Dalai Lama: Things are not as they appear

What?! Only I, John Oliver of Last Week Tonight, have understood you, Dalai Lama?

Why things are not as they appear, explained by the 14th Dalai Lama

• What is the true nature of existence or reality?

(Bhikkhu Bodhi) American Theravada scholar-monk gives Buddhist perspective of reality

(The Royal Institution) The neuroscience of consciousness with Anil Seth

Where do thoughts come from?

Where do our thoughts come from? Buddhist Wisdom

(Buddhism Podcast) Oct. 21, 2025: Buddhism Explained. Where do our thoughts come from? We know the thoughts that just seem to appear in our heads – have we ever truly wondered where they come from?

This post explores Buddhism's unique perspective on the mind (stream of cittas, consciousness), revealing that our thoughts do not spring from a fixed "self" but rather from an intricate dance of interconnected supporting conditions. These are spelled out in the 12 causal links of Dependent Origination.

Discover the profound teachings of Dependent Origination and anatta ("not-self," that all things, while real, are impersonal, impermanent, and utterly incapable of fulfilling us, and are therefore quite illusory, maya) to unlock a surprising sense of freedom and a deeper understanding of who or what we truly are. This is an invitation to see our mind in a whole new light.

• 00:00 - The question behind the question (infinite regress)
• 01:28 - Who owns the thoughts?
• 06:59 - Thoughts arise from conditions
• 13:59 - THE ROOT - ignorance as the fuel
• 17:56 - When understanding brings freedom

#Buddhism #DependentOrigination #Anatta #SpiritualGrowth

Connecting with Universal Consciousness

(Gaia) Connecting with Universal Consciousness [or Source]

Can we become angels (devas) by meditating?

Feeling a pull towards deeper understanding and greater connection with the Universe? This could be signs of an impending spiritual awakening, a profound shift that changes our understanding of self and reality.

This post may help in understanding everything we need to know about this transformative experience – from recognizing the early signs to navigating challenges and enjoying its benefits.

Ready for an [Eastern, more Hindu than Buddhist] enlightening journey? Let’s dive in, beginning with this guided meditation.

Key points

• A spiritual awakening is a transformative experience where we become aware of our "true selves" and connect to a higher power.
• Signs of spiritual awakenings can include feeling disconnected, reevaluating beliefs, having vivid or lucid dreams, experiencing shifting relationships, and increased intuition.
• Each person’s spiritual awakening journey is unique and personal, guided by one's own beliefs, experiences, and inner wisdom.
• During a spiritual awakening, individuals may also experience a strong connection to nature and have physical symptoms. More
• Tibetan Meditation Music; EnhancedApp.io, Spiritual Awakening: Everything to Know; Gaia.com on YouTube; Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Jen B. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Where does consciousness GO after death?

Rebirth: dying countless times: Samsara

We’ve died [countless] deaths and still don’t know why: Buddhist Abhidhamma explained

Ocean of Saṃsāra (Bhavacakra)

(Buddhist Audio books) May 17, 2025: Why have our lives always felt incomplete? This video reveals the shocking truth behind why 🌌 Samsara — the Endless Cycle of Birth, Death, and Rebirth — has no beginning.

[Samsara also has no foreseeable end, like a carousel. Like a whirlpool in the ocean, it will not stop, but it is possible to escape get off.]

Drawing from powerful Buddhist sutras like the Anamatagga Samyutta and deep insights from the Abhidhamma (the "Doctrine in Ultimate Terms" or "Higher Teaching"), let's reveal the hidden causes of our suffering and why we keep returning again and again.

🧘‍♂️ LEARN:

• What is Samsara and why does it feel endless?
• How our past lives shape our present life
• How to escape the cycle according to the Buddha.

📜 Based on the Anamatagga Samyutta and other Theravada sutras (Pali canon) and Theravada Abhidhamma teachings and ancient Buddhist meditation teachings.

We are on infinite repeat (Groundhog Day)

SUTRA: All the Foliage in a Forest

(Linked Discourses 15.1, Chapter One, "Grass and Sticks")

Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī within Jeta’s Grove, in millionaire’s monastery. There he addressed the meditators, “Meditators!”

“Venerable sir,” they replied.

Then the Buddha told them, “Meditators, this Samsara (Cycle of Rebirth) has no discernible beginning. No first point is to be found of sentient beings wandering and being reborn, clouded by [the smoke of] ignorance and fettered [and being burned] by craving.

“Suppose a person were to strip all the grass, sticks, branches, and leaves in the Black Plum Tree Land, gather them together into a single pile, chop them into pieces, and lay them down, saying:

“‘This is my mother, this is my grandmother...’ The grass, sticks, branches, and leaves of the Black Plum Tree Land would run out before that person’s mothers and grandmothers were all counted. Why? Samsara has no discernible beginning. No first point is to be found of sentient beings wandering and being reborn, clouded by ignorance and fettered by craving.

“For a long time have we all undergone disaster, disappointment, and agony, swelling the cemeteries. It has been more than long enough for one to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed from all conditions.”

🙏 The Buddha realized the endlessness of Samsara through his fully awakened wisdom on the night of his great enlightenment (maha bodhi). With the divine eye (dibba cakkhu) he developed, he gained the recollection of countless past lives, his own and others'.

