DELHI, August 8 - RIA Novosti, Olga Lipich. Leading Russian experts in the field of neuroscience at the first ever joint conference with the 14th Dalai Lama and Buddhist monk-scientists, taking place this week in Delhi, announced the need for a new theory of the nature of consciousness and its connection with brain activity.
“Russian science has been focusing on consciousness for 150 years already. And the materialistic understanding of consciousness in it differs from the classical materialism of Western science.<…>The main question is the relationship between consciousness and the brain. I think what we need now is not experiments, but a new, bold fundamental theory.<…>This is our message to Buddhist science: we need such a theory, and we cannot create it from subjective experience alone. This new theory can influence methods, discover new techniques, pay attention to meditation," said neurobiologist Konstantin Anokhin, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences.
He was supported by the Honored Worker of Russian Science, Doctor of Biology, Doctor of Philology, Neurolinguist Tatyana Chernigovskaya, as well as other domestic conference participants, psychologists, and philosophers.
"The number of empirical data that we have is growing every minute. We have entered a kind of dead end, because we don't know what to do with this amount. We can sort this data into pieces and, of course, there are ways to process it, but we can't go further. Let's go. From the fact that I will examine every cell of yours, there will not be any impression of what kind of person you are. From the fact that I dig into the brains and pull out every neuron from there, I will not get a picture of how it works. Well, another 30 billion neurons have been studied - what next? What question are we answering? - None. We need a genius who would say: you formulate questions incorrectly, ask another question. Clearly, the moment has come when a new theory is urgently needed, "RIA explained News Chernihiv.
And the key role, she believes, is now played by philosophy. “And in Buddhist philosophy, these issues are very well developed. Therefore, neuroscientists need to study this,” the professor said.
The goal is the benefit of all mankind
The two-day meeting of the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism with Russian researchers in the capital of India, dedicated to the topic "The Nature of Consciousness", should mark the beginning of the multi-year international conference "Fundamental Knowledge: Dialogue between Russian and Buddhist Scientists". The goal of the organizers is to establish interaction in the study of physics and cosmology, evolution and biology, the nature of knowledge, axiology and ethics for a deeper knowledge of reality, "for the benefit of all mankind."
"For 30 years, I have been doing serious research with Western scientists in the field of cosmology, physics, especially quantum, philosophy, psychology. The first goal is to expand our knowledge through scientific research so that we can include emotions, consciousness, mind in the field of scientific research "In the 20th and 21st centuries, more and more scientists are beginning to feel that there is something that has an effect on the human brain, and the nature of this phenomenon remains mysterious. Current neuroplasticity research shows that meditation can have a positive effect on the brain. Moreover, many Western scientists say that constant stress and anger are detrimental to health, but a calm mind is the opposite," the Dalai Lama shared.
He sees the second goal of interaction with scientists in increasing the level of knowledge, awareness, compassion among the population of the planet as a whole - and thereby stop wars, reduce the gap between rich and poor and make the world happier.
Dalai Lama: "Consciousness is not equal to the brain"
"From the Buddhist point of view, there are several levels of consciousness, from the gross to the subtlest. And consciousness is not completely connected with the brain. Different levels of consciousness manifest, for example, when in a dream we do not have feelings, but we are aware, or when a person faints. Even when a person has died, we (Buddhists - ed.) know that consciousness is preserved," said the Dalai Lama.
According to the Buddhist concept of rebirth, consciousness is associated with life, and the subtlest level of consciousness "passes from life to life" and "has no genetic basis," the Dalai Lama added.
He gave examples recently described by a Western professor, when children remember their previous lives down to the details of objects that belonged to them, which are then found in the places indicated by them from the memory of a past life. "Where does this information come from to the brain? And where is it located when a person dies?" the Dalai Lama suggested exploring.
The Dalai Lama called for caring for others and contemplating emptinessThe Buddhist spiritual leader stated that the more a person has compassion and care for others, the more health and friends they will have. The Dalai Lama also called for reflection on emptiness. According to him, it helps to get rid of ignorance, attachments, anger and other negative emotions.When asked by Russian scientists whether artificial intelligence can have consciousness, he replied that "it is extremely difficult." “Everything in the world is conditioned by cause-and-effect relationships, and consciousness, even of a very subtle level, can only be a continuation of consciousness. And artificial intelligence is just particles,” the Buddhist spiritual leader believes.
