Siddharthas Brain, James Kingsland
Siddharthas Brain, James Kingsland
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Siddhartha's Brain
Unlocking the Ancient Science of Enlightenment

Author: James Kingsland

Narrator: Steven Crossley

Unabridged: 10 hr 38 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperAudio

Published: 04/26/2016

Includes: Bonus Material Bonus Material Included


Synopsis

A groundbreaking exploration of the “science of enlightenment,” told through the lens of the journey of Siddhartha (better known as Buddha), by Guardian science editor James Kingsland.In a lush grove on the banks of the Neranjara in northern India—400 years before the birth of Christ, when the foundations of western science and philosophy were being laid by the great minds of Ancient Greece—a prince turned ascetic wanderer sat beneath a fig tree. His name was Siddhartha Gautama, and he was discovering the astonishing capabilities of the human brain and the secrets of mental wellness and spiritual “enlightenment,” the foundation of Buddhism.Framed by the historical journey and teachings of the Buddha, Siddhartha’s Brain shows how meditative and Buddhist practice anticipated the findings of modern neuroscience. Moving from the evolutionary history of the brain to the disorders and neuroses associated with our technology-driven world, James Kingsland explains why the ancient practice of mindfulness has been so beneficial and so important for human beings across time. Far from a New Age fad, the principles of meditation have deep scientific support and have been proven to be effective in combating many contemporary psychiatric disorders. Siddhartha posited that “Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think.” As we are increasingly driven to distraction by competing demands, our ability to focus and control our thoughts has never been more challenged—or more vital.Siddhartha’s Brain offers a cutting-edge, big-picture assessment of meditation and mindfulness: how it works, what it does to our brains, and why meditative practice has never been more important.

About James Kingsland

James Kingsland is a science and medical journalist with twenty-five years of experience working for publications such as New Scientist, Nature, and most recently the Guardian (UK), where he was a commissioning editor and a contributor for its Notes & Theories blog. On his own blog, Plastic Brain, he writes about neuroscience and Buddhist psychology.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Tom

An excellent look at mindfulness and meditation from a neuroscience POV. Kingsland presents recent findings on brain activity, interweaving them with reconstructed tales of the Buddha's life, speculation on the habits of ancient pre-hominids on the savanna, and present-day goings-on at monasteries a......more

Goodreads review by Bernie

Kingsland builds his niche by connecting the dots between the teachings of the Buddha and scientific discoveries about meditation and mindfulness. There are many books that tell the life story of Siddhartha Gautama from various perspectives (e.g. famously the books by Hermann Hesse and Karen Armstro......more

Goodreads review by Arlitia

This is one of the nerdiest books I've read in a long time--and it was absolutely fascinating. It got a bit technical at times, I'll admit, what with all that brain mapping and description, but I stuck with it, because the message of the book is one I think is important and one I think the author ma......more

Goodreads review by Pairash

เล่มนี้คล้ายกับ "สมองพุทธะ" แต่ไม่เน้นศัพท์ทางการแพทย์มากนัก (แต่ก็มีบ้าง) ใช้รูปแบบเล่าเรื่องพุทธเจ้า(พุทธประวัติ)ขึ้นต้นบทก่อน และเทียบเคียงว่าเกิดอะไรขึ้น พระพุทธเจ้าพบสิ่งใด สิ่งที่เคยขึ้นกับสมองในภาวะระลึกรู้ มีสติ ถามว่ารู้ได้ไง ก็โดยการนำผู้ปฏิบัติสมาธิขั้นสูงเข้าเครื่อง MRI แก่นของหนังสือที่พบ......more