He saw beings being born and dying over vast aeons (kalpas), across uncountable realms (on 31 Planes of Existence, which are divided into three spheres), with no discernible beginning point to the impersonal, impermanent, and impossible-to-satisfy cycle.

The Buddha taught in the Anamatagga Samyuththa, “The beginning of this continued wandering on is not to be discovered.”

This is stated not based on faith but direct knowledge. Samsara is endless because each life is caused by previous karma (deeds), which are willed and carried out due to ignorance and craving and aversion. These in turn arise from previous conditions, in a chain of 12 causal links beginning with ignorance.

Thus, the Buddha clearly saw that there was no ultimate creator, no first cause [or prime mover], only a wheel of conditional existence turning without beginning. More

ABOUT: 💡 From emotional stories and ancient wisdom to rare teachings of the Buddha, this is a journey through time, karma, and consciousness. Whether one is new to Buddhism or a deep practitioner, this video changes how we see our lives.

🔔 Subscribe for more deep Buddhist wisdom and life-changing insights. 👉 Remember to like, comment, and share if this moved your heart. #buddhism #samsara #WhySamsaraIsEndless #buddhateachings #rebirth #Karma #Abhidhamma #AnamataggaSutta #CycleOfLife #spiritualawakening #PastLives #Theravada #BuddhistMeditation #EscapeSamsara #DeepWisdom #LifeAfterDeath #SpiritualJourney #DhammaTalk #Mindfulness #BuddhistPhilosophy #Theravada Buddhism #Abhidhamma Teachings #realms of Rebirth Buddhism #spirituality #buddha #Buddhism Afterlife Beliefs #BuddhistCosmology #Abhidhamma #HeavenAndHell #MindAndReality

• Buddhist Audio books, May 17, 2025; Dhr. Seven (trans. based on Ven. Sujato, suttacentral.net), Wisdom Quarterly

What is panentheism? Not pantheism

Panentheism (/pæˈnɛnθiɪzəm/, "all in God" from the Greek πᾶν, pân, "all," ἐν, en, "in," and Θεός, Theós, "God") [2] is the belief that the divine intersects every part of the universe and also extends beyond space and time.

The term was coined by the German philosopher Karl Krause in 1828 (after reviewing Hindu scriptures) to distinguish the ideas of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831) and Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling (1775–1854) about the relation of God and the universe from the supposed pantheism of Baruch Spinoza [2].

Unlike pantheism, which holds that the divine and the universe are identical [3], panentheism maintains an ontological distinction between the divine and the non-divine and the significance of both.

In panentheism, the universal spirit is present everywhere, which at the same time "transcends" all things created. Whilst pantheism asserts that "all is God," panentheism claims that God is greater than the universe.

Some versions of panentheism suggest that the universe is nothing more than the manifestation of God. In addition, some forms indicate that the universe is contained within God [3], like in the Jewish Kabbalistic concept of tzimtzum.

Much of Hindu thought is highly characterized by panentheism and pantheism [4, 5].

• There's also Deism and Pandeism

In philosophy

ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHY

The religious beliefs of Neoplatonism can be regarded as panentheistic. Plotinus taught that there was an ineffable transcendent God ("the One," to En, τὸ Ἕν) of which subsequent realities were emanations.

From "the One" emanates the Divine Mind (Nous, Νοῦς) and the Cosmic Soul (Psyche, Ψυχή). In Neoplatonism the world itself is God (according to Plato's Timaeus 37).

This concept of divinity is associated with that of the Logos (Λόγος), which had originated centuries earlier with Heraclitus (c. 535–475 BC). The Logos pervades the cosmos, whereby all thoughts and all things originate, or as Heraclitus said:

"He who hears not me but the Logos will say: All is one."

Neoplatonists such as Iamblichus attempted to reconcile this perspective by adding another hypostasis above the original monad of force or Dynamis (Δύναμις).

This new all-pervasive monad encompassed all creation and its original uncreated emanations. Modern philosophy Baruch Spinoza later claimed that "Whatsoever is, is in God, and without God nothing can be, or be conceived" [6],

"Individual things are nothing but modifications of the attributes of God, or modes by which the attributes of God are expressed in a fixed and definite manner" [7]. Though Spinoza has been called the "prophet" [8] and "prince" [9] of pantheism, in a letter to Henry Oldenburg Spinoza states that:

"as to the view of certain people that I identify god with nature (taken as a kind of mass or corporeal matter), they are quite mistaken" [10].

For Spinoza, our universe (cosmos) is a mode under two attributes of Thought and Extension. God has infinitely many other attributes which are not present in our world.

BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY

Reverend Zen Master Soyen Shaku was the first Zen Buddhist abbot to tour the United States in 1905–1906. He wrote a series of essays collected into the book Zen For Americans.

In the essay titled "The God Conception of Buddhism" he attempts to explain how a Buddhist looks at the ultimate without an anthropomorphic [androcentric] God figure while still being able to relate to the term God in a Buddhist sense:

"At the outset, let me state that Buddhism is not atheistic as the term is ordinarily understood. It has certainly a God, the highest reality and truth, through which and in which this universe exists. However, the followers of Buddhism usually avoid the term God, for it savors so much of Christianity, whose spirit is not always exactly in accord with the Buddhist interpretation of religious experience.