A specialist in the field of analytical philosophy of consciousness, Professor David Dubrovsky (Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences) noted that thought has no physical dimensions, such as mass, length, and the main question is: how to explain the connection between thought and brain function? “This is called: the complex problem of consciousness. Western science was dominated by reductionist concepts that reduced thought processes to physical or behaviorism. In Russia, concepts that retained the specifics of subjective reality, a non-physical process, prevailed,” Dubrovsky summed up.
Big bang energy
The discussion also touched upon the theory of the Big Bang. “According to our theory, there was no consciousness until there was life on earth, and in the beginning living beings had no memory - consciousness appeared as a result of evolution.<…>The origins of consciousness are in emotions. Even the simplest organisms have emotions, experience satisfaction or suffering, depending on the achievement or non-achievement of something," said Professor Anokhin, a neurobiologist.
Psychophysiologist Professor Yuri Alexandrov (Institute of Psychology, Russian Academy of Sciences) agreed that "you can find emotions even in algae."
"But the Big Bang needs a lot of energy - where did it come from?" the Dalai Lama asked. "Not from the mind or consciousness," replied Professor Anokhin. "How do you know? Energy is not material. We must explain why a huge amount of energy has a material basis - then this is the matter of the previous world ... There is a contradiction here," the Buddhist leader retorted.
At a very subtle level, the particles that formed the stones are the same particles that formed consciousness, he said. "Why does one particle become stone and the other become consciousness?" the Dalai Lama puzzled scientists.
Schrödinger's cat, observer and language
Professor-neurolinguist Tatyana Chernigovskaya made a presentation "Cheshire smile of Schrödinger's cat: language and consciousness". The essence of the famous experiment with "Schrödinger's cat" (one of the creators of quantum mechanics) is that a cat placed in a box is both dead and alive. It is possible to know whether he is dead or alive only when we open the box - that is, when there is an observer. “And the Cheshire cat, as you know, appeared in front of Alice from nowhere and smiled at her,” Chernigovskaya said.
Niels Bohr, she recalled, argued that the observer is part of the scientific paradigm, and the results of an experiment depend on who conducts it. Einstein wrote that intuition is a sacred gift, and the rational mind is a faithful servant. And a number of prominent scientists of the past years, in one way or another, said that the external world is built from within. "Will there be music, mathematics, if there is no listener and thinker? My answer is: no. Mozart's music without a person will be just a fluctuation in the air," Chernigovskaya added. The Supreme Lama of Kalmykia, representative of the 14th Dalai Lama in Russia and the CIS countries, the Supreme Lama of Kalmykia, spoke about the reasons that prompt humanity to explore space, the need to protect the Earth, the origin of the world and the likelihood of intelligent life on other planets, about parallel worlds and the Buddhist approach to aliens. Telo Tulku Rinpoche.
In her opinion, music and language, especially the poetic word, deserve special attention of neuroscientists today. The professor cited Brodsky's statement that poetry is an anthropological linguistic evolutionary beacon, an accelerator of consciousness. "Today, a new science - biolinguistics - is trying to find universal features of the evolution of biological systems and language," Chernigovskaya noted.
The Dalai Lama saw much in common with the content of Buddhist texts about the "interdependent nature of all phenomena." "That's right, all things are designations," he added.
Famous Buddhist geshes (scholars) and young monks who recently completed their studies in natural sciences at Emory University (USA) also take an active part in the conference and will then teach in Tibetan monasteries. A lively discussion with Russian scientists takes place in a warm and friendly atmosphere. And the Russians invited their Buddhist colleagues to formulate ideas for further scientific research and cooperation in the future.
What did Russian scientists talk about with the 14th Dalai Lama?
The Nature of Consciousness, Universal Ethics and Origins
emotions at the conference “Fundamental knowledge: dialogue
between Buddhist and Russian scholars”.
Text: Inna German
Illustration: A. Alexandrov / bangbangstudio.ru
Science has become the dominant basis for the study of the nature of reality and the main modern source of knowledge that could help improve the lives of people and the planet, according to , who has been meeting with representatives of the scientific community over the past 30 years. Recognizing the importance of such methods of scientific knowledge as empiricism, technology, objective observation and analysis, the Dalai Lama is convinced that well-thought-out methods of contemplation and introspective practices, which have been perfected in the Buddhist tradition for thousands of years, can and should be used as equal research tools that not only make science more humane, but also place it in an understandable ethical context.
