Sleeping, Dreaming, and Dying

By Dalai Lama XIV

Book Overview

This is an absorbing account of a dialogue between leading Western scientists and the foremost representative of Buddhism today, the Dalai Lama of Tibet.

For modern science, the transitional states of consciousness lie at the forefront of research in many fields. For a Buddhist practitioner these same states present crucial opportunities to explore and transform consciousness itself. This book is the account of a historic dialogue between leading Western scientists and 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. Whether the topic is lucid dreaming, near-death experiences, or the very structure of consciousness itself, the reader is continually surprised and delighted.

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.

Remarkable convergences between the Western scientific tradition and the Buddhist contemplative sciences are revealed. Dr. Jayne Gackenbach's discussion of lucid dreaming, for example, prompts a detailed and fascinating response from the Dalai Lama on the manipulation of dreams by Buddhist meditators. The conversations also reveal provocative divergences of opinion, as when the Dalai Lama expresses skepticism about "Near-Death Experiences" as presented by Joan Halifax. The conversations are engrossing and highly readable. Any reader interested in psychology, neuroscience, Buddhism, or the alternative worlds of dreams will surely enjoy Sleeping, Dreaming, and Dying.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0861711238
• ISBN13: 9780861711239
• Release Date: May 2002
• Publisher: Wisdom Publications
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.87 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Another excellent "buddhism meets western science" book

HHDL has had a lifelong interest in the intersection of buddhist thought and western science, and he has attracted many westerners to buddhism because of it. This is another excellent book on the subject. Highly recommended.

Profound

As far as I know, this is the only book of its kind, documenting a true symposium of "East meets West" in classical dialectic. For anyone interested in a spiritual version of "The Tao of Physics", this is a must-read. I suspect that many will find this book life changing. I was constantly amazed at the intellectual clarity of the Dalai Lama's points and questions and the utter respect the scientists showed for Eastern understanding. Some years ago, I had the good fortune of doing a graduate-level independent study with one of the leaders in the field of Near Death Experiences. I suspected that though the phenomenon is not a purely physiological one, as the secular humanists would have us believe, the experiences are culturally dependent. I was simply stunned to read the Dalai Lama, with his wealth of knowledge in spritual and mind-related experiences, suspects the same. I hope this topic will be covered again in the future, and in greater depth, revealing the results of recent studies using the most modern scientific techniques. What a wonderul read!

Well I Think 5 Stars is Necessary

I'm not sure why this book received all the bad reviews that it did (though I confess I have never given a Dalai Lama book less than a 5 start review-I love the guy!). The book is one of a plethora of transcripts of the Mind and Life Conferences held in India, this being the fourth conference in 1992. Sure the discussions are varied, and by no means is everyone simply in agreement with one another here. But the dialogue is engaging and thought provoking, and above all else, illuminating. At the conference we had philosophers, neuroscientists, psychologists, and many more; so of course we are going to get a huge spectrum of views. The cultural ecologist, Jane Halifax (whom you all may know of), had a particularly fascinating section in here on near death experiences. All the Dalai Lama did was show some uncertainty as to the validity of these claims in light of the Buddhist view of a natural death and rebirth. So what if the Dalai Lama didn't agree with her, you don't have to have agreement to have a good book! Differentiating views provide all of us more food to chew on, and then decide which works for us. It's not a matter of who had it right, but rather, "Does it sound right to you?"Enjoy the book!

Great reading

I found this book very interesting. It shows how science and Buddhism have very few contradictions. This book also highlights the intelligence of the Dalai Lama. His Holiness can understand and add thoughtful insight to matters we consider to be "scientific" , a good book in every way.

Fascinating, multidisciplinary exploration of consciousness

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