Index

• Absolute truth, 114
• Afflictive state, 21, 22
• Afflictive thoughts, 78–81
• Agency, self-attribution of, 166
• Alert presence, 73
• All-discriminating wisdom, 102
• Alpha activity, 59, 60
• Altruism, 49, 54–56
• Altruistic love, 8, 9, 13, 30, 68
• Amygdala, 50
• Anger, 8–10, 13, 18
• Anterior cingulate cortex, 54, 258
• Anterior insula, 213, 258
• Attachment, love versus, 82–84
• Attention
  • cognitive control and, 25–32
  • consciousness and, 222, 223, 228
  • dual functions of, 245, 246
  • rumination and open presence and, 36–39
• Attentional blink, 32–36, 184
• Attenuating circumstances, 185–188, 196
• Attraction, 146, 147
• Autism, 65, 66
• Automatized skills, 19–21, 40, 41
• Autonomous nervous system, 175
• Aversive brain states, 62
• Awareness
  • levels of, 223
  • pure, 6–8, 126, 127, 213, 214, 225–230, 234, 235, 243, 246
  • self-illuminating, 223

• Balance, emotional, 17
• Ballotta, Adrianna, 191, 192
• Bare awareness, 37
• Basal ganglia, 41
• Basic cognition, 6
• Beck, Aaron, 87
• Behavior, future, 172, 173
• Being No One (Metzinger), 145
• Bender, Professor, 252, 253
• Benevolence, 30
• Bhavana, 30
• Binocular rivalry, 27, 28
• Biofeedback, 57–60
• Bitbol, Michel, 164, 237, 238
• Bodhisattva, 53, 54, 68, 69, 84
• Boyd, Robert, 98
• Brain
  • architecture of, 162–164, 167–173, 187, 231, 236, 260
  • coherence and, 50–56
  • development of, 15, 31
  • lack of center of command in, 156–158
  • plasticity of, 14, 178, 229, 235
• Brefczynski, Julie, 21
• Burnout, 50
• Bystander effect, 71

• Cartesian center, 156
• Cartesian dualism, 220, 239
• Causality, interdependence and, 114–117
• Cerebellum, 41
• Cerebral cortex, 31
• Chalmers, David, 232, 237–239
• Change
  • capacity for, 4
  • gradual and lasting, 11–13
  • neuronal, 15–17
  • potential for, 190, 191
  • rehabilitation and, 191–195
  • responsibility for, 177–182
• Change blindness, 75
• Childhood amnesia, 97
• Children, teaching of, 23, 24
• Choice, range of, 182–185
• Cingulate cortex, 50
• Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, 191, 192
• Cognitive and behavioral therapy, 4, 78, 87, 154
• Cognitive control, 25–32
• Cognitive delusion, 104–110
• Cohen, Jonathan, 250
• Cohen, M. A., 239
• Coherence, 180, 228, 229, 240–242
• Coincidences, 250, 251
• Collective experience, 131
• Compassion, 20, 39, 48–56, 63–68, 85, 194–196, 229
• Compassion fatigue, 50
• Condon, Paul, 71
• Confidence, 22, 57
• Conflict resolution, 79, 80
• Connectivity, 14, 15
• Consciousness
  • altered states of, 245
  • aspects of, 219, 220
  • “coarse”/“gross” aspect of, 225, 259, 260
  • content of, 258–261
  • continuum of the luminous fundamental, 220
  • dynamic nature of, 7
  • levels of, 230–246
  • nature of, 211–225
  • self and, 140, 141
  • “subtle” aspect of, 225
  • workspace of, 75, 76, 171, 172, 223, 244–246
• Constructivism, 112, 113, 117, 129
• Continuous performance task, 19
• Continuum of the luminous fundamental consciousness
• Contrast enhancement, 67
• Conventional self, 141
• Correct relative truth, 114
• Cortical areas, 231, 242
• Cortical control systems, 41
• Creativity, 61, 62, 206
• Cultural evolution, 89, 95–99, 179–182, 236, 237, 240

