The Neuroscience Of Enlightment (big Think Video)

[ChimpBrain]

I enjoyed this and thought some others here might too.

 

[WelcometoReality]

Thank you. ☺

[cetus]

@ChimpBrain That was interesting, Thanks for sharing. I wonder exactly what is happening within the brain that causes a sudden change in perception. It can be likened to a "shift" or a feeling like the channel has changed and perceiving on a totally different level. That shift is usually most prominent when it is experienced for the first time. Does something suddenly "switch on" or is it that something in the brain "switches off" like removing a filter? Could it be that when we are in our "mind" that we are only open to a small part of what perception is capable of and when we transcend "mind" perception becomes wide open? Something suddenly changes and it's quite distinct. Thanks again.

[ChimpBrain]

2 hours ago, cetus56 said:

@ChimpBrain That was interesting, Thanks for sharing. I wonder exactly what is happening within the brain that causes a sudden change in perception. It can be likened to a "shift" or a feeling like the channel has changed and perceiving on a totally different level. That shift is usually most prominent when it is experienced for the first time. Does something suddenly "switch on" or is it that something in the brain "switches off" like removing a filter? Could it be that when we are in our "mind" that we are only open to a small part of what perception is capable of and when we transcend "mind" perception becomes wide open? Something suddenly changes and it's quite distinct. Thanks again.

I have no idea what's happening but I've used this exact same "channel" analogy before when discussing psychedelics. It quite literally feels like there is this other stream of information floating around us all the time and taking certain drugs makes your mind capable of receiving this new frequency. It feels every bit as real as the frequency you've been tapped into your entire life, and in a lot of ways makes more sense. This is from a recent study on LSD though -- "Researchers at the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in Amsterdam had participants undergo functional magnetic imaging scans while on LSD and found that the psychedelic produces feelings of loss of self by over-connecting brain regions involved in higher cognition. There is 'objective reality' and then there is 'our reality.' Psychedelic drugs can distort our reality and result in perceptual illusions. But the reality we experience during ordinary wakefulness is also, to a large extent, an illusion," Tagliazucchi said. We know that the brain fills in visual information when suddenly missing, that veins in front of the retina are filtered out and not perceived, and that the brain stabilizes our visual perception in spite of constant eye movements. So when we take psychedelics we are, it could be said, replacing one illusion by another illusion. This might be difficult to grasp, but our study shows that the sense of self or 'ego' could also be part of this illusion," he explained. Brain scans revealed that LSD use led to an increased global connectivity in numerous higher-level regions of the brain. The study also revealed that the psychedelic significantly increased brain connectivity by magnifying the level of communication between normally distinct brain networks. What's more, the participants' level of "ego dissolution" grew stronger with increasing global connectivity. "This could mean that LSD results in a stronger sharing of information between regions, enforcing a stronger link between our sense of self and the sense of the environment and potentially diluting the boundaries of our individuality," Tagliazucchi said."

http://www.hngn.com/articles/196665/20160413/brain-scan-study-reveals-lsd-makes-lose-yourself.htm

 

I know the thread and your post wasn't about psychedelics, it just reminded me of this study.

Edited May 10, 2016 by ChimpBrain

[cetus]

@ChimpBrain It's all relevant though. Good info.  From my minds perspective it felt as if awareness suddenly came to a sharp point of focus. It kick into high gear and became hyper awareness. Something aligned perfectly.  A level of awareness that was beyond "me" as a self. 
.

[khalifa]

https://youtu.be/KEMsXYcSdPM?list=LLkAhBu07qkxhpop1KWT7LKQ

Edited May 12, 2016 by khalifa

[Isle of View]

In one sentence: Science doesn't know

:-)

[cetus]

http://www.newbrainnewworld.com/?Altered_States%26nbsp%3B:Meditation More info on brain wave mapping of meditators

[JevinR]

Consciousness is the final frontier

[cetus]

@ChimpBrain I just got the emWave2 + Heartmath.   It's interesting. You have to sync up breathing, mind and heart to get a high coherency score. Low is red , medium is blue and high is green. It feels like you get into a "zone" of concentration or equilibrium when it's held at a high coherency . If I get distracted, it drops off to red in a heartbeat (no pun intended). It is showing me how my mind, heart, nervous system is reacting to everyday stimuli that I would otherwise been unaware of.

[ChimpBrain]

1 hour ago, cetus56 said:

@ChimpBrain I just got the emWave2 + Heartmath.   It's interesting. You have to sync up breathing, mind and heart to get a high coherency score. Low is red , medium is blue and high is green. It feels like you get into a "zone" of concentration or equilibrium when it's held at a high coherency . If I get distracted, it drops off to red in a heartbeat (no pun intended). It is showing me how my mind, heart, nervous system is reacting to everyday stimuli that I would otherwise been unaware of.

I had never heard of this but just looked it up. Sounds interesting. Might make a good bday gift request or something. I'd like to try one before dropping $200 on it. Is it something you wear all the time or just while meditating or what? If you wear it while meditating how do you know if it turns red with your eyes closed? Maybe I'm misunderstanding what/how it's used. 

[cetus]

3 hours ago, ChimpBrain said:

I had never heard of this but just looked it up. Sounds interesting. Might make a good bday gift request or something. I'd like to try one before dropping $200 on it. Is it something you wear all the time or just while meditating or what? If you wear it while meditating how do you know if it turns red with your eyes closed? Maybe I'm misunderstanding what/how it's used. 

@ChimpBrain If you could try one out first, you should. It is meditation because you have to place awareness on the breath and get into a rhythm. If it is accurate, which I presume it is, my heart coherency was way off and my breathing rate was too. It's portable but I don't wear it all the time. Only when doing a session. I just got it so I'll have to use it more to really get to know it but I could see how it would be useful. I tried a 20 min. session with the emWave first and than I did a regular meditation after.  If your mind wanders from the breath or you get distracted, it will let you know immediately so you really have to get into a "zone" and stay in it. It has a audible signal too that lets you know if your in a low, med, or high state of coherency so you can close your eyes. I just wanted to try it out and let some family and friends try it too that may otherwise not do daily meditation.  So far I don't believe I wasted my money, it's pretty cool. I read the reviews on Amazon.com too before I bought it. It got good ratings by ppl. who meditate.

[cetus]

@ChimpBrain  This explains some of the science about HRV. The moniter trains one to control their parasympathetic nervous system.