Customer Reviews

Mind in the Balance: Meditation in Science, Buddhism, and Christianity (Columbia Series in Science and Religion)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Mr. Wallace does a Yeoman's job of condensing, polishing, explaining and reviewing ancient contemplative theories & practices; from both Buddhist and Christian perspectives and then uses modern science (quantum physics and neuroscience) to elucidate and flesh out the nature of the archaic but extremely relevant wisdom.

Between rigorously researched historical accounts and postulations of meditative principles, we are treated to exercises with which to practice and integrate those principles. This was quite a boon for me as my next step on the path is to learn and practice some form of meditation, and this book went a considerable distance in whetting my appetite.

The author articulates some very excellent, wise and cogent rationale as to why materialist/reductionist philosophy is just as stagnating, dogmatic and possibly harmful as the medieval R.C. Church and their insistence on the Ostrich maneuver. I think Mr. Wallace would agree fanaticism - any fanaticism - is at least counterproductive and at most, deadly. A Mind that is in balance will serve the world, its people and its master far more productively and joyfully than one in an impulsive, fanatical frenzy.

My only nit-picky complaints are: 1.) Alan, in most cases painted with a pretty broad brush, I wish he would have added some more detail; 2.) That said, the book could have been a bit longer - expanding on the exercises and maybe some more historical context; 3.) Alan is obviously a very practiced mediator and the language, analogies, metaphors and similes he used were to me; a bit too esoteric. I am at best a nascent practitioner, thus some of the concepts as explained were somewhat daunting.

Great work - 5 stars on the board, but I'm going with a real 4 ½ today.

UPDATE! After reading, rereading and reading again - the last 4 or 5 chapters in this book, I have come to the following two conclusions: 1.) My nit-picks as stated above should be completely ignored; 2.) This work is replete with lucid argument and wonderful, (nearly breathtaking) detailed explanation as to the congruencies and parallels between Eastern & Western contemplative traditions and modern, that is to say: quantum physics. "Mind in Balance" is now in my top three favorites of all time, easily a must read 5 plus star effort.

This book was exactly what I wanted and needed. I had always wanted to know the origins of meditation and contemplation. There are so many new age gurus teaching new age techniques, and what I wanted was the authentic techniques, that had been tried and tested. I wanted to get as close to the origins as possible, and that's exactly what this book offered me. Raised as a Christian I wanted to know how it all tied into Christianity, and Mind In The Balance so nicely brought it all together for me, and really helped create an even less dualistic view for me. I was also interested in what the latest research and studies science had on the subject, and this too was included in the book. I always thought that meditation was just about sitting on my cushion and not thinking about anything. Mind In The Balance opened my uneducated view, and offered many different types of meditation that I find exciting "exploration of the mind" as Alan Wallace calls it, is so much better then my previous attempts at spacing out. And one of the greatest gifts this book gave me was a genuine and lasting motivation to explore my mind, and reach my inner depths of perfection. Thank you!!!!

The book deals a devastating blow to the cognitive sciences as practiced today. Wallace argues that cognitive scientists and neuroscientists hold materialism -- the view that consciousness can be explained on a physical level -- as dogma. These fields tend to dismiss what may be learned from direct contemplation of the mind. In a simple and brilliant stroke, Wallace shows materialism to be a faith-based view. Why? The physical basis of consciousness has not been established. Wallace quotes Christoph Koch, a leading neuroscientist at CalTech, who says that the relationship between consciousness and the physical brain remains a mystery.

Another deft move in the book is Wallace's revival of introspection as a means of understanding the mind. He revisits the early history of modern psychology when William James viewed introspection as a research method. Later, during the rise of behaviorism and the cognitive revolution, introspection was pooh-poohed as "unscientific." Behaviorists believed anything that could not be observed and measured empirically was not real. Wallace exposes this as nonsense. He suggests that meditation, being a direct experience of the mind, is akin to James' introspection, and has yielded profound insights into consciousness which can inform the cognitive sciences.

