,Richard J Davidson with Zara Houshmand. 2011
It's based on meetings and dialogue between scientists and the Dalai Lama, this one in 2005. This book is in the Delaware library system (TIPCAT).
Updated July 19, 2015:
Here's Amazon's blurb on this book:
Edited by world-renowned researchers Jon Kabat-Zinn and Richard J. Davidson, this book presents this remarkably dynamic interchange along with intriguing research findings that shed light on the nature of the mind, its capacity to refine itself through training, and its role in physical and emotional health.
My take on it --
I really enjoyed the book. It had a number of different scientists sharing their research (all of it fascinating,some of it over my head for sure),followed by discussions of how the world view of the scientists, and the 'contemplatives' (Buddhist monks, the Dalai Lama) interconnect as each world view looks at the same reality -- the human pursuit of happiness. There was also discussion of the future of scientific research on mindfulness meditation. The close of the book summarizes research done from 2005 (when the meeting occurred) to 2011, and it is alot!
The book is basically a series of presentations from all sorts of scientists with dialogues following each paper. Also, at the end of the book there are some pretty substantial treatments of the latest (2005-2011) science studying mindful meditation.
Some tidbits of recent research:
This book is one of many, to include DVDs and videos, of the Mind and Life Institute (I put a link to their list of current researchers in another post here-- here it is: www.mindandlife.org/community/). Started in 1987 with the Dalai Lama meeting with Western scientists.
For me, it helps to know that science continues to validate what I'm learning from my own experience of MBSR, mindful meditation Tai Chi etc. The research is actually exploding in the last 5 years or so. The challenge now becomes filtering out the wheat from the chaff, as there are so many now tooting the horn of mindfulness that one has to check out the teacher as well as continue to do the meditation even while learning about meditation. TheWizard
"The Minds Own Physician: A Scientific Dialogue with the Dalai Lama on the healing power of meditation",
edited by: Jon Kabat-Zinn,Richard J Davidson with Zara Houshmand. 2011
It's based on meetings and dialogue between scientists and the Dalai Lama, this one in 2005. This book is in the Delaware library system (TIPCAT).
Updated July 19, 2015:
Here's Amazon's blurb on this book:
By inviting the Dalai Lama and leading researchers in medicine, psychology, and neuroscience to join in conversation, the Mind & Life Institute set the stage for a fascinating exploration of the healing potential of the human mind. The Mind’s Own Physician presents in its entirety the thirteenth Mind and Life dialogue, a discussion addressing a range of vital questions concerning the science and clinical applications of meditation: How do meditative practices influence pain and human suffering? What role does the brain play in emotional well-being and health? To what extent can our minds actually influence physical disease? Are there important synergies here for transforming health care, and for understanding our own evolutionary limitations as a species?
Edited by world-renowned researchers Jon Kabat-Zinn and Richard J. Davidson, this book presents this remarkably dynamic interchange along with intriguing research findings that shed light on the nature of the mind, its capacity to refine itself through training, and its role in physical and emotional health.
My take on it --
I really enjoyed the book. It had a number of different scientists sharing their research (all of it fascinating,some of it over my head for sure),followed by discussions of how the world view of the scientists, and the 'contemplatives' (Buddhist monks, the Dalai Lama) interconnect as each world view looks at the same reality -- the human pursuit of happiness. There was also discussion of the future of scientific research on mindfulness meditation. The close of the book summarizes research done from 2005 (when the meeting occurred) to 2011, and it is alot!
The book is basically a series of presentations from all sorts of scientists with dialogues following each paper. Also, at the end of the book there are some pretty substantial treatments of the latest (2005-2011) science studying mindful meditation.
Some tidbits of recent research:
- Meditators found to dramatically improve psoriasis.
- Meditators found to greatly improve asthma.
- Severe depressive episodes, followed by 8 week MBSR & ongoing daily meditation & using CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) led to 40% reduction in recurrence of severe depression.
- Meditators v. non-meditators in self-awareness measures of own heart rates: Turns out the meditators self-rated themselves as more aware of their body changes, but they weren't any more aware than non-meditators.
- Neural, immune and endocrine changes possible via the mind-body reciprocal process involved in meditation (or, ways that meditation activates real changes in body & brain in loops of causation both ways).
This book is one of many, to include DVDs and videos, of the Mind and Life Institute (I put a link to their list of current researchers in another post here-- here it is: www.mindandlife.org/community/). Started in 1987 with the Dalai Lama meeting with Western scientists.
For me, it helps to know that science continues to validate what I'm learning from my own experience of MBSR, mindful meditation Tai Chi etc. The research is actually exploding in the last 5 years or so. The challenge now becomes filtering out the wheat from the chaff, as there are so many now tooting the horn of mindfulness that one has to check out the teacher as well as continue to do the meditation even while learning about meditation. TheWizard