Two Views of Mind: Abhidharma & Brain Science [Paperback]

Christopher deCharms (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1997

Scientists compares and contrasts the Buddhists theory of perception and Western neuroscience.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"DeCharms provides illuminating comparisons between the two systems of knowledge and proposes ways that further discussion could be of mutual benefit." --Choice

Review

"Easily the best attempt to compare these very different disciplines."

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Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Snow Lion Publications (January 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559390816
• ISBN-13: 978-1559390811
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,224,266 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Questions Yearning for Answers, April 9, 1999

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This review is from: Two Views of Mind: Abhidharma & Brain Science (Paperback)

This is not an easy book to read, and it does not leave the reader satisfied that a cohesive whole has been delivered. Yet that is also the strength of the book. DeCharms has used his knowledge of neuroscience (and an obvious understanding of the basics of Tibetan Buddhism) to interview some of the great teachers of Tibetan mind analysis about the detailed differences between their understanding of mind and that of western science. The result is not an answer but a series of questions calling for further exploration. For those who seek a first understanding of either side of the comparison, this book will be disappointingly unenlightening. For those with some understanding of one or both sides, it offers tantalizing vistas and the opportunity for new insights.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Eyeing the eye!, February 13, 2001

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Esther Nebenzahl - See all my reviews

This review is from: Two Views of Mind: Abhidharma & Brain Science (Paperback)

A comparison of Tibetan Buddhism and Western Neuroscience is no easy task. DeCharms analyses matters such as perception, cognition, awareness, and thought from two different perspectives, a comparison set not with the purpose of outlying similarities and differences but rather to establish what can be learn from each other. The aim is not to provide decisive and definitive answers but rather to open new ways of thinking about the mind. Considering the differences in methodology, concepts, assumptions, and purpose, besides the embedded flaws and limitations of both Buddhism and Neuroscience (a philosophical and scientific approach), the vastness and extent of this matter is quite complex. DeCharms states that Abhidharma is metaphysical, science is mechanistic, which means that even if the laws within the two systems are similar, they operate over very different domains of experience and should not be taken to be describing the same aspects of reality. This book covers an area of perennial debate and uncertainties, based on the inevitable realization that the only tool available to analyse the cognitive process is the cognitive process itself! Quite challenging reading and certainly will leave the reader with a lot more questions than answers.