A third line of inquiry explores whether nature has an absolute reality outside of human perceptions, or instead, nature can only be understood through the language and tools we bring to bear on it (a Phenomenalist view). Wallace highlights the work of distinguished contemporary scholars and scientists who have arrived at the latter view. He ties this view back to the Buddhist teaching that the entire world emerges from the "substrate" and returns to it. It is striking that certain strands of Western science and philosophy have ended up in the same territory as Buddhist contemplative wisdom.

Throughout the book, Wallace fishes out prominent and obscure figures from history: Pythagoras, Nicholas of Cusa, Franklin Merrell-Wolff, Richard Feynman, and Düdjom Lingpa, to name just a few. Wallace nimbly traverses the fields of history, philosophy, science, and religion.

The author's voice is lucid, even-keeled, and confident. But taken as a whole, the book deals a withering blow to certain received truths of Western science. The contrast between the calm lucidity of the prose and the force of its argument is quite pleasing! But the book is much more than a critique of science as we know it; it offers a vision for how a contemplative perspective can enrich scientific inquiry.

Wallace's ideas should be considered carefully by cognitive scientists of all stripes, philosophers of science, and anyone interested in the encounter between Western and Buddhist worldviews. I also give it the highest recommendation to any inquiring person who is willing to let his curiosity lead him into new territory.

'Mind in the Balance' is difficult to review because the response depends on individual reasons for reading the book, which vary considerably - the differing reviews clearly demonstrate this. Meditation, after all, is a highly personal experience, yet Wallace has chosen to take an academic - even impersonal - approach to it. For me, that is a major drawback to this book.

While the author makes reference to a number of scientific studies in which meditation is shown to be beneficial, he gives no examples of specific practices in Christianity and Buddhism that we can evaluate or compare. As it is, we are given only a generic mindfulness meditation that is described in so many other books on the subject. Neither are we helped to understand the uniqueness of the meditation experience for individual practitioners, even within the same religion or belief.

Although not Christian as are other reviewers, I am nevertheless concerned that Wallace shows marked bias against Christianity in favour of his own Buddhist tradition. This is evident in the way he focuses on the negatives in early Christian dogma, but only the positives in evolved Buddhist teachings. For example, he refers to the focus on guilt in traditional Christianity, but makes no mention of early Gnosticism, which did not hold this belief. More importantly, he completely disregards present day traditions in Christianity such as the labyrinth-walking meditation movement led by the Rev Lauren Artress. (Sitting motionless is not considered by all traditions as prerequisite to the meditative state.) Such practices (as labyrinth walking) clearly resonate with Buddhism, especially in regard to mindfulness meditation, but are ignored by Wallace. I am also puzzled as to why the author excludes Vipissana (Indian) Meditation and Taoist (Chinese) Meditation, which have similarities as well.

Two other concerns: Wallace does not put the benefits of meditation with ADHD into correct scientific context. The impression given is that meditation is the definitive treatment of such a condition, when it can only be a part of it. ADHD has been demonstrated in other studies (besides those quoted by Wallace) to be markedly reduced by the elimination of environmental toxins and food additives, as well as in the improvement of nutritional status. While it may be a worthwhile therapeutic tool, meditation alone will not heal - or prevent - conditions like ADHD when the negative (and often pathological) external environment remains uncorrected.

Secondly, Wallace works from a very limited definition of stress in that he defines it as purely psychological and/or emotional. There are numerous other stressors, especially physiological, including chronic pain, long term sleep deprivation, environmental toxins and even hormonal irregularities. The body does not differentiate when it comes to the source of stress. Wallace sees depression as being entirely psychosomatic, yet it is a classic symptom of hypothyroidism (of which there is said to be a current epidemic.) Thus, in his focus on the internal environment, Wallace ignores the external environment.

Wallace takes a definitive view of meditation, and maybe that is what his step-daughter specified in her request. But if you prefer a less academic or proscribed approach to meditation, you may like books by Lorin Roche (Meditation 24/7: Practices to enlighten every moment of the day) Camille Maureen (Meditation for Women) and David Kunz (Stopping: How to be still when you have to keep going.) Kunz, by the way is a counsellor who was previously a Jesuit Priest. Another positive then, from outside Wallace's Buddhist sources.

