Scientific roots of the enlightenment: discussion

[Andrew]

We all are mostly dismissive of our own greedy selves. Why look further?

For the sake of instant coffee? Sorry ment to say instant enlightenment.

Golum-golum

HAHAHA 

[Andrew]

It would make any conclusion including those formed from direct experience flawed.

Reverse that and I agree. Flawed experience comes directly from including conclusions made about it.  If you start out thinking you know the scope of your conclusions, you will find a part answer. Which of course is what science has to do all the time.

I'm generally very protective of real science,  which is a very basic method.

Hypothesis, Controlled, Repeatable Experiment, which proves or disproves the hypothesis. If it is proven the results go to form a Scientific Theory. That is as far as science is allowed to go, by it own nature.

 It never can reach a Universal fact. because we cannot contain the Universe in a Controlled Repeatable Experiment, so you cannot test your Hypothesis !...but amazingly people still come out with elaborate theories that have never been proven.

Real scientists know they are only ever dealing with conclusions that depend on a set of conditions. If those conditions change so do the results. Pretend scientist keep changing the conditions until that get to the expected conclusions.

My stance for successfully studying Enlightenment is simple; 1) Find enlightened people 2) ask them how they did it if I get to meet them, or read about them as much as possible. 3) Do the same!

In the absence of enlightened people I stick around those with enlightened ideals and have a go together keeping my eyes wide open; It could be any one of these guys on this forum.... any day now...  

When I get enlightened I'l let you put electrodes on my arse so you can see how I did it! Then if you do make a pill, so be it, god knows this world could do with one. 
 

[Jeeprs]

head, not arse. The sun doesn't shine from there, rumours to the contrary notwithstanding.

[Andrew]

No definitely arse, that's my working hypothesis; enlightenment is triggered by spending time on your arse. There is special pressure points that if mindfully compressed on a cushion for long enough, whammo, unbinding. If they turn that into a pill, it isn't looking good for where the pill has to be administered through...

[Mungo]

I agree - its the arse for us as we are from "down under". I must have it backwards though because unbinding is what i do after waking and before sitting in the morning.

[Andrew]

Don't look now but there are three Aussies talking about arses on a scientific thread. It was bound to happen...

[Masauwu]

TEDxBrownUniversity - Willoughby Britton - Why A Neuroscientist Would Study Meditation

Professor Willoughby Britton tells us that happiness is not about getting what you want. She discusses our mental qualities as habits we practice and she sheds light on an important link between neuroscience and contemplative studies.

An insightful talk about the science behind mindfulness practices, possibly a good introduction to meditation & co for people who don`t know much about it and view it as just a mystical/new agey practice from the far east.

[Masauwu]

Meditation experience is associated with differences in
default mode network activity and connectivity

Many philosophical and contemplative traditions teach that “living in the moment” increases happiness. However, the default mode of humans appears to be that of mind-wandering, which correlates with unhappiness, and with activation in a network of brain areas associated with self-referential processing. We investigated brain activity in experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls as they performed several different meditations (Concentration, Loving-Kindness, Choiceless Awareness). We found that the main nodes of the default-mode network (medial prefrontal and posterior cingulate cortices) were relatively deactivated in experienced meditators across all meditation types. Furthermore, functional connectivity analysis revealed stronger coupling in experienced meditators between the posterior cingulate, dorsal anterior cingulate, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices (regions previously implicated in self-monitoring and cognitive control), both at baseline and during meditation. Our findings demonstrate differences in the default-mode network that are consistent with decreased mind-wandering. As such, these provide a unique understanding of possible neural mechanisms of meditation.

Link to article

[Masauwu]

An extensive list of several thousand published scientific studies of meditation compiled by The Institute of Noetic Sciences. Hopefully of use for students and researchers in neuroscience.

[DarkNightOfNoSoul]

Awesome, thanks!