A wonderful exemplar of the unification of neuroscience and the ancient Zen philosophy. The content was enthralling and the delivery allowed time for understanding.

You can concentrate, practice, Zen is void, be like the cup seeking to be empty of itself, then you will know Zen. Peace my friend.

The idea is that meditation makes you better at all the important ordinary things, e.g. less easily bored, more attentive. Presumably you're not opposed to any spare time at all? So why not use it to train your brain, instead of watching TV? Using meditation to escape reality is common but it's not the goal. In zen monasteries in particular, long hours of chores are a central part of the practice. "Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water."

Turn the speed up to 1.25

Best work of it's type I have ever seen. Knew of his book, but never read. Worth watching every couple of weeks. It starts off slow, but be patient.

Not surprised by the comments here, considering our perpetually distracted society. This whole presentation, including the people in the audience, the noises, etc., is a lesson in zen. Pay attention.

Thank you, Google, for this vídeo! It would be wonderful if you at Google could make the handout available through Google Docs and a link here in the description of this great lecture!

36:00 felt like tripping! very good and informative talk

Very nice info for those interested in meditation AND the science of the brain and consciousness. For those others (who have commented below, lol), I do understand your frustration. But if you're interested in the topic in a direct way, the talk is actually RIVETING!

Maybe there is a generational gap here. Old=willing to be patient. Young="egocentric". 😀 I'm old and I am aware of how much repeated effort it takes to achieve something worthwile without even being sure there is anything that can or will be achieved. If I worked for Google under constant pressure to reach specific goals I probably could not stand these slow elaborations. Great Google, you have these lectures - even though they are contrarian to your daily culture. Big "thank you"!

thanks for posting...read many years in this area...he's answered many questions for me...

while the subject matter genuinely interests me...i find myself watching the video more at night to fall asleep then to learn anything...

Thank you for the upload

I'm glad there is so much greater diversity in the presentation of information these days. This is the most boring way to learn that I can imagine.

Fantastic. I would like to purchase your book. Does it contain more info related to Zen? I would have liked to heard more discussion linking Zen with the brain. Lecture was very brain function centric.

Thank you ,for this material

Very interesting. I was drawn here after getting a copy of "Living Zen Remindfully" and wanted to learn more about James' outlook before reading his book.

His talking turned out to be mantra ;)

Turn the speed up to 1.5:)

...my long road back to Zen; thank you !

Is the process for a woman balancing a baby different to a man holding a baby and for a male and female hammering?

I wish I could see where his laser was pointing...

This guy is the REAL thing

Thank you, MisterNightGuy, I am happy to accept your point 'old cultural norm'. Thank you again.

I really enjoyed this,

53:00 a cut in the mind/a great chart and explaination here

Good info.

禅は集中力を向上させ、生活の能率を向上させます。

There's a lot of talk about the brain and various functions, but precious little is actually linked or put into any context. Why are these different functions and their relations mentioned? He doesn't say. What does most of this have to do with the topic of meditation? Not sure because he doesn't say. Dr. Austin really is fantastic, but this talk was just very poorly put together. When data is mentioned, it needs to be in context so people know what is being said, why, and how it relates to the topic at hand. I feel like there's a truly great talk in here somewhere, just wish it came through.

Thank you...Very good,helpful lecture...

I think, he was talking of what was actually happening in the brain, an MRI scan, the question was directed at this: If there was a difference between the two? I am happy to accept the fact that the linguistic culture of his time rather than an actual research finding was the cause for the statement.

there are occassional loud noises, like a door closing, that were very distracting in this video.

the soundtrack seems to be skipping bits.... darn... and what are all theses sounds in the background?

>_< Really hard to watch with all the noise from the remote audience. The Haskel talk I just watched also had this problem at the beginning. Is it that hard to make sure they are muted before recording, Google?

So does he recommend top-down attention or bottom-up attention training for the mind? I must have missed it but is he recommending that external meditation is the best way to bypass the psychic-self therefore achieving Samadhi?

thanks a lot !!