"Again, Buddhism is not pantheistic in the sense that it identifies the universe with God. On the other hand, the [Mahayana] Buddhist God is absolute and transcendent; this world, being merely its manifestation, is necessarily fragmental and imperfect.

"To define more exactly the Buddhist notion of the highest being, it may be convenient to borrow the term very happily coined by a modern German scholar, 'panentheism,' according to which God is πᾶν καὶ ἕν (all and one) and more than the totality of existence [17, 18]."

The essay then goes on to explain first utilizing the term "God" for the American audience to get an initial understanding of what he means by "panentheism" and then discusses the terms that Buddhism uses in place of 'God' such as Dharmakaya [the body of the Dharma], Buddha or Adi-Buddha, and Tathagata [Well Gone One, Welcome One, Suchness]. More

• Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly Wiki edit

Beth Upton: The mind, nama, heart

The mind, nāma, and heart

This is not mind, but the mind base is near here.

(Beth Upton) Feb. 24, 2025: Here British Buddhist meditation master Beth Upton, formerly the successful Burmese Theravada Buddhist nun Sayalay Anutara, gives a brief overview of what is meant by the terms "mind," "nāma," and "heart" during a meditation retreat Q&A.

• VIDEO: Knowing and Seeing with Beth Upton

Diving into the Pa Auk Forest to meditate

These educational Dhamma videos are made possible only by the generous donations of viewers. Please consider supporting the extraordinary work of making the historical Buddha's Teachings known in the English-speaking world:

• bethupton.com/support
• Patreon: bethupton
• Info: bethupton.com

• Beth Upton (bethupton.com), video shot by Alexis P.N. (alexispn777@gmail.com) and Zsolt Batar @GuavaFunk: YouTube/laffcotchtv; edited by Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly

Mindful Way: Theravada Ajahn Chah

The Mindful Way | documentary on Theravada Buddhism | Ajahn Chah

(Dhamma Source) This BBC documentary, made in 1977, shows the daily life in the main Theravada Buddhist monastery of Ajahn Chah (ajahnchah.org), Wat Pah Pong, in Ubon Rachathani, Northeast Thailand (Isan).

Ajahn Chah was Ven. Chah Subhaddo (Thai ชา สุภัทโท), occasionally with the honorific titles Luang Por and Phra. He is also known by his honorific name "Phra Bodhiñāṇathera" (Thai พระโพธิญาณเถร [1], Chao Khun Bodhinyana Thera [2]). He was an enlightened Buddhist monk (June 17, 1918–January 16, 1992 [3]) famous for effectively being able to teach Westerners.

• 

  Why is this man happy?

  To state that he was "enlightened" is to say he was a "noble one" (ariyan), which is to say he experienced a "change of lineage" from "ordinary uninstructed worldling" to enlightened one by attaining any of the various stages of awakening from stream entry to arhatship. (We normally say there are four stages, but there are more according to the Path to Freedom (Vimuttimagga), which distinguishes various kinds of stream enterers). In the case of Ajahn Chah, he is presumed to have been an arahant, which means "fully enlightened." This, sadly, is said of monks just for being wise, or longstanding members of the Monastic Sangha, or has good moral behavior, or out of respect for one's teacher, or misunderstanding what enlightenment (bodhi) literally means and implies. The term should not be thrown around lightly because it is very rare; the opposite mistake is also made of never using it as if it no longer existed in the world, which it does. The belief that it doesn't exist is considered wrong view (miccha ditthi), though logic dictates that one day that will be true and there will be no more arhats in the world (but maybe still some stream enterers) so long as the Dharma is still in the world.

He was an influential teacher of the Buddha Dhamma (Buddhist Doctrine or Dharma) and a founder of two major monasteries in the Thai Forest Tradition. Respected and loved in his own country as a man of great wisdom, he was also instrumental in establishing Theravada Buddhism (and the popular practice of vipassana or "insight meditation" rooted in systematic mindfulness practice from the Maha Satipatthana Sutta) in the West.

Beginning in 1979 with the founding of Cittaviveka (commonly known as Chithurst Buddhist Monastery) [4] in the United Kingdom, the Forest Tradition of Ajahn Chah has spread throughout Europe, the United States, and the British Commonwealth. The Dhamma talks of Ajahn Chah have been recorded, transcribed, and translated into several languages. Read more about Theravada Buddhism on Dhammasource.com. Rights owned or controlled by The Open University.

• Ajahn Chah, The Mindful Way, via Dhamma Source, July 26, 2021; Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Tiny 'brains' found between brain cells

This bulge of brain cells should not be that hard to understand. What we need are tools.

Behold, the physical base of consciousness? NO

Between and around the billions of neurons in the human brain is an equally vital scaffold, the extracellular matrix (ECM).

An interlinked net of proteins and sugars that surrounds brain cells, the ECM is more than simple structural support; changes in the ECM can regulate complex brain functions including memory, learning, and behavior.

Buddha's Brain (Rick Hanson)

But studies of the brain's ECM have been limited by the lack of tools to observe dynamic changes to its structure. Now, a new genetic labeling tool developed by University of Utah Health researchers Dr. Igal Sterin, Ph.D. and Dr. Sungjin Park, Ph.D. has revealed new patterns in brain ECM in mice, including differences in the amount of matrix deposited on different types of neurons.

A major advantage of the tool is that it can detect changes in the ECM over time, giving new insights into how the brain develops.

The research is published in The Journal of Neuroscience.