Buddhists distinguish six groups of mental factors, which together make up 51 mental factors, including intention, contact, feeling, recognition, and other factors. It is difficult to imagine how all these phenomena can be reflected in the level of correlation of brain activity. And although, of course, the brain and the mind are very closely related and intertwined with each other, we have yet to find out exactly how.
For the last 60 years I have been meditating every day, very similar to the idea of quantum physics. In my own experience, I notice what a serious effect this practice has on. Their number is greatly reduced, as they are all based on grasping, perceiving something as if it exists objectively and independently. There is an idea in quantum thought that it is impossible to find objective reality in anything external, so I believe that it is the process of internally analyzing and making sense of things that can weaken our grasping at the illusion of something objective and solid. Not an intellectual superficial comprehension of an idea, but decades of painstaking reflection gives a real feeling that can affect emotions.
David Dubrovsky
Russian and Soviet philosopher, psychologist, specialist in the field of analytical philosophy of consciousness. Doctor of Philosophical Sciences, Professor.
D.D.: My theory explains the connection between the phenomena of subjective reality: a thought, an image that cannot be attributed to physical properties. Thought has no mass or energy: how is it related to the brain process? This is the so-called. I explain it on the basis of the informational approach, which requires an analysis of the connection: any information is embodied in its carrier. Here I am not touching on the various complex phenomena of subjective reality that can be noticed during meditation. I'm basically interested in how they can be connected. The informational approach makes it possible to theoretically correctly establish this connection.
D.L.: I would like to clarify a bit what you mean by information. For example, at the time of conception, when the fetus is formed, the sensory faculties become active after a few weeks. The child still cannot see, but he has some sensory perception. This is partly because the content of this experience for him is rather primitive. When it is born, the content of the surrounding reality turns out to be much richer. So when you talk about information, do you mean this data that we receive from the outside world, or something else?
D.D.: There are two approaches to the concept of information. One of them is called attributive and covers the entire Universe and all physical and non-physical phenomena in it. The second approach is functional. According to this concept, information exists only in self-organizing systems - living and social. I use the concept of information in a general sense, as it is used in all sciences. This is the meaning - information is the content of the signal, that's enough for me.
D.L.: This discussion about the connection between brain and mental processes reminds me of an event that happened in New Zealand. This is a phenomenon that Buddhists themselves also cannot find an explanation for. One lama, a very good practitioner of Thubten Rinpoche, remained in a sitting meditation posture, in a state called “clear light” in Buddhism, for four days after he was declared clinically dead. There is a detailed Buddhist description of all the stages of the cessation of life and all the processes that take place in the mind at that moment. Since the posture for the deceased person was very unusual, the doctors allowed him not to be touched. After these days, the next morning, it was discovered that the position of his hands had somehow changed and his left hand was now squeezing the ring finger. right hand. What kind of consciousness remained at that moment in the body? There is no explanation for this in any Buddhist text. The first thing that came to my mind was that it’s a pity that they didn’t film what exactly happened at that moment! Not the ghost of his hands folded! (Laughs.)
The presentation, which specializes in the field of cognitive science and experimental psychology, was called "Cultural-Historical Activity Perspective on Human Attention: Possible Insights from Meditation Studies". “Human attention is clear. You can see when someone is attentive, the effects of mindfulness are obvious,” her report said. Falikman cited William James, who is often called the father of modern psychology, and his causal theory of attention. She also mentioned that Buddhist ideas about the presence of mental factors can contribute to the process of understanding how attention works.
Tenzin Gyatso
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
D.L.: I have one question. What fundamental impact on the brain and attention can society and highly developed social systems have? For example, a person is a social animal, while a tiger, for example, often lives alone.
Maria Falikman
Doctor of Psychology, Leading Researcher at the Faculty of Psychology of Moscow State University and the Laboratory of Cognitive Research at the National Research University Higher School of Economics.
M.F.: I really like the expression, who once remarked that while animals are just using their mental abilities, people are their masters. In general, an animal can even be taught some concepts or develop some abilities, but it does not need them for survival, while a person needs memory, attention and other mental functions in order to exist in society.
D.L.: By the way, I have been wondering for many years: if you give food to a bird or a dog, their behavior will indicate that they can. But if you feed a mosquito with your own blood, then you won’t get any gratitude, it will just fly away! (Laughs.) So: at what level does the ability to demonstrate gratitude appear in the brain? And does it have to do with whether the animal is social?
