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Waking, Dreaming, Being

Self and Consciousness in Neuroscience, Meditation, and Philosophy
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In Waking, Dreaming, Being, philosopher Evan Thompson explores the fluid nature of the self through the lenses of neuroscience, Indian and Western philosophy, and contemplative practice. He reveals how our sense of self shifts between waking, dreaming, and meditative states, demonstrating that the self is a dynamic process rather than a fixed entity. Drawing on scientific research and personal experience, Thompson guides readers through understanding consciousness, the dissolution of self, and the interplay between mind and brain.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$4399

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for readers interested in philosophy of mind, neuroscience, Buddhism, and spirituality. It suits those seeking a rigorous yet accessible exploration of consciousness, selfhood, and meditation, appealing especially to students, scholars, and contemplative practitioners.

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Cognitive science joins with Asian contemplative traditions and philosophy to bring revolutionary meaning to the human experience.

Lively, engaging, and accessible, Waking, Dreaming, Being makes clear the relevance and relationship of contemplative neuroscience and neurophenomenology to core questions in the philosophy of mind. -- Alfred W. Kaszniak, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona Evan Thompson has been at the forefront of the fields of philosophy of mind and cognitive science for the past two decades, and his technical competence extends to Asian philosophy as well. Waking, Dreaming, Being ventures down paths that many 'serious scholars' fear to tread, dealing not only with traditional epistemological puzzles posed by dreaming and dreamless sleep but also with near-death experiences and other extraordinary states. Thompson covers a tremendous amount of ground in this volume, and his analysis is informed by an interdisciplinary breadth that is second to none. -- Robert H. Sharf, director of the Center for Buddhist Studies, University of California, Berkeley Waking, Dreaming, Being is the kind of sophisticated, yet still extremely incredibly accessible, treatment of consciousness we have been waiting for. Just what does it mean to be human, to have this range of experience, and what are various ways we can use, indeed must use, to investigate this? This book pushes us to think beyond our entrenched conceptual boundaries, not with vague arguments or wishful thinking but with equal doses of logical rigor and phenomenological empathy. -- William S. Waldron, Middlebury College

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A renowned philosopher of the mind, also known for his groundbreaking work on Buddhism and cognitive science, Evan Thompson combines the latest neuroscience research on sleep, dreaming, and meditation with Indian and Western philosophy of mind, casting new light on the self and its relation to the brain.

Thompson shows how the self is a changing process, not a static thing. When we are awake, we identify with our body, but if we let our mind wander or daydream, we project a mentally imagined self into the remembered past or anticipated future. As we fall asleep, the impression of being a bounded self distinct from the world dissolves, but the self reappears in the dream state. If we have a lucid dream, we no longer identify only with the self within the dream. Our sense of self now includes our dreaming self, the "I" as dreamer. Finally, as we meditate—either in the waking state or in a lucid dream—we can observe whatever images or thoughts arise and how we tend to identify with them as "me." We can also experience sheer awareness itself, distinct from the changing contents that make up our image of the self.

Contemplative traditions say that we can learn to let go of the self, so that when we die we can witness its dissolution with equanimity. Thompson weaves together neuroscience, philosophy, and personal narrative to depict these transformations, adding uncommon depth to life's profound questions. Contemplative experience comes to illuminate scientific findings, and scientific evidence enriches the vast knowledge acquired by contemplatives.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Critics praise Thompson's work as a profound synthesis of neuroscience and Indian philosophical thought. Jonardon Ganeri calls it a "game-changing" and intellectually courageous book that heralds a cross-cultural future for philosophy. Richard J. Davidson commends its creativity and clarity in addressing the nature of mind and consciousness, recommending it as essential reading for serious students. The book is acclaimed for blending scientific evidence with contemplative insights.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780231136952

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 08 August 2017

Country: United States

Imprint: Columbia University Press

Contributors:

  • Foreword by Stephen Batchelor

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 229.0mm

Weight: 0g

Pages: 496

About the Author

Evan Thompson is professor of philosophy at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. He is the author ofColour Vision: A Study in Cognitive Science and the Philosophy of Perception (1995) and Mind in Life: Biology, Phenomenology, and the Sciences of Mind (2007) and coauthor of The Embodied Mind: Cognitive Science and Human Experience (1991, revised edition, 2017).

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