Sleeping, Dreaming, and Dying: An Exploration of Consciousness [Paperback]

His Holiness the Dalai Lama (Author), Francisco J. Varela Ph.D. (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2002

Sleeping, Dreaming, and Dying is an absorbing account of the expanding dialogue between leading Western scientists and the foremost representative of Buddhism today, the Dalai Lama of Tibet. Revolving around three key moments of consciousness — sleep, dreams, and death — the conversations recorded here are both engrossing and highly readable. Narrated by Francisco Varela, an internationally recognized neuroscientist, the book begins with insightful remarks on the notion of personal identity by noted philosopher Charles Taylor, author of the acclaimed Sources of Self. This sets the stage for Dr. Jerome Engel, Dr. Joyce MacDougal and others to engage in extraordinary exchanges with the Dalai Lama on topics ranging from the neurology of sleep to the yoga of dreams. The conversations also reveal provocative divergences of opinion, as when the Dalai Lama expresses skepticism about "Near Death Experiences" as presented by Joan Halifax.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...engrossing and highly readable..." -- Bookwatch, June 1997

Sleeping, Dreaming, And Dying is an exploration of Consciousness with the Dalai Lama edited and narrated by Francisco Varela. Sleeping, Dreaming, And Dying is the account of an historic dialogue between leading Western scientists and one of the foremost representatives of Buddhism today, the Dalai Lama of Tibet. Revolving around the three key moments of consciousness of sleep, dreams, and death. Sleeping, Dreaming, And Dying is engrossing and highly readable, whether the topic is lucid dreaming, near death experiences, or the very structure of consciousness itself, this unique exchange between the Dali Lama and philosopher Charles Taylor, psychoanalyst Joyce McDougall, psychologist Jayne Gackenbach, cultural ecologist Joan Halifax, and neuroscientist Jerome Engle will delight any reader with an interest in Buddhism, psychology, ;neuroscience, the alternative worlds of dream, and the afterlife. -- Midwest Book Review

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Tibetan

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 254 pages
• Publisher: Wisdom Publications; Later Printing edition (May 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0861711238
• ISBN-13: 978-0861711239
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #143,271 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, multidisciplinary exploration of consciousness, June 4, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Sleeping, Dreaming, and Dying: An Exploration of Consciousness (Paperback)

This book presents notes from a summit of several top thinkers in the fields of psychoanalysis, neurophysiology, Buddhism, Western philosophy and others. Completely unlike a collection of essays; you're presented with the rich, dynamic and fascinating syntheses of the theories from each of these fields. The dialog format emphasizes the creativity and intelligence of participants. Worth reading no matter which philosphy you endorse -- all the better if you have some interest in each! This book has that rare quality of really making you work your brain muscle AND being a book you can't wait to come home to after work. Don't skip a page

51 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Retracing the flightpath of a butterfly by its droppings, May 25, 2001

By 

Saul Boulschett "Anyway" (Dry land) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sleeping, Dreaming, and Dying: An Exploration of Consciousness (Paperback)

Can you imagine a conversation about the essence of art taking place between, oh, say, Picasso and art therapists who treat mental patients, and some chemists who concoct formulaes for oil paints? Something like that is taking place here. The title alone is enough to pique your interest, but the content is less than secret-divulging. If you're not a neurologist,or a specialist in a related area,then much of the material presented by the neurologist will be for all practical purposes useless. If you're not familiar with the basic assumptions of esoteric buddhist psychology, then much of what HH Dalai Lama has to say will sound like so much dogma or articles of faith. I know next to nothing about brain sciences, but am academically acquainted with the buddhist conception of reality, so I found what the Dalai Lama had to say both interesting and amusing. Interesting, because he speaks as plainly as he can about things that are usually wrapped in some hairy buddhist language. Amusing, becuase the Dalai Lama would show utmost courtesy in listening to all the dry academic presentations, which even I found somewhat tedious, and then offer his views about the matter at hand by often beginning with what sounds like a gentle correction rather than a positing of difference of perspective only. I paraphrase from memory: "Well, your numbers and theories are all very nice, but no, it's actually like this." Some of the discussions on REM, and animal responses to dream states are interesting, but just merely interesting. Better on the Discovery channel. Much of the philosopher Charles Taylor's presentations concerning the Western/Christian conception of the Self is reliable but elementary. And dealing with the subject matter at hand, even an eminent philosopher can do only so much with Ratio alone. The book is of some value if one is willing to be open to the possibility that the Dalai Lama may be speaking of things that are real but not measurable, at least not with knobs and dials. Not yet. He never mentions it specifically in the book, but the idea of rebirth and the attendant conditions are indirectly there, for example when he questions the authenticity of the phenomenon of seeing one's departed ones in a near-death experience. He says, "Maybe the person is hallucinating at that point or projecting a wish. They (the loved ones who departed long ago) would have found new bodies by then." Taken as an record of an encounter with the Dalai Lama, this book sheds some light into that aspect of the man that won't show up when he is on Larry King or speaking of compassion to the multitude in Central Park. The guy is a professional in his own field, after all, and he knows his chops. Here, refreshingly enough, he sheds some of his avuncular "hey, be cool, people!" image and divulges some of his professional knowledge at a speed and intensity of delivery considerably higher than the mass media have shown him to be capable.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Drawing Out Some Potential Links between Science & Buddhism, August 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Sleeping, Dreaming, and Dying: An Exploration of Consciousness (Paperback)

I found this book to be a little dry at times but nonetheless provides some useful explanations on the myths which have been with the human race since the ancient time: dream, sleep and death.

From a buddhist perspective it helps reinforces the belief (at least not disproved it) of buddhist that there is a higher level of consciousness not yet been measured via any scientific means. From a scientific standpoint, the book has summarised the recent developments in neuroscience and showed us that there is a possibility one day both religion and science will meet face to face and one would have to change the fundamental concepts one used to hold. It could be the scientific community or the religious groups. At least HH the Dalai Lama is very open to the ideas in the book while the scientists were at times pretty "close" and reluctant to take a different perspective which made some of them sounded a little bit defensive.