• In biology, the extracellular matrix (ECM) [1, 2] also called intercellular matrix (ICM), is a network consisting of extracellular macromolecules and minerals, such as collagen, enzymes, glycoproteins, and hydroxyapatite that provide structural and biochemical support to surrounding [brain] cells [called neurons] [3, 4, 5]. Because multicellularity evolved independently in different multicellular lineages, the composition of ECM varies between multicellular structures; however, cell adhesion, cell-to-cell communication, and differentiation are common functions of the ECM [6]. More: extracellular matrix

Hacking of the American Mind (How? Dopamine)

The new tool has two main parts -- a protein that binds to the main ingredients of the brain ECM fused to another protein that irreversibly sticks to a variety of synthetic fluorescent dyes.

When scientists introduced the tool into neurons, it bound to the surrounding matrix. They then added a fluorescent dye to make matrix structures visible.

Using this tool, the researchers were able to watch as ECM was deposited over time in cultured rodent brain cells, making out dense clusters of matrix that appeared on only certain neurons and at different times.

More on this breakthrough: New tool reveals details of the microscopic brain structures between neurons

• Fluorescent microscopy image of a section of mouse brain, where green is a conventional brain ECM marker. Magenta is the new tool developed by the researchers. Credit: The Journal of Neuroscience (2024). DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0666-24.2024.
• The Practical Neuroscience of Buddha's Brain: Happiness, Love, & Wisdom by Dr. Rick Hanson
• The Hacking of the American Mind by Dr. Robert Lustig, M.D.

What is consciousness? (Ananda G.)

• What in Brief is Buddhism: Ambassador to the US, Dr. Ananda Guruge PhD | Buddha's Light Publications (blpusacorp.com)
• What in Brief is Buddhism? by Guruge, Ananda W. P.: Very Good+ Softcover (1999) 1st Paperback Edition. | P.C. Schmidt, Bookseller (abebooks.com)

Knowing and Seeing with Pa Auk Sayadaw

Pa Auk Sayadaw, AbeBooks; Dhr. Seven and Amber Larson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Knowing and Seeing (4th edition) presents a series of talks and question and answer sessions on a  Buddhist meditation retreat held by Venerable Pa Auk Sayadaw, abbot of Pa-Auk Forest Monastery in Burma.

These sessions present the Buddha's teachings or Dhamma on the traditional Theravadan calm meditation practice known as absorption or jhana.

Based on the original sutras of the Pali canon, the Path of Purification (Visuddhi Magga), and later commentaries, the Sayadaw teaches yogis step by step procedures to attain these subtle stages of mental purification and insight (vipassana) knowledge.

The book is freely available on the Web as a PDF. Students of Pa Auk are making it available on at AbeBooks (9781456599645) for those who wish to have a paper copy.

All royalties paid by Amazon (which is a small amount per book beyond what is charged for printing and distributing) are donated to not-for-profit charitable work in Burma and around the world.

Pa-Auk Forest Monastery is a Buddhist meditation center in the Theravada tradition, with emphasis on the teaching and actual practice of both samatha (tranquility) and vipassana (insight) meditation. Knowing and Seeing (4th edition, 9781456599645) AbeBooks

Details (5th revised edition)

Knowing and Seeing is a collection of teachings given by the Burmese meditation master Pa-Auk Sayadaw (Ven. Acinna) at a two-month retreat for monastics (monks and nuns) in Taiwan.

In strict accordance with the standard Pali canon texts, Pa Auk Sayadaw gives a practical overview of how to develop absorption (jhana) by

• mindfulness-of-breathing,
• Four Elements meditation,
• the 32 parts of the body (one's own and others near and far),
• the intrinsic repulsiveness of the body, 
• and the ten kasinas.

Four Elements Meditation

This includes the four immaterial absorptions. There are eight (four form and four formless) or nine absorptions (depending on the method of counting, by way of the sutras or the Abhidhamma). In either case, they are all counted and included in the Sayadaw's instructions.

He then explains how to use these powerful mental absorptions to perfect loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity (also called the Four Divine Abidings or Brahma-viharas), recollection-of-the-Buddha, foulness, and the very helpful recollection-of-death.

Next, he explains how, with the light produced by the absorptions, one penetrates the delusion of compactness to see whagt is true -- the compounded nature of "things."

In the material sense one perceives not objects but sub-atomic particles of materiality (kalapas) to discern "ultimate materiality" of this body, other bodies, and material objects throughout the universe (whether in our Sensual Sphere or in the higher Fine Material Sphere, the kama loka or rupa loka).

In the immaterial sense one perceives not consciousness but cognitive processes of the mind, the minds of others, and the Immaterial Sphere (the arupa loka or "formless sphere") to discern "ultimate mentality."

Likewise, one examines the ultimate materiality and mentality of countless past lives, this present life, and future lives (on this and other planes of existence, of which there are at least 31).

Likewise, one develops the remaining knowledges until this mind knows-and-sees nirvana directly (which means stream entry or the first stage of enlightenment/awakening): The mind is fully aware of the (unformed) nirvana as object.

The Sayadaw also answers questions from meditators present at the retreat. They ask for details regarding meditation and related matters, and the path of the Bodhisatta and the path of disciples.

Finally, there is a stirring talk that exhorts us to "breathe according to the Buddha's instructions," followed by a talk on the most superior type of offering (dana).