Where can we get the handouts for this?

Did someone really let their phone ringer go off, and then answer and have a full conversation on the phone while this guy was talking? Wow.

23:15 ladies hold babies and gentlemen hammer.

anywhere we can go the handout?

You can always make the video faster by simply clicking the right buttom...

Where can one find the handouts from this presentation?

Very good talk, thank you very much. But what is that freaking noise and people doing in the background. It just ruined everything, geez.

excelent talk, but i wanted more information about the meditation understanding mode. it's diferente for each one though.

La nature est belle

What is a 'TRUE ying yang person'? Not asking rhetorically, concept new to me & would appreciate your explanation. Thanks :)~

Does Google do these kinds of seminars to create the best employees possible?

If only I had the concentration to watch this whole video

so, if language is on the left side, and awareness on the right, then the "witness" of the stream of thought- is, the right side observing the left side?

ying yang represents two neural networks that are in competition with each other, the first network is the one you share with everything else that's alive the Beast network, this network has no sound in your head, it just knows what it is experiencing, if that experience matters ! the 2nd network has a different neural map which includes the prefrontal cortex and has sounds, humans have the largest prefrontal cortex and the ability to make more complex sounds Now the extremes of these two networks are feral and us now, the feral child lives only in the 1st network and lives with very little sound in the head, We live with almost constant sound in the mind(our thoughts) and we have no awareness of the 1st network anymore which makes us the opposite extreme to being raised feral The idea is to live in balance with the 2 networks hence the ying and the yang, But Judaism, Christianity and Islam all preach 1 god which actually means 1 network , its a religious fanatical idea to live only in the 2nd network, and causes lots of illness

who came up with the idea to use this glowing effect?

Interesting, but hard to understand... I didn't get the connection between Zen and all the brain explanations

...and the bird said "KAAAAAAAAAA"! :)

~there once was a future I was heading into but found out it was only a past and I was just a passenger going through time that made the essence of who I was right here~hence then it was not me that was here only the essence~

It's always fun to listen to "experts". Does the "inner" you need this?

Academics trying to explain Zen is still so 20th century primitive, Zen is a train running without tracks.

Nice

care to elaborate?

If only they could show us where he was pointing with the laser pointer

An interesting adaptation is to realize the primate brain of the past has developed to protect itself, hence, various conformations, and sidedness. Probably why, as tree huggers we have the heart on the left and a stronger side on the right.

A Zen practitioner and acclaimed neurophysiologist speaks and trolls respond. Sounds like part of a haiku. But we are all students...

His name is Ming!

Wauw, who is this person, does he had a name?

idk guy..he's zen as hell..he doesn't even need to avoid technical terms

CAW!!!!

You can find some of this data in Selfless Insight: Zen and the Meditative Transformations of Consciousness (look it up on Google Books here: books.google.com / books?id=3pt33ED2q1UC), around page 60

I'm confused to how the pineal gland was not discussed at all

I don't know, but I think it's pretty damn cool myself.

He talks as Eckhart tolle

Thanks buddy. you talked me out of the self induced right brain lob sleep. 10:00 did it for me. You are the one in my opinion that has a frame of reference. I Choose what I want to do and wanted to act nice, acted too nice, and woke up in the weird world of "nirvana". its not for me, id rather be a TRUE ying yang person. so thanks again!

this is real

nirvana is much broader than 'zen'..nirvana can exist in a zen state..but it rarely does..nirvana is to be impenetrable and accepting of one's own humanity..the zen state or zen nirvana is more in line with what nirvana is associated with...but nirvana can exist even among the nervous, if they do not feel concern for their anxiety, for instance..it is more dissociation i guess..zen is rooted and conservative..if you accept the world and yourself you have achieved nirvana

A lot about brain functions, but with very little connection to zen.