M.F.: Of course, the social nature of existence has a beneficial effect on survival, which became apparent in the process of co-evolution of biological species interacting in an ecosystem. However, my topic is a little more abstract than the ability to show gratitude or compassion, and concerns higher human cognitive functions.
One of the founders of the Moscow Center for the Study of Consciousness, Dmitry Volkov, spoke about what we used to call “me”. His report was called "Self as a Useful Fiction - a Narrative Approach" ("I" as a useful fiction - a narrative approach). Volkov asked himself the question: what identifies one person in different periods of time? He presented various approaches to what makes a person's identity, as well as thought experiments that make these approaches untenable. According to the narrative approach, the person exists as an entity extended in time and the relationship between its parts and the whole creates the basis for moral responsibility and special care. These parts are connected to each other - a kind of story of a person, his actions and intentions, presented in sequential order - like an autobiography that we write every day.
Tenzin Gyatso
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
D.L.: For 3,000 years, humans have been curious about what one might call "themselves." The idea of an immortal soul created by God is still very popular in the West. A very simple and convenient concept: in case of complications, turn to God. (Laughs.) In ancient Indian philosophy, at the same time, the concept of subsequent lives of the same soul was developing: in Indian texts this is called Atman. The Atman has three main characteristics: eternity, independence and wholeness. Then came the Buddha, who also grew up in the context of Indian philosophy with its higher self. The Buddha rejected this notion, explaining that clinging to the idea of an immortal "I" is the root of suffering, and the realization that the "I" does not exist will be considered liberation. And then the question arose: what should be considered a person and a sentient being? The Buddha preferred to answer this question with a metaphor: the chariot consists of certain parts in a certain configuration, has the name "chariot" and performs the function of a chariot. In the same way, appropriately named accumulated mental and physical processes define a sentient being or personality. In this sense, the very question "What is 'I'?" implies that some indivisible "I" can be found. This, I believe, is the problem with Western philosophy.
There are four schools of philosophical thought in Buddhism, and the most advanced of them is the Madhyamika, which states that one should consider personal identity within the framework of the concept of continuity, flow. In general, this is all perfectly described in the treatise that everything has a causally dependent origin and exists only insofar as it is causally conditioned. Accordingly, things exist, but they exist because they have a reason and designation, but in their essence they are empty. This is what is called the Middle Way: it denies the existence of the self-existence of things, but also prevents us from falling into nihilism, speaking about the existence of the designation of things.
Everything that arises as dependent is explained as empty. In relation to something else, it is meant to exist. This is the Middle Way.
Since there is nothing that would independently arise, there is nothing that is not empty.
Nagarjuna, Mulamadhyamaka Karika, 24:18, 24:19
Now quantum physics is coming to the same understanding in the context of physical phenomena: there is nothing objectively existing, everything exists depending on the observer. This is almost mirrored in the work of the 17th century Indian philosopher Dharmakirti, where he says that the content of blue and the perception of blue are simultaneous: you cannot reduce one to the other.
The real question is how much we can benefit from this or that theory. Scholars are very fond of theories themselves, but Buddhism uses any theory as an antidote to the fundamental delusion of clinging to the false self. In a Buddhist context - and this is not just theorizing, but the result of a direct experience of the nature of reality - we can see that the source of all our problems lies in this naive view of things as they appear to us, as if they are real, solid and convincing, and the main thing is that they exist on their own, without any connection directly with us. Such a perception, based on this notion of "objective reality", is followed by a corresponding emotional reaction. Chapter 18 of Nagarjuna's teaching on the Middle Way describes that most of our negative emotional reactions are based on a certain distortion of information about the world. Such falsification ultimately comes from our basic delusion, which can be eliminated by insight into the essence of emptiness.
There are three levels of understanding of knowledge: the first is based on the intellectual understanding of the idea, the second is based on critical reasoning (what we are doing here and now), and, finally, the third is understanding based on the real experience of the idea. So we can repeat thousands of times: emptiness, emptiness, but until we let this experience pass through us, there will be no meaning or effect in this. There are some teachers who are very eloquent, but their words are not filled with meaning and are essentially empty - well, I'm not talking about this emptiness! (Laughs.)
