Has science found enlightenment?

[The Eternal Student]

I posted a TED conference video in a reply on AstralProjectee's topic and it made me think about this wonderful TEDtalks I heard in the past. I didnt want to hijack Astral's topic as it was relative to genes and this is about physical structure of the brain. I found it extremely interesting and it advances the discussion of cognitive practice leading to moments of enlightment such as meditation. Cultivation and meditation really might just be training your mind into focusing more on one hemisphere more than the other. Here a little snippet about the video, link is at the bottom.

 

"Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor is a Harvard-trained brain scientist who suffered a stroke in 1996--at the age of 37--in the left hemisphere of her brain. She spoke of her experience at the 2008 TED Conference and wrote a book titled "My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey".

 

In both the TED.com talk and the book she describes what the four hours felt like during which she was having the stroke and she watched her brain completely deteriorate in its ability to process information, and what life was like afterward. In addition, Dr. Taylor explains her discovery that through the right hemisphere of the brain, the part of her brain that was untouched by the stroke, inner peace is just a thought away.

 

"Pay attention to what you are thinking, and then decide if those are thoughts that are creating the kind of life you want created," she says. "And if it's not, then change your thoughts. It's really that easy."

 

Today, Dr. Taylor works with the Indiana University School of Medicine and is the National Spokesperson for the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center (Harvard Brain Bank). She travels the country as the Singin' Scientist educating audiences about the beauty of the brain and the value of brain donation for research into the severe mental illnesses"

 

Its 20 minutes but for anyone interested in the link between science and spirituality will wish it was 40

[Stosh]

 

"Pay attention to what you are thinking, and then decide if those are thoughts that are creating the kind of life you want created," she says. "And if it's not, then change your thoughts. It's really that easy."

 

 

I don't think its that easy.

 

Stosh

[The Eternal Student]

I don't think its that easy.

 

Stosh

 

Nor do I, "Its that simple" might be a better phrase even though it still fails to encompass the entire journey that is cultivation. However I still liked the presentation.

[Seekerofallthatislight]

Wrong thread. Delete.

Edited July 4, 2012 by Seekerofallthatislight

[Stosh]

Nor do I, "Its that simple" might be a better phrase even though it still fails to encompass the entire journey that is cultivation. However I still liked the presentation.

 

The intro you wrote, told me enough that I didnt watch the presentation.

Lazy? Yes.

(Sorry, I dont chase links all over the web)

I think a person has limited control over their thoughts,

they exist as data points and you can amp them up in importance or tune them down,

and you can write some fresh stuff from imagination,

(that is relatively weak )

But I dont think a person can wholesale rewrite their thoughts at whim.

Maybe over time.

But the reasons why folks actually do things ,is more under emotional guidance

than rational (therefore much harder to affect with precision)

Thats just my personal opinion.

Stosh

[Fū Yue]

But I dont think a person can wholesale rewrite their thoughts at whim.

 

Why not?

[et-thoughts]

Why not?

 

Because the thoughts you have stem from the thoughts you have and you need different thoughts to have different thoughts...

 

Of course unless the thought one has already allow the new thoughts while preventing 'distracting entrapping lures' ...

 

In a way it is as simple as choosing to have the thoughts and as complicated as thinking possible what be impossible... fortunately what is impossible for one to do becomes possible for one to do when one knows how...