1. What is consciousness?
Neuroscientists traditionally define consciousness as being solely the product of brain activity. Consciousness is considered the result of activity within specific neural circuits within the brain. Some researchers, however, are questioning whether consciousness may be more than the simple product of brain activity. This is due to data from a number of research studies, including those on near-death experiences, which indicate that there are times during an NDE when persons may have no brain activity and yet be aware (van Lommel et al, 2001; Parnia et al, 2007).
2. Is it possible to be a meditator and still stay objective in pursuing scientific research on consciousness? Does this bias you?
This is a great question. And I think the answer is both “yes” and “no.” First, I think you need to understand that many, if not most, scientists have biases regarding their research interests. Researchers in pharmaceutical companies, for example, may hope that the new drug they are investigating will truly reduce the growth of cancer cells, or that another will help reduce the symptoms of schizophrenia. And I may hope that my research will show that meditation helps improve attentional focus.
Since most researchers, including myself, know they may have subtle biases regarding their expected research outcomes, they apply the scientific method rigorously. This includes creating alternative hypotheses, blinding themselves to the identity of groups they are testing, and never giving their own theories the weight of Holy Writ. And when presented with a new scientific result, which some might conclude is a new truth, they immediately ponder how one might attempt to disprove it.
3. Is meditation quieting the mind? And if so, why would you want to quiet the mind?
One of the Oxford American Dictionary definitions for meditation is to “focus one’s mind for a period of time, in silence.” From my own experience, I would agree with this, and add that meditation does involve quieting the mind. But I had the same question, too, when I first began practicing meditation: Why would you want to quiet the mind? In fact, I wasn’t sure I knew what it meant to quiet the mind.
As a scientist, I had always valued thinking and it seemed to me that thoughts were essential to my work. I loved coming up with creative solutions to scientific problems, writing up carefully designed grant proposals, debating the significance of our latest research results with colleagues. Why WOULD I want to quiet my mind? Yet in the first meditation workshop I participated in, my mind had become still and that first experience of meditation had been extraordinary, full of joy and peace. In the coming years, as I began to meditate regularly, I found that my mind was less turbulent during my day and I was more able to step back from situations and see them from a neutral point of view. And I found I had much more peace of mind, which actually enhanced my creativity as a scientist.
4. What does research show about the effects of meditation on the mind?
Many, many studies, including ones from my own lab, have been performed examining the effects of meditation on mental activity and behavior. The studies have shown that meditation does improve attentional focus, giving persons the ability to focus with single-minded attention for long periods of time. In addition, it improves what is called “emotional regulation,” meaning that people who meditate tend to be happier, and feel less stress, though their outer circumstances have not changed. (For more information, see the studies by my own lab, and the labs of Sara Lazar, Richard Davidson, Yi-Yuan Tang and Michael Posner, and many others.)
5. How do you know that NDEs are not simply hallucinations created by neurons that are not getting enough oxygen, when the heart has stopped?
At least two prospective studies of NDEs have demonstrated no difference between patients who had an NDE and those who did not in regard to their brain electroencephalogram (EEG) activity (Parnia and Fenwick 2002), their blood chemistry, or their brain-seizure activity (Lommel et al. 2001). The findings indicate that changes in brain activity or blood chemistry were not the cause of the NDE, or researchers would have seen differences between the two groups. In addition, critical care physician Sam Parnia notes that most studies on cerebral function in patients during cardiac arrest shows there is no electrical activity in the brain. Hallucinations should not be possible if there is no neural activity. Yet these patients were aware.
6. How do you know that the positive results of research on energy healing are not due to the placebo effect? Perhaps people simply expecting to feel better, so they do.
The most careful researchers in any field (including my own research area of rehabilitation) do controlled studies in which they include at least two groups, one which is given the experimental treatment, and a second group that is lead to believe that they have the same treatment, but do not receive the experimental treatment. This is considered the placebo group. When researchers see that the experimental group shows improvements that are significantly greater than for the placebo group, they know that the physiological improvements are due to the healing modality. I mention some of these studies related to Reiki, a type of energy healing, in my book Infinite Awareness.