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

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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.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Columbia University Press
Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 3, 2009
Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 244 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0231147309
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0231147309
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.09 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.12 x 6.38 x 0.89 inches
Part of series ‏ : ‎ Columbia Series in Science and Religion
Best Sellers Rank: #342,529 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #176 in Comparative Religion (Books) #948 in Meditation (Books) #1,762 in Christian Self Help
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