• Dalai Lama, 47, 53, 54, 63, 144, 149–152, 201, 202, 238, 239
• Davidson, Richard, 21, 26, 29, 33, 45, 49, 168
• Decision making process, 161–177, 183, 184
• Declarative memory, 40
• Deliberation, 167, 168, 172, 173, 182
• Delusions, 104–110
• Dennett, D., 239
• Depression, 4
• Desbordes, Gaëlle, 71
• Determinism, 207, 208
• Devi, Lugdi, 255
• Devi, Shanti, 253–255
• Deviations, horrendous, 195–197
• Ding an sich, 93
• Dissociation of personality, 7, 8
• Distortion and, 111, 112
• Distraction, 39–41, 121
• Doctor, looking with eyes of, 188–191
• Dostoyevsky, Fyodor, 258
• Dreams, 43, 48
• Drugs, 59
• Dualism, 220, 221
• Dwelling in nondual awareness

• Education, 179, 237
• Ego, 139, 143, 144, 148–153
• Ego bubble, 151–153
• Ego grasping, 143, 148–150
• Egolessness, 151–153
• Einstein, Albert, 107, 115, 120
• Ekman, Paul, 35–37, 79, 86, 151
• Embodied mind, 224
• Emotional nuances, 18
• Emotional regulation, 173, 174
• Emotions, 9–13, 65, 66, 81, 82, 133, 134
• Empathy, 35, 36, 50
• Empathy fatigue, 50
• “Emperor of the mind
• Enaction, 224
• Engrams, 45, 46, 64, 173, 186
• Enrichment, outer and inner, 13–15
• Epigenetics, 89, 95–98, 164, 167, 170, 186, 194, 217, 236, 237, 259, 260
• Epileptic seizures, 44, 45, 258, 259
• Episodic memory, 40
• Erroneous relative truth, 114
• Ethics, 128, 129, 134
• Events, 105
• Evers, Kathinka, 169
• Evolution, 92–97

• Facial expressions, 35, 36, 65, 66
• Fearlessness, 86
• Feedback, 57–63
• Field, Brent, 28
• First-person experience/perspective, 10, 11, 103, 123–126, 212–218
• Flower power people, 83
• Forensic psychiatrists, 161, 162
• Forgiveness, 197–200
• Fredrickson, Barbara, 50, 82, 85
• Freedom, 146, 147, 183, 233
• Free will, 167, 182–185, 203–206
• Freud, Sigmund, 2
• Frontal lobe, 41
• Fulfillment, 53–56
• Fundamental luminous nature of mind, 5, 6
• Future, 207–210
• Future behavior, 172, 173

• Gamma activation, 48, 49, 60
• Gamma frequency band, 26–29
• Gandhi, 135, 155, 254
• Gilbert, Paul, 147
• God, concept of, 159
• Gödel, Kurt, 221
• Gold nugget, 5, 188, 189
• Gom, 30
• Guilt, 182, 183, 202
• Gut feelings, 76, 77, 177

• Habit, 173
• Hate/hatred, 190, 197–200
• Hauser, Kaspar, 5
• H.M., 142, 143
• Human rights, 88
• Husserl, Edmund, 164, 238

• Ice example, 119, 120
• Idiot, The (Dostoyevsky), 258
• Idling state, 63
• Ignorance, 67, 102, 209
• Illusions, 104–107, 118
• Improvement, desire for, 2, 3
• Innate knowledge, 98
• Inner conflicts, 53–57
• Inner eye, 129, 133
• Inner peace, 84–87
• Inner strength, 137, 138
• Insula, 50
• Interdependence, 114–117, 208, 220, 221
• Internal chatter, 38, 39, 60, 61
• Introspection, refining tools of, 121, 122
• Intuition, 77, 93, 120
• Invalid cognition, 101

• James, William, 1
• Joy of Living, The (Rinpoche), 24
• Justice, 161, 162, 184, 192, 193, 202, 203, 225
• Juvenile offenders, 192, 193