This 5th edition has new charts, an index, additional information, a new layout, and so on. It has been made clearer (by a committee of writers that may have inadvertently made it more clumsy, dense, and redundant in their overarching efforts towards perfectionism).

Pa Auk Center, Georgia, USA

Pa Auk Sayadaw is abbot and formerly the head teacher at Pa-Auk Forest (Tawya) Monastery, a meditation center near Mawlamyine, Mon State, Burma (called Myanmar by the military dictatorship).

The Sayadaw also has other centers in Burma, Malaysia, Singapore, and the United States (Georgia).

The Sayadaw, who because of his attainments and ability to teach others to reach the same exalted attainments is referred to in the book as "The Most Venerable Pa-Auk Tawya Sayadaw" has given Dhamma talks and conducted retreats in the

Who will practice Dhamma?

• United States of America (USA),
• Germany,
• Hong Kong,
• Japan,
• Korea,
• Malaysia,
• People's Republic of China,
• Republic of Singapore,
• Sri Lanka, and the
• United Kingdom.

Printed paper copies of this book are made available for the cost of printing and shipping at zero profit, a gift of the priceless Buddha-Dharma. Knowing and Seeing (5th revised edition, 9781688820111) AbeBooks

Is consciousness primary to reality? (doc)

Is consciousness primary to reality?

(metaRising) June 25, 2021. Is consciousness a fundamental aspect of reality? This documentary follows the recent return of “pan-psychism” as a respectable theory in philosophy and science, part of the Waking Cosmos series.

Support: patreon.com/wakingcosmos Thanks. This documentary is a non-profit, educational film. All footage used with permission or in compliance with fair use/fair dealing. Non copyright/reuse-allowed music composed by Scott Buckley, Aleks Michalski, and Dreamstate Logic. SEO TAGS: Panpsychist Philip Goff documentary about consciousness documentary about Reality Consciousness documentary BBC Paradigm shift documentary Panpsychism Documentary Hard Problem of Consciousness Mind Body Problem Philosophy of Mind Idealism Documentary Full documentary Waking Cosmos Philosophy Documentary BBC Cosmos Documentary Horizon Documentary 2021 Cosmic Consciousness Universal Consciousness Collective Consciousness Cosmic Mind

It's "my" brain, but what's in control? (video)

NOVA PBS Official, May 31, 2023; Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Your Brain: Who's in Control? | Full Documentary | NOVA | PBS

(NOVA PBS Official) If I am not me, who is? If this is not MY brain, my mind, my consciousness, my will, whose is it? Let's dive into the subconscious to see what’s really driving the decisions we make.

Buddha's Brain (Rick Hanson)

[The Buddha went to great pains to answer these and similar questions, defining consciousness (vinnana, citta, cetasika) as a process (not a thing), a series of mind-moments and concomitants. Buddhism's Abhidharma or "Doctrine in Ultimate Terms" lays it all out in startling detail. Moreover, Buddhist meditation practices bring these things to light for direct experience and verification, the only things that lead to liberation. This is not academic. This is to be experienced. Buddhism invites skeptics and those with confidence (faith or saddha) to "come and see," to verify, with the thinking that the Truth sets one free.]

Monkey mind vs. the Buddha's brain

Are we in control, or are our brains controlling us? Dive into the latest research on the subconscious with neuroscientist Heather Berlin.

Sleepwalking, anesthesia, game theory, and more reveal surprising insights on this eye-opening journey to discover what’s really driving the decisions we make.

Official website: to.pbs.org/3pUGv1s. #novapbs #subconsciousmind #neuroscience

CHAPTERS

• 00:00 Introduction
• 03:22 Sleepwalking and the Brain
• 08:36 Anesthesia and the Brain
• 14:18 Results of Split-Brain Surgery
• 22:23 Emotions and the Brain
• 30:01 How Does Trauma Affect the Brain?
• 35:39 How Much Control Do We Have of Our Brain?
• 45:44 Creativity and the Brain
• 50:17 Conclusion

Autopsy "brain" shown by DaVinci in his famous God touches Man Sistine Chapel mural

.

© 2023 WGBH Educational Foundation. All rights reserved. This program was produced by GBH, which is solely responsible for its contents. This program is made possible by viewers. Support your local PBS station here: pbs.org/donate. Enjoy full episodes of favorite PBS shows anytime, anywhere with the free PBS App: to.pbs.org/2QbtzhR. Stay up to date on the latest science discoveries, full episodes, articles, videos, and more by signing up for NOVA's newsletter here: pbs.org/wgbh/nova/newsletter...

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#brainscience #perception #neuroscience #consciousness #subconscious #subconsciousmind

UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center

MARC.ucla.edu; Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Dhr. Seven (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly

MARC (UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center) wishes all a happy and healthy New Year! They look forward to being in community with meditators this year through online and in-person events, classes, day-longs, and retreats.

MARC is excited to announce the start of in-person events on the Westwood campus. Join LIVE for  Drop-In Meditation at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, on Thursdays 12:30-1:00 pm.

Everyone can still attend virtually because every session is also broadcast live through the Hammer's website. Join for the first return to in-person day-long retreats as MARC Director Diana Winston holds a Day of Mindfulness: Working with Anxiety on February 12.