I think that those scientists - quantum physicists who really understood the whole depth of the idea that they reached with their minds - also felt it on themselves, even at the level of reducing their own destructive emotions.
I recently read the abstract of a study that was originally written in Taiwanese. This is a work that describes the observations of scientists who really took the ideas of quantum physics to heart and devoted a large amount of time to studying them. The author of the study comes to the conclusion that these people are less inclined to divide the world into black and white and cling less to what seems to us an objective reality.
A friend of mine, who is now about 100 years old, has been helping people for many decades. I first met Dr. Aaron Beck when he was 84 years old, and we last met when he was 97. This is a living story. He has been a lifelong Cognitive Behavioral Therapist and found that 90% of the things that cause debilitating anger in people are mental projections! The tendency to exaggerate the negative on the basis of psychological projection has become so evident in our time that it is so clearly correlated with what Nagarjuna is talking about: the distortions that underlie our destructive emotions.
So scientists do not have to accept the ideas of rebirth, heaven or hell - just look at what happens to us in this life. Most conflicts are caused by anger and attachment. It is attachment, clinging that destroys the peace and tranquility of the individual, family and society. We Buddhists do these practices in order to achieve enlightenment, but not everyone should set such goals for themselves. It is enough to practice to find a way to work with your destructive emotions.
A WOMAN WHO CONSIDERS HERSELF A GENIUS # CHERNIGOVSKAYA KNOWS THAT - THAT KNOWS NOTHING # GRABED THE TOP AND TRYING TO COOK GOOD PORRIDGE # GENIUS OF LESS-SYSTEMNESS, LESS-CONTINUED... abasratsa). With grief I listened to the old lectures. Once again I was convinced that my grandmother was constantly talking about the same thing. Therefore, I generate what happened at yesterday's event. Who was - will confirm or refute my vangovanie. So, a lecture by Chernigovskaya, which I did not attend, but which I generated. 1. After an hour's delay, Chernigovskaya leaves. On the head is a ponytail of white hair from the beard of a hottabych, on the rest - a suit "I'm from the dacha." Be sure to report into the microphone that she has just returned from some mega-important event, such as the intergalactic congress of humanoids in Tuapse. 2. A few jokes in the style of Alexander Vasiliev about glamorous students in silks, furs, but without brains 3. The sentence begins with the words "Bekhtereva and I." The continuation doesn't matter. Possible references to Kapitsa, Lotman, Perelman, and someone else "with whom I had the honor of being acquainted." 4. Some pictures from the presentation. We are shown either the brain of Einstein, or the brain of a bird, or the brain of a chimpanzee. Or all at once, which symbolizes the highest level of conversation. 5. Block "Surprise". Chernigovskaya is surprised by the bird's brain, which is "absolutely smooth", but at the same time the birds are terribly smart. Encourages the audience to be surprised with her. 6. Block "Admiration". The lecturer marvels at the dance of the bee, which testifies to the presence of bee language in bees. 7. Block "Exposure". The lecturer vehemently debunks the myth that we supposedly use only ten percent of the brain. This is a terrible lie. The brain is used quite actively. 8. Block "Living authorities". Be sure to mention Zhanna Reznikova, from whom the ants learned to solve the equations of higher mathematics. 9. Block "Indignation". What fool came up with the idea that the more the brain weighs, the smarter man? Everyone knows that nothing depends on the weight of the brain. 9. Block "Yavshoke". The speaker is shocked by the distributed brain of ants, which, as it were, does not exist, because each ant is a separate neuron that performs tasks coming from the center. 10. Block "quotes". In the presentation, we are shown a quote about the fact that the brain does not distinguish reality from fiction. For him, all memories are the same. 11. Block "scientific old age". We are told that the capacity for language is in our brains, and that all languages have the same law of construction. People who speak the same language are one hundred pounds relatives. Chechens and Chinese are one people. 12. Block "Is there life on Mars". Chernigovskaya asks herself questions and answers them: "Science does not know this." It turns out that science does not know what life is, what consciousness is, what will is, and much more. 13. Block "Grandma's Scarecrows". A few horror stories about the uprising of the machines. The hour is near when the microwave will become conscious and poison you. 14. Spectacular quote in the finale. For example, about the fact that we are responsible for the starry sky above our heads and the moral law within us. 15. Answers to questions (in a dissatisfied tone, for the speaker is late for a new important meeting of higher minds). (C) Evgeny Korobkov.