• Kahneman, Daniel, 77
• Kant, Immanuel, 93, 175
• Karma, 197
• Kaufman, Scott Barry, 61, 62
• Knowing, capacity of, 5
• Knowledge
  • acquisition of, 96–100
  • sources of, 91, 92
  • valid cognition of, 100–104
• Kosslyn, Stephen, 1, 2

• Lack of awareness, 102
• Laplace, Pierre, 207
• Laureys, Steven, 246, 257
• Learning
  • capacity for, 1
  • consolidating through sleep, 42–48
  • neuronal network and, 96, 97
  • process of, 228
• Leibniz, Gottfried Wilhelm, 211
• Levenson, Robert, 37, 79
• Light, 6
• Linear dynamics, 99, 100
• Linearity, 208, 209
• Linear thinking, 60, 61
• Logic, 164
• Lomax, Eric, 199, 200
• Love
  • altruistic, 8, 9, 13, 30, 68
  • attachment versus, 82–84
  • as supreme emotion, 85
• Luminosity, 5–6
• Luminous awareness, 4
• Lutz, Antoine, 21, 26, 32, 45, 49

• Mandela, Nelson, 178, 179
• Marshall, Barry, 204
• Masking, 166
• Matter/consciousness duality, 220, 221
• McVeigh, Timothy, 198
• Meditation
  • action and, 67–71
  • awareness during, 12
  • brain activity during, 29–35, 60
  • cognitive control and, 23
  • compassion and, 48–55
  • as mind training, 13–16
  • practice and, 41
  • procedural learning and, 20
  • rumination versus, 36–39, 153–155
  • side effects of, 77–82
  • signs of successful, 156
  • transformation from, 1, 4
• Memory
  • amnesia and, 142, 143
  • capacity of, 64–66
  • childhood amnesia and, 97
  • sleep and, 42–47
  • working, 75, 172
• Memory system, 40
• Mental distortions, 25
• Mental events, 18
• Mental fabrications, 38, 39, 109
• Mental projections, 145
• Mesoscopic range, 92–94
• Meta-awareness, 171, 216, 230, 236, 244
• Metacognition, 118, 119
• Metarepresentations, 232, 235
• Metzinger, Thomas, 145
• Microexpressions, 35, 36
• Milarepa, 68
• Miller, Brenda, 142
• Mind
  • embodied, 224
  • empirical approach to, 2
  • most fundamental nature of, 6
• Mind and Life meeting, 35
• Mindfulness, 39–41, 154, 179
• Mind training
  • change and, 178, 179
  • decision making process and, 169, 175
  • feedback and, 57–63
  • limits of, 63–67
  • role of, 87–89
• Mirror, 6
• Mirror self-recognition test, 223
• Moony face experiment, 28
• Motivation, 135

• Nagel, Thomas, 104
• Names, 140
• Narcissists, 148, 149
• Nath, Kedar, 254
• Nature, as baseline, 2
• Nazis, 195, 196
• Near-death experiences (NDEs), 246, 256–258
• Neff, Kristin, 147
• Neocortical structures, 41
• Neuronal changes, 94–100
• Neuronal connections, 64
• Neuronal processes, 162–170, 173, 180, 206, 213, 216, 219, 228, 229, 232–236, 259
• Neuronal responses, 66, 67
• Neuroplasticity (brain plasticity), 14, 178, 229, 235
• Neutral state, 63
• Nihilism, 116
• Nondual consciousness, 230
• Nondual self-illuminating awareness, 7, 8
• Nonlinear dynamics, 99, 100, 209
• No-self, 144, 145
• Note by Genes Alone (Boyd and Richerson), 98

• Objectivity, 111–113, 134
• Oklahoma City bombing, 198
• Ontological dualism, 156–158
• Open presence, 38, 39, 49
• Original sin, 188
• Oscillatory activity, 26–29, 226–228
• Outcomes, severity of, 184

