[Ailist] Zen neuroscience program in Santa Fe

[Stephanie West Allen]

I saw this and thought some of you would find it of interest. To me,  
it looks terrific. (I actually lived at this Zen center many years ago.)

Excerpt:

 >>Dear Friends,

As indicated, we are hoping to see many of you at this important zen  
brain science program. Your contribution to the development of  
research in this area will be invaluable. Here is a description of  
what will happen……. Please distribute to your networks and colleagues  
via your elists, on your websites, and announcements at your  
organizations. We have few places left in the program and hope that  
you and your people will be attending.

Thanks for your interest, Joan Halifax

Outline of Zen Brain, Selfless Insight Retreat,

January 16-20, 2008

Upaya Zen Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico

www.upaya.org

upaya at upaya.org

505 986 8518


Popular and scientific interest in the relationships between Buddhism  
and neuroscience has dramatically increased, accompanied by the  
publication of both theoretical proposals and new laboratory  
investigations relating Buddhist practice to the brain. In this  
important retreat/seminar, Joan Halifax Roshi and four renowned  
scientists who have contributed to this growing field of research,  
and are each long-term Zazen practitioners, will interactively share  
with participants their perspectives on what has specifically been  
learned about Zen practice and the brain, how this research is  
relevant for practice, and how experienced practitioners can help  
sharpen the research questions being asked. During the retreat,  
discussion will be integrated with Zazen practice throughout each day.

Clinical neurologist and neuroscientist James Austin, M.D. will  
provide an overview of  brain structure and physiology with high  
theoretical relevance to understanding many of the phenomena of Zen  
practice. His books, Zen and the Brain, and Zen-Brain Reflections,  
have been an extraordinarily rich source of hypotheses for  
neuroscientists who study long-term meditators. Dr. Austin will also  
provide retreat participants with a new speculative neuroscientific  
account of “what may have happened 2500 years ago under the Bodhi  
tree,” as well as information to help retreat participants appreciate  
how the tools and methods of modern neuroscience can contribute to  
our understanding of the transformative processes of Zen practice.

Clinical neuropsychologist and neuroscientist Al Kaszniak, Ph.D. will  
describe recent research in his laboratory focused on emotion  
response and emotion regulation in long-term Zen and Vipassana  
practitioners. His presentation will explain how emotion can be  
studied through both behavioral and psychophysiological research  
technologies, and will address the potential relevance of this  
research for understanding the cultivation of compassion in Zen  
practice. Retreat participants will be encouraged to reflect on how  
the experiments described relate to their own experience in practice,  
and propose ways in which future research might more accurately  
capture this experience.

Psychology graduate researcher and cognitive/affective neuroscientist  
Jason Buhle will present the<<

Rest here:

http://jhalifax.zaadz.com/blog/2007/11/zen_brain_selfless_insight

Best,

Stephanie

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Stephanie West Allen, JD
http://www.brainsonpurpose.com
http://www.idealawg.net
Denver, CO USA