• Please note that in-person events will have limited registration. So sign up early. (NOTE: All in-person events are forced to stick to UCLA-mandated COVID protocols).

Stay tuned as more in-person events will be announced for February and March, 2023. MARC's signature Intensive Practice Program is now open for applications and will remain fully online, although local people will have access to in-person events.

MARC will work to build community in whatever form of engagement meditators choose. [Who is a "meditator"? Easy. Those who meditate.]

2023 Offerings

• Intensive Practice Program 2023 Cohort Pre-recorded Intro and Advanced Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPs) classes:
• Jan 9: MAPs II: Mindful Self-Care with Gloria Kamler
• Jan 12: MAPs III: The Buddhist Roots of Mindfulness with Diana Winston
• Jan 15: Day of Mindfulness: Setting Conscious Intentions For Our Lives And World In 2023 with Deborah Eden Tull
• Jan 21: Day of Mindfulness: Energize Practice with Gloria Kamler
• Jan 29: MAPs Applications: Paying Attention Mindfully — The Key to Well-Being in 2023 with Mitra Manesh
• Feb 4: Nothing to Do, Nowhere to Go, No One to Be: A Day of Mindfulness Online with Cara Lai
• Feb 12: Day of Mindfulness: Working with Anxiety with Diana Winston
• Intensive Practice Program 2023 Cohort This 10-month online program (March-December 2023) provides a cohesive mindfulness practice and study course taught by UCLA trained facilitators and teachers.
• MARC's Intensive Practice Program (IPP) is for dedicated students who wish to deepen their personal mindfulness practice in a supportive community. Students will have prioritized access to MARC classes and events, engage in monthly supervision sessions, receive mentorship, and connect in peer support groups.
• Further personal growth will be enabled by several outside requirements. Application Deadline: Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023 (11:59 PM)
• Learn More and Apply Today
• Live-Online and Pre- Recorded MAPs Classes
• MAPs I- For Daily Living
• MAPs II: Next Steps - Improve Your Meditation
• MAPs II: Cultivating Positive Emotions
• MAPs II: Working with Difficult Emotions
• MAPs II: Mindful Self-Care
• MAPs II: Turning Obstacles into Allies
• MAPs III: The Buddhist Roots of Mindfulness
• MAPs App: Paying Attention Mindfully Cultivating Forgiveness
• MAPs II: Mindful Self-Care Part 2 with Gloria Kamler This class is for students who have taken MAPs I and MAPs II classes and wish to deepen their mindfulness practice.

Open to anyone who is interested in self-care as we focus on qualities of the heart. No need to have taken Part 1 to benefit. We will cultivate mindful attention through sitting, walking, and stretching meditations to enhance practice on the cushion and in daily life. This class will also include lecture and discussion. In addition to the traditional ways we do mindfulness practice, we will also incorporate specific movement practices that foster self-care and the cultivation of altruistic qualities of the heart. Dates: Tues, Jan 10-Feb 14 Time: 4:00 PM- 6:00 PM, PT Cost: $0-$200 For More Information and to Register...

• MAPs III: The Buddhist Roots of Mindfulness with Diana Winston

This class will explore the core Buddhist teachings that are implicit in mindfulness practice. In particular, we will look at the Four Noble Truths, which in classical Buddhism are said to incorporate the whole of the Buddha's Teachings (Dharma). We will investigate these Noble Truths personally, how they are understood in Buddhist philosophy, and how they can deepen and enhance our meditation practice. Dates: Thurs, Jan 12-Feb 16 (No class Jan 26) Time: 10:00AM- 12 Noon, PT Cost: $0-$200 For More Information and to Register

• Day of Mindfulness: Setting Conscious Intentions for Our Lives and World in 2023 with Deborah Eden Tull

Recognizing the importance of setting clear and supportive intentions for our lives and our world, this day-long retreat offers mindfulness practices for renewal and transformation. In celebration of the new year, all will be invited to listen deeply, reflect, restore, and create anew. All will be invited on an embodied journey bridging personal and collective awakening. Rather than setting New Year's resolutions based on the myth of self-improvement, we will set intentions from the heart of our being, supporting each other in moving beyond limiting beliefs and the illusion of separate self. Grounded in mindfulness and acknowledging the gravity of the times we face, we will seek to cultivate compassion, clear-seeing, and possibility through meditation and mindful inquiry, reflective writing, and somatic practices. All are welcome to join. Date: Sun, Jan 15, 2023 Venue: Live-Online via Zoom Time: 10:00 AM- 3:00 PM, PT Cost: $0-$75 For More Information and to Register

• Day of Mindfulness: Energize Practice with Gloria Kamler

This all-day retreat is dedicated to deepening our mindfulness practice. Sometimes in meditation we find our bodies are uncomfortable or tense. Since ease and relaxation serve our meditation practice, this retreat will devote significant time to mindful movement, also known as "Easy Stretching Postures." These postures can be useful for cultivating relaxed awareness, ease in the body and an open heart. We will use various activities to cultivate mindful attention including sitting, walking, stretching, and eating. The day will also include lecture and discussion. This retreat is suitable for new or experienced practitioners. Date: Sat, Jan 21, 2023 Venue: Live-Online via Zoom Time: 10:00 AM- 4:00 PM, PT Cost: $0-$75 For More Information and to Register

• MAPs Applications: Paying Attention Mindfully — The Key to Well-Being in 2023 with Mitra Manesh