For the first time, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism discussed with researchers from Russia how science and education are connected with the development of the ideas of compassion, love and non-violence.
“The time has come to change the mind by raising the level of education, the level of awareness,” said the Dalai Lama. - It is important to convey to people that the idea of dividing the world into “us” and “them” is outdated. We need to abandon this division because it is a source of violence. We are all part of humanity, and my task is to promote the idea of the unity of the entire population of the planet.”
Together with experts, the spiritual leader discussed the results of the latest research by Russian scientists that relate to consciousness, emotions, personality, meditations and much more.
Tatyana Chernigovskaya, a professor at St Petersburg University, made a presentation titled "The Cheshire Smile of Schrödinger's Cat: Language and Consciousness". She noted that today music and language, in particular, the poetic word, deserve special attention of neuroscientists. The new science - biolinguistics - is just trying to find the universal features of the evolution of biological systems and language.
“If we remove all people from the planet, will there be music, mathematics? I do not ask about paper and other media, where everything is recorded, - said Tatyana Chernigovskaya. - Question: will there be music and mathematics if there are no people who listen and think? My answer is no. Mozart's music without a listener will be just a vibration in the air."
The Dalai Lama noted that in her report, the St Petersburg University professor explained the principle of the interdependence of all things. “You talked about the interdependence of the object and the subject, but this is not only the essence of their relationship, but also the nature of all phenomena in the world,” he said, adding that this is also said in one of the most famous Buddhist texts - the Heart Sutra.
The meeting of the Dalai Lama with Russian researchers "The Nature of Consciousness" was held within the framework of the international conference "Fundamental Knowledge: Dialogue between Russian and Buddhist Scientists". The discussion was attended by corresponding members of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, experts in the field of neuroscience, young researchers, as well as Buddhist Geshes (scientists) and young monks who have recently received training in the natural sciences.
Member corr. RAO, doctor of biol. and philol.n. Tatyana Chernigovskaya speaks at the round table "Buddhism and Science" at the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences. October 31, 2017. Photo: Renat Alyaudinov.
MOSCOW, November 3 - RIA Novosti, Olga Lipich. Scientists from Russia discussed with their Buddhist colleagues, led by the Dalai Lama, a risky experiment that could confirm or refute the doctrine of past lives and transference of consciousness.
This is what major Russian experts in the field of philosophy, psychology and brain research, who first met the Dalai Lama in Delhi last summer, told this week in Moscow at a meeting at the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
"The key thesis of the philosophy of Buddhism is that consciousness can be generated only by consciousness. This leads to inevitable consequences, very risky and, perhaps, dead ends. One of them concerns the moment when consciousness appears in individual development. As in the course of movement from one from a fertilized cell to a whole organism that has a mind, consciousness appears if it can only be initiated by a previous conscious moment? Buddhism resorts here to the fundamental idea that consciousness comes from a past life. This is a strong prediction," said a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, a neuroscientist Konstantin Anokhin.
According to him, the scientific method is precisely what requires making risky assumptions that can be tested by experiment. The continuity of consciousness in generations and the transfer of past experience into a new organism is one of such bold statements.
"Buddhism is ready to test this? It seems ready. At least, His Holiness the Dalai Lama spoke of such a need," said Anokhin, who asked this question to the Buddhist spiritual leader.
"Rabbit skeleton" in the closet
The Russian neuroscientist called such a test a "demarcation line" separating Buddhist teachings and modern science, the crossing of which is risky for both sides. Perhaps that is why such an experiment was not proposed by Western scientists who have been collaborating with Buddhist scientists for 30 years, including in the field of neuroscience, biology and quantum physics, which the Dalai Lama has been interested in all these years."If at least one documented case of such a phenomenon (the transfer of consciousness from a past life) is obtained in a rigorous scientific experiment, then this will lead to the need to revise all the foundations of modern science," Anokhin is sure.
Just as "one skeleton of a modern rabbit found in the Cretaceous period is enough to refute the theory of natural selection", so "one case of the transfer of memory and knowledge" from one organism to another is enough to destroy the modern picture of causality in the biological sciences, and perhaps and in physics.
"I personally think that this will never happen and that Buddhism is at risk here," Anokhin said.
At the same time, the weight of one case that refutes the prediction is always much higher than the experiment with a refutation not found. According to the scientist, if something does not happen the first, second, or third time, there is always a loophole to claim that some conditions were not met and that maybe it will happen for the 405th time. That is, in this case, Buddhism is in a safer position than modern science.
