...on altered states of consciousness. There is a science writer in the room, who is under some difficulties. He has a very interesting neurological explanation for light visions in meditation. However, his eliminative stance results in a real difficulty, a different in the room, really.
It's interesting for Tibetan Buddhists, because we believe that the neurological level is real and can construed as part of the sacred outlook.
2 comments:
Well I suppose you can always think of the brain & nervous system as a "receiver" for "cosmic waves", like a radio receiver detects electromagnetic waves. In both cases the physical mechanism is a real device without which the waves could not be detected. In one case we understand a good deal about the waves being detected. In the other we don't.
And in that other case ASCs are when the receiver is configured in non-standard ways and so picks up these weird non-standard signals.
But really, the mystery is consciousness itself, no? It's not as though we have a deep understanding of the consciousness of ordinary experience. We don't. When we understand consciousness, the ASCs won't seem to altered.
It's not interesting for Zen Buddhists.
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