Do we know where our attention is right now? Often, most of us don’t know the answer to this question! We do know life has changed. Our old norms are gone, we’re bound to re-create new ways of living and working… Hence, we come to realize there is an even stronger call for us to learn to command our attention more intentionally and more mindfully. In this virtual live 4-week class, we will identify the value and nature of our attention, explore ways to mindfully discern what we want to pay attention to, and learn methods and tools to direct our attention along those lines. There will be lectures, practices, dyads [pairs], journaling, and Q&A. This is a participatory class that requires full attention! Dates: Sun, Jan 29 - Feb 19, 2023 Venue: Live-Online via Zoom Time: 10:00AM- 12 Noon, PT Cost: $0-$165 For More Information and to Register

• Nothing to Do, Nowhere to Go, No One to Be: A Day of Mindfulness Online with Cara Lai

In the middle of the rush of a life full of distraction and responsibilities, we are rarely afforded the opportunity to stop and simply exist, and as a result we forget the tremendous value of doing nothing. This day of meditation is an opportunity to put down our burdens, agendas, and any obligations other than simply existing. Mindfulness guidance suitable for practitioners of any level will be offered. In the spirit of giving ourselves absolutely nothing extra to do, participants will be invited to take a break from other technology (aside from that necessary for the retreat) and outside obligations, to whatever extent they are able. All are welcome to join. Date: Sat, Feb 4, 2023 Venue: Live-Online via Zoom Time: 10:00 AM- 4:00 PM, PT Cost: $0-$75 For More Information and to Register

• Day of Mindfulness: Working with Anxiety with Diana Winston

If you are struggling with anxiety, you are one of millions of people who face daily anxiety, worry, and fear. Much of our anxiety may be appropriately situational, nearly a year into the pandemic with the resulting health-related, economic, political, and moral uncertainty and challenges. Some of us have long-standing anxiety. While mindfulness is not a cure-all, it can provide us with tools to work with and guidance for new ways to relate to fear and anxiety. In this day of mindfulness, we will learn how to be mindful amid fear. We will discover how to use mindfulness to prevent out-of-control ruminations by returning to the present moment. We will also learn to cultivate states of mind that counteract these emotions such as fearlessness, ease, and kindness. We will spend the day with sitting and walking meditations, lecture, dialogue, and reflections. Suitable for all levels. Date: Sun, Feb 12, 2023 Venue: UCLA Campus Time: 10:00 AM- 4:00 PM, PT Cost: $0-$75 For More Information and to Register

We at MARC want to you wish you a happy and healthy new year! We look forward to being in community with you this year through our online and in-person events, classes, daylongs, and retreats.  We are excited to announce the start of in-person events on campus. Join us for our Drop-In Meditation at the Hammer Museum on Thursdays 12:30-1pm, PT. You can still attend virtually as every session will also be broadcast live on the Hammer's website.   Join us for our first return to in-person daylong retreats as Diana Winston holds a Day of Mindfulness: Working with Anxiety on February 12.  Please note that in-person events will have limited registration so sign up early. All in-person events will stick to UCLA-mandated Covid protocols.  Stay tuned as more in-person events will be announced for February and March.   Our signature Intensive Practice Program is now open for applications and will remain fully online, although local people will have access to in-person events. We will work to build community in whatever form of engagement with MARC you choose.  2023 Offerings Intensive Practice Program 2023 Cohort Pre-recorded Intro & Advanced Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPs) classes: Jan 9: MAPs II: Mindful Self-Care with Gloria Kamler Jan 12: MAPs III: The Buddhist Roots of Mindfulness with Diana Winston Jan 15: Day of Mindfulness: Setting Conscious Intentions For Our Lives And World In 2023 with Deborah Eden Tull Jan 21: Day of Mindfulness: Energize Your Practice with Gloria Kamler Jan 29: MAPs Applications: Paying Attention Mindfully — The Key to Well-Being in 2023 with Mitra Manesh Feb 4: Nothing to Do, Nowhere to Go, No One to Be: A Day of Mindfulness Online with Cara Lai Feb 12: Day of Mindfulness: Working with Anxiety with Diana Winston Intensive Practice Program 2023 Cohort This 10-month online program (March-December 2023) provides a cohesive mindfulness practice and study course taught by UCLA trained facilitators and teachers. Our Intensive Practice Program (IPP) is for dedicated students who wish to deepen their personal mindfulness practice in a supportive community. Students will have prioritized access to MARC classes and events, engage in monthly supervision sessions, receive mentorship, and connect in peer support groups. Further personal growth will be enabled by several outside requirements. Application Deadline: Sunday, February 12, 2023 (11:59PM) Learn More & Apply Today Live-Online and Pre- Recorded MAPs Classes

MAPs I- For Daily Living MAPs II: Next Steps - Improve Your Meditation MAPs II: Cultivating Positive Emotions   MAPs II: Working with Difficult Emotions MAPs II: Mindful Self-Care MAPs II: Turning Obstacles into Allies MAPs III: The Buddhist Roots of Mindfulness MAPs App: Paying Attention Mindfully Cultivating Forgiveness