"Mind in the Balance" is indeed about balance--the truths or realizations that can be obtained when one's explorations balance empiricism with an open mind. Wallace introduces the meat of the book (Meditation in Theory and Practice) with succinct essays on the origins of contemplation, the "scientific externalization of meditation," and scientific studies of meditation. This introduction is essential because most of us do not come to science, religion, or contemplation with either an informed or an unbiased attitude. Wallace points out how materialism arose historically as a central dogma in science--one that has had some good and some very bad effects on the scientific enterprise. Expecting all valid measurements to be of a quantitative, physical nature turns out to be a fake objectivity. Physics has already challenged the purely physical nature of phenomena with relativity theory and quantum mechanics, yet the lay public and many scientists still are unable to open up to the implications. Wearing such blinders, many automatically label contemplation anywhere along a continuum from "irrelevant" to "primitive superstition."

If one pays attention to the author's historical overviews of contemplation and science, the section on recent scientific studies of meditation presents tantalizing possibilities for the solution of deep scientific and philosophical questions that have long baffled humankind. It is generally accepted now that meditation can relax the physical body resulting in positive effects that relieve a number of chronic conditions resulting from stress. But studies on the effects of meditation with regard to neuroplasticity and epiginetics suggest that the mind has a central role in the expression of fundamental activities ranging from cognitive acuity to the operation of our genes.

Wallace--who has a strong Buddhist background complemented with studies in physics--does not shy away from controversial areas within contemplative religion. Some of the more refined activities of meditational training promise supernormal abilities such as clairvoyance and clairaudience, levitation, and the ability to dissolve one's physical body into light (signifying an exalted state of realization). These abilities have long been accepted as possible--even "normal"--by contemplative traditions. But what about empirical evidence for these powers?

We may consider a wealth of anecdotal evidence--public witnesses to such abilities up to the present. In Tibet, for example, tertons ("treasure revealers") often insisted on public witnesses--sometimes of hundreds of people--to verify the exposure of long-hidden teachings sometimes found in the center of stones. The tertons might place their hands on the rock, causing it to melt, and then reach inside, pulling out teachings written on parchment. Tibetans were known to take a very skeptical attitude towards such treasures presented without having been discovered in public. Furthermore, a number of people claim to have witnessed the effects of the dissolution of the body of a dead yogi into light. These examples do not describe "laboratory conditions," but the frequency of such claims merits serious study. If yogis practicing "inner heat" in sub-freezing conditions can dry wet blankets draped over their naked bodies (which has been confirmed by western medical researchers), the spirit of empiricism that is to guide science demands that other, even more extraordinary claims, be examined seriously rather than being written off as an expression of "superstition" and "blind faith."

Having cast light on the roots of prejudice against contemplative religion, thereby providing a viable basis for preceding further, Wallace invites us to try a variety of contemplative techniques for ourselves. These range in scope from curing ourselves of psychological hang-ups to witnessing the union of mind and matter.

"Mind in the Balance" is written in elegantly accessible prose by someone well acquainted with both contemplative religion and science. I recommend it highly to anyone curious to explore beyond the humdrum confines of our ingrained prejudices.

The preface opens with a request that Alan Wallace's step-daughter put to him regarding a book that would "improve the quality of her interior life and mind" and serve the same purpose for others. I give the book two stars for the short "Practice" chapters (especially the first three) that walk the reader through meditation exercises.

Since the request came from a Christian, Wallace presents his work as a sort of synthesis of "science, Buddhism, and Christianity." It is in this regard that Mind In the Balance fell far short of my expectations. Thich Nhat Hanh's Living Buddha, Living Christ came closer to that goal, and perhaps because of Hanh's close relationship to Thomas Merton. But it, too, was colored by Hanh's tradition, which is to be expected (although it would be helpful if it were acknowledged).

I don't want to despair of finding a common meeting ground between Buddhism and Christianity, but the place to find it will not be within the doctrines of either system. Christians will try to find traces of their doctrines in Buddhism and Buddhist will try to find traces of their doctrines (Dharma) in Christianity. Both will be imposing something on the other.

