Mind Science - a news report

The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. It should transcend personal God and avoid dogma and theology. Covering both the natural and the spiritual, it should be based on a religious sense arising from the experience of all things natural and spiritual as a meaningful unity. Buddhism answers this description. If there is any religion that could cope with modern scientific needs it would be Buddhism. (Albert Einstein)

A number of scientists have started looking at Buddhism as a source of information on how the brain works. This is a news report of the research produced at the Lab for Affective Neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin, led by Prof Richard Davidson.

The Dan Rather news report starts with a section on the impact of meditation on well-being, with interviews to the Dalai Lama and a number of scientists. Then there is a discussion of medical research on how the increased understanding of neuroplasticity is helping people suffering the consequences of stroke. I found the interview to Eric Kandel, nobel prize winner, particularly entretaining.