"In general, this is one of the most important places of contact between the Buddhist philosophy of consciousness, dating back several millennia, and modern science," Anokhin concluded.
The Dalai Lama, during a conversation with Russian scientists, mentioned that the Canadian-American professor Ian Stevenson recorded many cases when children shared memories from past lives.
"I myself saw two Indian girls, one from Kanpur, the other from Patyala. I met both, they remember their past lives very clearly. The parents of one girl, guided by her memory, took her to the place where she lived in a past life, and the girl recognized her room. And there was another child from Tibet who insisted that he used to live in India. He was brought to Dharamsala, where I live, but he said that he lived further south. His parents took him to South India, where there are Tibetan settlements ", he led them to one of the monasteries and found his room there. Then he pointed to the box, saying that it contained his glasses. The box was opened and there really were glasses. It is mysterious, "said the Dalai Lama.
Russian scientists agreed with him. However, no one yet knows exactly how to carry out the necessary rigorous experiment.
Member corr. RAS, MD Konstantin Anokhin speaks at the round table "Buddhism and Science" at the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences. October 31, 2017. Photo: Renat Alyaudinov.
The brain is in the world, but the world is in the brain
Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation, Doctor of Biology, Doctor of Philology, neurolinguist Tatyana Chernigovskaya considers meeting with the Dalai Lama and other Buddhist scientists in Delhi "one of the most powerful impressions in my life" and says that she felt like a "student"."They (Buddhists. - Approx. ed.) have been studying consciousness and other issues that we have just appeared for so long. We should seek help there. We have science, at least that part of it that we are talking about , is at an impasse: one thing does not converge with the other ... As Academician Lektorsky subtly noted, the brain is in the world, but the world is in the brain - I advise you not to think about it at night," Chernigovskaya said.
According to her, the path of endless measurements in modern science is seen as a dead end: atoms, quanta, photons - what to measure next and why? The same questions apply to the study of time and other important concepts. "What is objective time? Or in general: what does objective mean?" Chernigovskaya noted.
According to her, it is pointless to continue endlessly accumulating experimental data every minute, a new theory is needed.
Other conference participants, psychologists, philosophers, and Buddhist scholars noted that in order to study the brain, consciousness, and the Buddhist approach to these areas, modern scientists need to study Buddhist practices of meditation and consciousness change. It can be assumed that the laws of physics are also evolving, and that what is commonly called "unconscious" in science today is just other forms of consciousness.
D. Philosophy David Dubrovsky speaks at the round table "Buddhism and Science" at the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences. October 31, 2017. Photo: Renat Alyaudinov.
Managing mind, body and temper
Professor David Dubrovsky, a specialist in philosophy of mind from the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said that the meeting with the Dalai Lama gave scientists "a boost of optimism.""Achieving a deeper level of control over one's consciousness (which Buddhism teaches. - Approx. ed.) is also achieving a deeper level of control over one's physicality, this is also control over one's morality, achieving a deeper sympathy for another person. Controlling oneself is a very important factor, contributing to the achievement of humanity," says the professor.
This is especially true at the present stage of development, he believes. "Now in the world there is a lot of knowledge, technological innovations, problems over which we are losing control. Under these conditions, we must especially strengthen our spirit, create an optimistic perspective. Buddhism also teaches this," Dubrovsky added.
An imbalance of knowledge about each other
Tatyana Chernigovskaya noted an imbalance in the acquaintance of modern scientists with Buddhism, in comparison with the knowledge of Buddhists in the exact sciences. Serious Buddhist monasteries today teach modern scientific knowledge at a serious level. "And somehow I don't see that within our sciences - I mean not philosophy in the course of the history of the philosophy of the world, but, conditionally speaking, in the natural or exact sciences - that anyone would take steps in this direction. There are no such steps. Therefore, the imbalance is huge," Chernihivska said.According to her, "not only are there no such steps, but even Western philosophy is perceived as something like physical education or civil defense - that is, such a need for passing the test." "The scientific community's ignorance of the paramount role of philosophy in the current state of science is simply amazing," she stressed.