Suggestion: Break up the video into 5 parts. Much too long! Also when a video is filled with a great deal of info you need time to 'digest'. But, thanks for the video! :)

RULE OF THIRDS

The audio is terrible.

A very knowledgeable man, but not beginners guide to zazen. :)

i know i need to quiet my mind but that was too quiet

The Science says this and that, many numbers, many things, but if you know 100.000 meditators you will not find any of these amazing advantages!!!

Here's one guy who's not a fast talking American !

why?

It is possible that if he had said "a man holding a baby", some women would have complained that a woman wasn't used in the example. Sometimes speakers just can't win, and as is taught in Zen, praise and blame are to be ignored.

1:55

It's okay to have a "Zen" teacher but when one makes reference to, "my Zen master" I have a problem with this?

The problem of all scientist experts is the fact that they are only an expert in their own field, wich causes a mass psychose This is represented in the way how this presentation is performed. I don't wanna be rude, but this tech talk can use some flavour, you are talking about intuition while acting like a robot without any expressions.. Intuition is the only thing algorithm can't grasp so be proud to have this power while still being human

Holy shit this dude speaks like the movie 300 is produced

Isn't the 'right brain / left brain' dichotomy obsolete now ?

He sounds a bit like Eckhart Tolle without the German accent.

Very difficult to understand I can't concentrate very heavy content

“God Has Come To You!” The promise of eternal life is the result of God coming to us instead of humans trying to find and meet Him somewhere far away. From the beginning, God has loved each of us with an unconditional and undying love. His original intention was to have a solid and living relationship with each of us. However, when Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the garden of Eden, their sins created a barrier between us and God. We are separated from Him forever. Instead of allowing us to continue to distance ourselves from Him, God created a perfect plan for recovery-one motivated by His infinite love and mercy for us. The goal of His plan is to completely restore even the most intimate aspects of His relationship with mankind as it existed before Adam and Eve sinned. More than 2,000 years ago, God sent His Son to earth to remove the barrier caused by sin and make salvation available to all. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent his Son into the world, not to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” John 3:16-17 Through his death and resurrection, Jesus paid the full penalty of sin on our behalf and removed the barrier between us and God. This forgiveness is available to all who fully accept Him as their Savior. But this is just the beginning. Before completing His time on earth to join His Father in Heaven, Jesus described to His disciples another important element of God's larger plan. to completely restore humanity to Himself: “In my Father's house (Heaven) there are many dwelling places; otherwise, I would have told you. I'll go and prepare a place for you. When I have gone, and have prepared a place for you, I will return and take you with me, that where I am, there you may also be." John 14:2-3 God not only sent Jesus to remove the barrier of sin, but one day in the future, Jesus will return to bring all believers “home” to be with Him forever. . The Bible says: The time of the fulfillment of the kingdom of God is near, so Repent and Receive the Good News. " ....

didn't bother me..i just like the comment

good one.........I had to laugh

A lot of technical terms and almost no Zen so if you're here for Zen it'd be best to look somewhere else

oh btw this was one week ago that I tried to snap out of nirvana state. But still keep falling back, its so addictive to be nice and friendly & helpfull. But thats the tricky part.. Especially if you link this kinda state to something divine, which it's not...

Well let me try to explain it to you. Let's say the white is positive emotions and the black are defensive/negative emotions. If you eliminate all defensive&negative emotions... you will see the world through pink glasses and cry all the time and are unable to understand the world anymore. If you are mostly black, you have dark sunglasses and cant see clearly. Let's say Ying-Yang, a healthy balance between defensive & positive emotions.. is like seeing the world through clear glasses. :-D

That symbol is taoism

if this BORES you ... remember he never did acid

Old people are unknowingly sexist, so much so that at some point you just have to forget about it. They're stuck with a lot of old cultural norms, and this guy in particular doesn't seem to be intentionally insulting anyone, just sort of passively reflecting it. Your question is super valid.

To have a good attention helps, but it's only one weapon in our arsenal. We must develop many other skills. Bye!!

He talks really slow.