Mind in the Balance: Meditation in Science, Buddhism, and Christianity (Columbia Series in Science and Religion)

By establishing a dialogue in which the meditative practices of Buddhism and Christianity speak to the theories of modern philosophy and science, B. Alan Wallace reveals the theoretical similarities underlying these disparate disciplines and their unified approach to making sense of the objective world.

Wallace begins by exploring the relationship between Christian and Buddhist meditative practices. He outlines a sequence of meditations the reader can undertake, showing that, though Buddhism and Christianity differ in their belief systems, their methods of cognitive inquiry provide similar insight into the nature and origins of consciousness.

From this convergence Wallace then connects the approaches of contemporary cognitive science, quantum mechanics, and the philosophy of the mind. He links Buddhist and Christian views to the provocative philosophical theories of Hilary Putnam, Charles Taylor, and Bas van Fraassen, and he seamlessly incorporates the work of such physicists as Anton Zeilinger, John Wheeler, and Stephen Hawking. Combining a concrete analysis of conceptions of consciousness with a guide to cultivating mindfulness and profound contemplative practice, Wallace takes the scientific and intellectual mapping of the mind in exciting new directions.

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• Buddhism: A Concise Introduction
• Secret Body: Erotic and Esoteric Currents in the History of Religions
• From Mindfulness to Heartfulness: A Journey of Transformation through the Science of Embodiment
• Embracing Mind: The Common Ground of Science and Spirituality
• Fingerprints of God: The Search for the Science of Spirituality
• Comparing Religions
• Fingerprints of God: What Science Is Learning About the Brain and Spiritual Experience
• The Mind Illuminated: A Complete Meditation Guide Integrating Buddhist Wisdom and Brain Science for Greater Mindfulness