For the sake of brevity, I will mention only one example from the book. Wallace thinks he can find reincarnation taught or implied in the New Testament in so far as John the Baptist is described as having come in the spirit and power of the ancient prophet Elijah. This reading can only be supported by a superficial reading of the New Testament, a misunderstanding of Hebrew culture and theology (in which the Bible was written), and a limited knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures. It's easy to see why most people do not have a good grasp on the Hebrew Scriptures. They are dense and quite foreign to our worldview. But even during Elijah's lifetime, his protege Elisha was filled with the spirit and power of Elijah. It had nothing to do with Elijah's spirit being reincarnated in another body and everything to do with the Spirit of God who empowered the charismatic leaders and prophets of Hebrew Scripture.

I really wanted to find in Wallace's book a common foundation for Christianity and Buddhism (with science thrown into the mix for extra measure), but it just wasn't there. He generalizes the possibilities of synthesis with Christianity based on questionable characters (I happen to be a fan of Evagrius, but since some of his teaching was later branded heretical, he is not a good candidate for characterizing Christian belief). There were a couple of places where it seemed he did the same thing with physics and neuroscience so that they would fit into a Buddhist understanding of the nature of reality.

I am a Christian who has benefited greatly from Buddhist teaching regarding meditation. I have studied it, not to learn Buddhism, but to discover what has been missing, buried, or ignored in my own tradition. My attentiveness to God in prayer has been greatly enhanced through the intense focus I have learned in meditation. But I would not dare to write anything about the points where Buddhism and Christianity converge, because I simply do not know that much about Buddhism (and its various branches). If Wallace had kept his remarks to what he believes as a Buddhist (or more collaborated more with Christian and Hebrew scholars) and allowed the reader to find their own points of intersection, his work would have seemed more authentic to me.

This book turned out to be a disappointment, largely because Wallace is disturbingly anti-science and pro-religion, which shows that Buddhists can believe with blind faith in weird stuff just as other religious fundamentalists do.

Example: I can sort of understand what "brightly shining mind" might be like (this supposedly is primordial consciousness, the mind of the Buddha). But many Buddhists also believe in a bodily transformation that is a whole lot less believable.

Given Wallace's assertion that Buddhism is a religion committed to confirming religious phenomena, I figured that he'd offer up some evidence of "one's body vanishes at death like a rainbow disappearing into the sky" and "the material body of the contemplative decreases in size until it finally vanishes without leaving any trace of the body or mind behind."

Nope. So there is no evidence confirming a Buddhist dogma, the dissolving of the physical body at death into a "rainbow body," that could easily be tested by scientific methods. Yet Wallace speaks of this being "an extraordinary challenge to many religious and scientific assumptions that limit the human imagination today."

Wallace's version of Buddhism is annoyingly unscientific. He uncritically accepts religious beliefs, such as the rainbow body and reincarnation, on faith, and also makes unfounded claims that Buddhism knows more about physical reality than science does -- such as the non-material foundation of consciousness.

Hasn't Wallace heard about anesthesia, persistent vegetative states, neurological injuries, MRI scanners, and other evidence that the physical brain and consciousness are exceedingly intimately connected? If not identical.

Sure, subjective states can't be measured objectively. That's obvious, both philosophically and scientifically. That's a far cry, though, from asserting that Buddhists know human consciousness survives bodily death.

Every Buddhist contemplative who supposedly has made this discovery has been alive at the time. How the heck can someone know that his or her consciousness doesn't cease at death when they're not dead?

The main thing I learned from this book is that Buddhism really is a religion. I've tried to view it as a philosophy based on direct experience of one's own mind/consciousness, not on theological precepts accepted on faith.

But it's clear that Wallace sees meditation merely as a means of confirming the teachings of Buddhism. If a meditator doesn't experience what Wallace believes is true, he or she is doing something wrong.

This isn't spiritual science. It is dogmatic religion disguised with a flimsy covering of a pseudo-scientific method.

If you're interested in non-religious Buddhism, there are plenty of alternatives to "Mind in the Balance." A couple of my favorites are "Buddhism Without Beliefs" and "Ending the Pursuit of Happiness."