Chernihivskaya also shared her personal impressions of communication with the Dalai Lama. “His Holiness is not only a sage, which you see right away. This, I wanted to say, is a powerful personality, but I’m not even sure that he is a “personality”, this is some kind of incredible phenomenon, which can be seen simply even in his behavior. , he is a provocateur - he laughs wonderfully, unexpectedly, he asks questions that the relevant sciences have been thinking about for several decades and have hardly come up with this question, and he just suddenly hits you with this question from somewhere, "said the neuroscientist.
The wind will blow - the planet will explode
The Dalai Lama and Russian scientists also agreed on the unifying and peacemaking potential of science.According to Chernigovskaya, the Dalai Lama says the same thing that, "from the other pole", the famous English theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking. "Humanity does not recognize itself as a single family, people dog each other, as if nothing threatens them. And even at one of the dinners, His Holiness said a phenomenal thing in general ... He said: I understood that NATO headquarters should be moved to Moscow," - recalls Chernigovskaya.
Stephen Hawking believes that humanity will come to its senses when there is a common threat to the whole world (in the form of aliens). "Aliens - or whatever you call this threat - it is important that the common threat ... It seems to me that this common threat is already right here, it is on the table. I don’t know where the NATO headquarters will be, but only a person with a completely skin of an unthinkable size may not feel where we are now. Literally a little wind will blow - and the planet will explode, "Chernigovskaya warns.
Therefore, she concluded, the view of the world of the Dalai Lama, who calls on all people to feel and live as a single family, "has a global, civilizational significance."
"Science is an area of trust between people of different nationalities, countries, religions and cultures. This is a common factor of understanding," neuroscientist Konstantin Anokhin added.
Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Russia, Mongolia and CIS countries Telo Tulku Rinpoche speaks at the round table "Buddhism and Science" at the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences. October 31, 2017. Photo: Renat Alyaudinov.
The goal is the benefit and happiness of other people
From the Buddhist side, scientists in Moscow were actively supported by the representative of the Dalai Lama in Russia and the CIS countries, the Supreme Lama of Kalmykia, Telo Tulku Rinpoche. He said that the number of views of the video broadcast of the first joint scientific conference of the Dalai Lama and Russian neuroscientists from Delhi reached one and a half million.The Dalai Lama during the conference repeatedly emphasized that the purpose of his meetings with scientists, as well as the Buddhist teachings in general, is to benefit people, to help everyone achieve happiness.
"We strive to change people's minds in a positive way to make them better," said one of the conference participants, director of the Center for Ethics and Values Leading to Transformation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Indian Tenzin Priyadarshi.
"Buddhism moves inward (of man), while Western science moves outward, without a clear goal. But the scientific data on the brain are very interesting to us. And we can teach each other a lot, provided that our common goal is to eliminate suffering and achieve happiness," concluded another Buddhist scholar, director of the Library of Tibetan Manuscripts and Archives, Geshe Lhakdor.
Doctor of Philosophy Victoria Lysenko speaks at the round table "Buddhism and Science" at the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences. October 31, 2017. Photo: Renat Alyaudinov.
Fundamental knowledge
The first-ever dialogue between the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism and neuroscientists from Russia took place in August this year in Delhi - within the framework of the conference "Fundamental Knowledge: Dialogues between Russian and Buddhist Scientists". The main theme of the first meeting was the nature of consciousness. Both parties came to the conclusion that it is necessary to continue joint work in the future.On the Russian side, in addition to the above-mentioned scientists, the discussion was attended by Professor of the Academic Institute of Psychology Yuri Alexandrov, cognitive psychologist Maria Falikman (Moscow University), one of the founders of the Moscow Center for the Study of Consciousness at the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow State University Dmitry Volkov, Professor-Buddhologist Victoria Lysenko (Institute of Philosophy ), as well as young Russian scientists.
The historic meeting of the Dalai Lama and Buddhist monks-scholars with Russian researchers was organized by the Center for Tibetan Culture and Information and the Save Tibet Foundation (Moscow) with the support of the Moscow Center for Consciousness Research at the Faculty of Philosophy of Lomonosov Moscow State University.
"Thanks to such a meeting of Buddhist and Russian scientists and the fact that monks from the Buddhist regions of Russia study at monastic universities in India, an opportunity opens up to develop new scientific approaches, develop joint research programs. I see two goals of such cooperation - to expand scientific knowledge and promote compassion in the world and love leading to happiness," the Dalai Lama told RIA Novosti, commenting on the results of the first joint conference.
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Photo: Renat Alyaudinov