• Padmasambhava, Guru, 210
• Pain, 215
• Parapsychological phenomena, 246–250, 251–258
• Parietal lobe, 41
• Past lives, 246, 253–256
• Penrose, Roger, 233
• Perception, 75, 100–103
• Pessimism, 126, 127
• Petitmengin, Claire, 123
• Phenomenologists, 211–214
• Pheromones, 74
• Physician and cure example
• Play, 173
• Poincaré, Henri, 111
• Popper, Karl, 208
• Postmeditation periods, 70, 71
• Precise phase synchrony, 28
• Prefrontal cortex, 23
• “Present moment,” 209, 228
• Procedural learning, 20, 40, 41
• Procedural memory, 40, 41
• Psychoanalysis, 2–4, 153, 154
• Psychology, Western, 1, 2
• Punishment, 191–197, 202
• Pure awareness, 6–8, 126, 127, 213, 214, 225–230, 234, 235, 243
• Puzzling experiences, 246–253

• Reality
  • constructing and deconstructing, 117–121
  • correct understanding of, 130
  • individual, 110, 111
  • objective, 111–114
  • perception of, 91–96
• Reconciliation, 199–202
• Refractory period, 171
• Rehabilitation, 191–195
• Relative truth, 114
• Relativity theory, 94, 120
• Reportability, 223
• Repulsion, 146, 147
• Responsibility, 173, 174, 185–188
• Revenge, 110, 184, 191–193, 198–200
• Richerson, Peter, 98
• Rinpoche, Mingyur, 24
• Rousseau, Jean-Jacques, 5
• Rumination, 4, 5, 37–39, 54, 56, 61, 153–156

• Samsara, 188, 189, 220
• Samskara, 105
• Sartre, Jean-Paul, 151
• Schopenhauer, Arthur, 146, 182
• Science, 91, 92, 131
• Second-person experience/perspective, 123–126, 212
• Self
  • autonomous, 138, 139
  • investigating, 137–159
  • mirror self-recognition test and, 223, 224
  • responsibility-bearing, 200–203
  • strong, 137, 138
  • weak, 147–151
• Self-centeredness, 22, 56, 68, 144, 145, 153
• Self-compassion, 147
• Self-illuminating awareness, 223
• Self-preservation, 143, 144
• Senses, perception and, 92, 93
• Sickness, 188–190
• Skills
  • acquisition of, 40, 41
  • effortless, 18–21
• Slagter, Heleen, 32
• Sleep
  • consolidating learning through, 42–48
  • deprivation of, 44, 45
  • meditation before, 41
  • movement during, 47, 48
  • patterns of, 42
• Social norms, 88, 89, 179, 180, 183, 184, 187, 188
• Social realities, 224, 225
• Solution state, 226
• Split-brain patients, 166
• Startle reflex, 37–39
• Stevenson, Ian, 253
• Stress, pregnancy and, 95
• Subconscious processing, 75–77
• Subjective experience, 91
• Sublime path, 94
• Suffering, 7, 8, 13, 17, 39, 40, 67, 104, 110, 113, 127–130
• Symbolic coding, 240–242

• Tagore, Rabindranath, 131
• Takashi, Nagase, 199, 200
• Tammet, Daniel, 66
• Taylor, Charles, 176
• Teacher, role of, 132
• Telepathy, 251–253
• Telescope example, 121
• Thinking, Fast and Slow (Kahneman), 77
• Third-person experience/perspective, 103, 123–126, 212–214, 217, 263
• Thoughts, 8
• Tononi, Giulio, 45
• Treisman, Anne, 28, 32
• Trinh Xuan Thuan, 207, 208
• Truth, 114

• Ultimate logic, 101
• Unconscious, nature of, 73–77
• Undetermined state, 63

• Valid cognition, 101, 115
• Values, 130, 179, 180, 187
• Van Lommel, Pim, 256, 257
• Varela, Francisco, 26–28, 123, 176, 219, 224, 261
• Visual cortex, 26–28

• Wilde, Oscar, 177
• Working memory, 75
• World, relating to, 21, 22