MAPs II: Mindful Self-Care Part 2 with Gloria Kamler This class is for students who have taken MAPs I and MAPs II classes and wish to deepen their mindfulness practice. Open to anyone who is interested in Self-Care as we focus on qualities of the heart. You do not need to have taken Part 1 to benefit. We will cultivate mindful attention through sitting, walking and stretching meditations to enhance practice on the cushion and in daily life. This class will also include lecture and discussion. In addition to the traditional ways we do mindfulness practice, we will also incorporate specific movement practices that foster self-care and the cultivation of altruistic qualities of the heart. Dates: Tues, Jan 10-Feb 14 Time: 4:00 PM- 6:00 PM, PT Cost: $0-$200 For More Information & to Register MAPs III: The Buddhist Roots of Mindfulness with Diana Winston This class will explore the core Buddhist teachings that are implicit in mindfulness practice. In particular, we will look at the Four Noble Truths, which in classical Buddhism are said to incorporate the whole of the Buddhist teachings. We will investigate these Noble Truths personally, how they are understood in Buddhist philosophy, and how they can deepen and enhance our meditation practice. Dates: Thurs, Jan 12-Feb 16 (No class Jan 26) Time: 10:00AM- 12 Noon, PT Cost: $0-$200 For More Information & to Register Day of Mindfulness: Setting Conscious Intentions For Our Lives And World In 2023 with Deborah Eden Tull Recognizing the importance of setting clear and supportive intentions for our lives and our world, this day-long retreat offers mindfulness practices for renewal and transformation,  In celebration of the new year, you will be invited to listen deeply, reflect, restore, and create anew. You will be invited on an embodied journey bridging personal and collective awakening. Rather than setting New Year's resolutions based on the myth of self-improvement, we will set intentions from the heart of our being, supporting each other in moving beyond limiting beliefs and the illusion of separate self. Grounded in mindfulness and acknowledging the gravity of the times we face, we will seek to cultivate compassion, clear-seeing, and possibility through meditation and mindful inquiry, reflective writing, and somatic practices. All are welcome to join. Date: Sun, Jan 15, 2023 Venue: Live-Online via Zoom Time: 10:00 AM- 3:00 PM, PT Cost: $0-$75 For More Information & to Register Day of Mindfulness: Energize Your Practice with Gloria Kamler This all-day retreat is dedicated to deepening your mindfulness practice. Sometimes in meditation we find our bodies are uncomfortable or tense. Since ease and relaxation serve our meditation practice, this retreat will devote significant time to mindful movement, also known as "Easy Stretching Postures." These postures can be useful for cultivating relaxed awareness, ease in the body and an open heart. We will use various activities to cultivate mindful attention including sitting, walking, stretching and eating. The day will also include lecture and discussion. This retreat is suitable for new or experienced practitioners. Date: Sat, Jan 21, 2023 Venue: Live-Online via Zoom Time: 10:00 AM- 4:00 PM, PT Cost: $0-$75 For More Information & to Register MAPs Applications: Paying Attention Mindfully — The Key to Well-Being in 2023 with Mitra Manesh Do you know where your attention is right now? Often, most of us don’t know the answer to this question! We do know life has changed. Our old norms are gone, we’re bound to re-create new ways of living and working… and hence we come to realize there is an even stronger call for us to learn to command our attention more intentionally and more mindfully. In this virtual live 4-week class, we will identify the value and nature of our attention, explore ways to mindfully discern what we want to pay attention to, and learn methods and tools to direct our attention along those lines. There will be lectures, practices, dyads, journaling, and Q&A. This is a participatory class that requires your full attention!   Dates: Sun, Jan 29 - Feb 19, 2023 Venue: Live-Online via Zoom Time: 10:00AM- 12 Noon, PT Cost: $0-$165 For More Information & to Register Nothing to Do, Nowhere to Go, No One to Be: A Day of Mindfulness Online with Cara Lai In the middle of the rush of a life full of distraction and responsibilities, we are rarely afforded the opportunity to stop and simply exist, and as a result we forget the tremendous value of doing nothing. This day of meditation is an opportunity to put down our burdens, agendas, and any obligations other than simply existing. Mindfulness guidance suitable for practitioners of any level will be offered. In the spirit of giving ourselves absolutely nothing extra to do, participants will be invited to take a break from other technology (aside from that necessary for the retreat) and outside obligations, to whatever extent they are able. All are welcome to join. Date: Sat, Feb 4, 2023 Venue: Live-Online via Zoom Time: 10:00 AM- 4:00 PM, PT Cost: $0-$75 For More Information & to Register Day of Mindfulness: Working with Anxiety with Diana Winston If you are struggling with anxiety, you are one of millions of people who face daily anxiety, worry, and fear. Much of our anxiety may be appropriately situational, nearly a year into the pandemic with the resulting health-related, economic, political, and moral uncertainty and challenges. Some of us have long-standing anxiety. While mindfulness is not a cure-all, it can provide us with tools to work with and guidance for new ways to relate to fear and anxiety. In this day of mindfulness, we will learn how to be mindful amid fear. We will discover how to use mindfulness to prevent out-of-control ruminations by returning to the present moment. We will also learn to cultivate states of mind that counteract these emotions such as fearlessness, ease, and kindness. We will spend the day with sitting and walking meditations, lecture, dialogue, and reflections. Suitable for all levels. Date: Sun, Feb 12, 2023 Venue: UCLA Campus Time: 10:00 AM- 4:00 PM, PT Cost: $0-$75 For More Information & to Register