Cerveau et méditation - The brain and meditation

The book is the fruit of eight years of exchanges between Matthieu Ricard, a long-time practitioner of Buddhist meditation, and Wolf Singer, one of the world’s leading brain specialists. Over the course of this extensive dialogue, the two men discuss a number of the human mind’s mysteries. Can meditation alter our relationship with ourselves, others and the world, and thereby enable us to live a more peaceful and accomplished life? What is the difference between altruistic and passionate love? Is love this highest form of emotion? Does our brain perceive reality as it is or in fact an illusion? Can we transcend the ego? Does free will exist, and how can we prove it? Are we fully responsible for our actions? What is the origin of consciousness? What is the nature of elevated consciousness? What do near death experiences teach us? Each topic is covered from two radically different points of view: on the one hand, a mystic approach, the fruit of spiritual practice and the teachings of ancestral tradition, on the other, scientific knowledge borne of laboratory experimentation. While their conclusions sometimes differ, they often find common ground, revealing just what is to be gained through the combination of science and spirituality. A rigorous and yet compelling book.

• Meditation and the brain
• Subconscious processes and emotions
• How do we know what we know?
• Self-examination
• Free will, responsibility and justice
• The nature of consciousness
• Conclusion and thanks