Zen and the Brain

Zen and the Brain: Toward an Understanding of Meditation and Consciousness by James H. Austin

This is the classic 800+ page "everything you always wanted to know" guide to both neurology and Zen. Its treatment of both topics is massive and exhastive.

On the "Brain" side, you get a detailed tour of what neurologists now know about brain anatomy and function. This includes:

• Brain phyisical sub-systems, such as mid-brain, hypothalamus,  hypo campus … You will never speak of "the" brain again. There are dozens of different "organs" in your head with discreet structure and function.
• How neurones work in excruciating detail. 
• Signalling, activation, blocking
• Effects of chemicals such as nicotine, endorphins …
• learning and un-learning 
• Processes such as vision, hearing

Austin's book should be the cure for people who think of the brain as somehow like a computer or (conversely) that a computer is somehow like a brain. Nature has employed a host of "technologies" to create our minds -- electronic signalling is just one of many. For example, when a neurones receives a "signal" it may change when the way it responds to the next signal by "unpacking" all the awesome toolbox of DNA in its nucleus. Its output "signal" (which may be include one or more chemicals, not just an electrical pulse) may be modified, amplified, or suppressed in literally thousands if different ways en route to the "receiving" neurone. The state of the entire brain is the result of perhaps a dozen levels of "emergent" behaviour. Perhaps the only way to use the computer analogy is in a negative way by trying to imagine what we could learn about a Word Processor by doing a detailed study of the signals being passed around in the chips on our computer. To put it another way, the electrical nature of the computer tells us nothing useful about Word Processing, much less how to write a good letter.

On the "Zen" side, Austin tells you all about

• Consciousness in general, "normal" states and dozens of altered ones
• History of zen and all it's schools and variations
• The personal history of the author

Austin has impressive credentials for both of his subjects. Anyone looking for an encyclopedia of Zen and the Brain should take a look at this book.

For most people, though, I think that Austin can be best approached by means of his numerous video lectures available on the Internet. I expect that the book will  join the shelves along with the writings of Freud and Jung:, much-purchased, much quoted but little read.

The incredibly detailed account of the workings of the brain is perhaps best suited as an introduction for budding neurologists. The thickly worded narrative accounts scream out for diagrams -- not just simplified brain pictures but schematics of the processes being described. While interesting and informative, the text would never pass the editorial standards of "Scientific American" (aimed at the educated layman) or even the standards of "Science" or "Nature", publications aimed at professional Scientists. It's just too dense.

Of course, the result of such an editing process would be something like a 10 volume encyclopedia of the brain or a three term series University-level courses. The subject is vast -- in fact, one might say that the subject is "reality itself and how we come to know it". It's not reasonable to expect that Austin's subject can be boiled down to a few pretty pictures.

For those like me who need a bit of hand-holding, I highly recommend the free iPad/iPhone App "3D Brain" which allows you to dissect a brain in living colour without the mess or legal complications. Many on-line courses are available for neurology for the masses. I have ordered a used hard copy version of Austin's book (a new one is $100 !!), planning to use it as a reference in combination with the resources just mentioned. The Kindle version is still useful since (like all Kindle books) the online version is easily searchable with facilities for your own highlights and notes. Trying to learn about brain function from Austin's book alone is definitely not recommended.

On the "Zen" side, I had objections of a more personal nature. Austin sees Zen as mainly about difficult "advanced" meditation techniques and the resulting alternate states of consciousness. He repeatedly sings the praises of the way Zen can transform the life of the practitioner or even society as a whole, but then offsets this by claiming that the really valuable insights of Zen are only available to people who, like himself, are willing to dedicate years to the project of attaining some kind of alternate state of consciousness. His underlying theme is that Zen transforms the brain in much the same way that arduous training transforms the body of a professional athlete. According to Austin, the true insights of Zen are beyond the reach of ordinary folks just like the experience of a an Olympic diver.

This contrasts sharply with the approach of Osho, who packages Zen advice in plain language and a format that is immediately accessible to the ordinary reader. I found Osho's advice to be immediately relevant and useful. After plowing through Austin's 800 pages, I found a great deal of theoretical foundation that I expect will be useful in the long run but not much that was of immediate practical value (unless you count the implied advice not to bother with Zen meditation because it really only "works" for the monks).

I think the Buddha touched a fundamental and relevant truth when he said that the origin our our suffering is attachment. In the subsequent centuries, the effort to annhialate attachment has resulted in a mystical quest to utterly destroy the self and to somehow experience the result subjectively. Austin does a good job at explaining this seemingly paradoxical goal. Along the way, he describes the vast machinery of the brain whose design seems to create the self, so it's no surprise that Austin sees the project as hugely difficult.  

Personally, I don't think that any kind of "ism", including Buddhism will suit me. On the other hand, Zen offers a range of practices and perspectives that allow the practitioner to shake off the harmful and destructive influences of attachment. For me, the goal of these practices should be

• Increasing awareness of the world around me
• Banishing of "activities" (Osho) that simply serve to avoid leaving myself alone with myself
• Insight into how often my own personal troubles are created by attachment to the I-me-mine aspects of self (Thank you Austin)
• Insight into the nature of "bipolar illness", especially "mania" and its opposite, "mindfulness"
• Insight into how the medications I take for bipolar illness work -- possibly to reduce my dependence on them or detect unwanted side-effects (thank you Austin)
• Nurturing activities I already enjoy that feature mindfulness, such as photography and hiking with a  dog

Jesus had a lot to say about being "reborn" in a new self -- one that banished old habits and set a course for a new way of being. He showed by example that the new way had little room for the accumulation of "stuff" -- things of this world. Along with all the old-testament prophets he praised tolerance and selfless service. But the Christian tradition offers little advice on how to achieve this new state of mind. I believe that "Zen light" offers some powerful insight along these lines, along with some advice about reigning in the natural but harmful appetites of the self. Although it is easy to miss, mindfulness is also about paying close attention to what is going on with the folks around you without judgement and without constantly inserting yourself into the picture.