Selfless Insight: Zen and the Meditative Transformations of Consciousness

Austin, a Neurology researcher and Zen meditator has organized the study of the neurology of attention and its relation to Zen in two prior books: Zen and the Brain, and Zen Reflections. This third one was published in 2009, (and newer titles explore more specific aspects). To shorten the book, observations in earlier books are referenced in this one, but not repeated, which can be confusing at times. The book transitions back and forth between subjective experience of the individual-meditator and related neurophysiological studies. Whether these are related, and how, is debatable in places. For example there are several chapters regarding "self" but Demasio is never cited, and the Insula is included only in a review of newer research. The book represents a specific time in the evolving understanding of the subject, and the author could not for see future directions! Much of the reports rely on early MRI and fMRI studies which have limited ability to observe deeper brain regions, so they are not emphasized.The effort to correlate subjective and neurophysiological data is the most important message of the book, even though the neural data is limited.

Dr. Austin has, I believe, explained better than anyone the relationship between human cognition in the Zen Buddhist model and specific brain states in the psychoneurological model. Such an explanation must inherently be anything but lucid. While the terminology of Zen is fraught with technical and often allusive Japanese, Chinese and Sanskrit expressions, today's medical terminology is even less accessible in its density and detailed quantification of values. James H. Austin is uniquely qualified to offer this explanation. As an experienced practitioner of traditional Zen in the Rinzai "sudden enlightenment" school, experienced in and familiar with the core Zen experience of "kensho" - enlightened insight - he knows at once where to look and what to look for in his neurological research. However there are no quick or easy answers. Detecting patterns of activity among the human brain's billions of neurons and finding significant correlation with the subjective experiences of meditators is bound to be a slow and complex process, deserving of not just one or two but an ongoing series of books. Dr. Austin is further along this path than anyone has ever gone before and his successes continue, thanks to his rigorous use of scientific method. That doesn't make him easy to read, but fortunately his occasional summations do provide brilliant insights, worth reading for their sake alone.

I bought this book along with "The Ego Tunnel" to get an understanding of the latest research into the brain location for the self, ego, and consciousness after reading the classic text by Daniel Dennett, "Consciousness Explained." Austin covers the movement of sensory input through the brain and the way the input is interpreted by the interconnected processing 'centers' of the brain. I have enjoyed his views of the research studies and proposed areas for further research. I would have given this book a five-star review except I am not a Zen practitioner so his coverage of Zen practices, meditation and the like, did not hold my interest although I will use some of the meditation techniques mentioned in the book for disconnecting myself from the ADD/fast-paced Internet world that pervades modern society.

As both a buddhist and a neuroscientist, I keep Dr. Austin's books on hand for reference as well as pleasure. His most recent offering is a very well-organized compendium of the most salient discoveries in attention, awareness and consciousness. The only factors keeping me from giving this edition five stars instead of four are: I would have liked to have read more about the author's personal practice and experiences. Also, I do use these books as a desk reference - if you are looking for an overview or introduction to brain function, this is probably not what you want.

Lots of infomation. I really enjoy the combination of the 3rd person objective/scientific data with the 1st person/subjective experience. Very good book, as are Dr Austin's others in this series, for anyone wanting a reference on meditation and brain science.

This is a fine follow-up work to the equally excellent  Zen and the Brain  (winner of the 1998 Scientific and Medical Network Book Prize) and  Zen-Brain Reflections: Reviewing Recent Developments in Meditation and States of Consciousness .Speaking of this work Kenneth M. Heilman, James E. Rooks Jr. Distinguished Professor of Neurology at the University of Florida College of Medicine, said:"James Austin's wonderful book Selfless Insight provides an up-to-date review and synthesis of the brain physiology which permits humans to meditate and how meditation alters brain functions. Just as Hubel and Wiesel's Nobel Prize winning research revealed how the brain permits us to see and perceive incoming light, James Austin's newest book helps us understand how people who meditate see the light and wisdom within."Joan Halifax, PhD, Abbot of the Upaya Zen Center, has said of this book:"This remarkable book uses neuroscience to reveal the inner workings of the mind through the medium of meditation. Stunning facts derived from neuro research combined with the timeless wisdom of Zen open for the reader mental vistas that are fascinating and vast. Both scientist and non-scientist will be edified and inspired on reading this clear and beautiful book, a book that is a landmark in the rapidly developing field of contemplative neuroscience."Austin, a Professor of neurology and an experienced Zen practitioner, has produced another excellent volume. Thank you Professor Austin for all three works.Professor Austin has another work due out in November 2011,  Meditating Selflessly: Practical Neural Zen , which I look forward to reading.Highly recommended. Zen and the BrainZen-Brain Reflections: Reviewing Recent Developments in Meditation and States of ConsciousnessMeditating Selflessly: Practical Neural Zen