

Ep115: Jhana, Ego, & Orgasm - Leigh Brasington, Shinzen Young, Chelsey Fasano, & Dr Sanguinetti
01:45:30
Jhana Spectrum
- Jhana is a broad spectrum of meditative concentration states.
- These range from mild awareness to complete absorption in a single object.
Visuddhimagga vs. Sutta Jhanas
- The Visuddhimagga describes jhana as requiring complete absorption with a nimitta.
- The Suttas describe jhana with bodily awareness, allowing for a wider range of experience.
Evolutionary Basis of Jhanas
- Jhanas likely arise as a side effect of how our minds are built.
- Around 25% of serious meditators experience jhanas, suggesting they are a natural human capacity.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app 1 chevron_right 2 chevron_right 3 chevron_right 4 chevron_right 5 chevron_right 6 chevron_right 7 chevron_right 8 chevron_right 9 chevron_right 10 chevron_right 11 chevron_right 12 chevron_right 13 chevron_right 14 chevron_right 15 chevron_right 16 chevron_right 17 chevron_right 18 chevron_right 19 chevron_right 20 chevron_right 21 chevron_right 22 chevron_right 23 chevron_right 24 chevron_right 25 chevron_right 26 chevron_right 27 chevron_right 28 chevron_right 29 chevron_right
Introduction
00:00 • 5min
The Depth of Concentration in the Sutas
05:26 • 6min
The First Jana
11:05 • 2min
I Think the Intersection of Mysticism, Contemplative Practice in Pleasure Is a Passion of Mines
13:31 • 2min
Is There That Much Variability in the Sort of the Handles?
15:36 • 5min
Do You Agree With the Vasuti Maga?
20:31 • 4min
Is There a Difference Between a Monk and a Buddhist?
24:13 • 3min
The Visuti Maga
27:39 • 5min
Visuti Macabe
32:59 • 4min
Zen Zen
36:40 • 3min
What the Buddha Had to Say?
40:03 • 4min
What Is the Real Darmar?
43:36 • 4min
Cognitive Biasing Mechanisms in Psychology
47:24 • 2min
Are You Getting Attached to Your Ideas?
49:44 • 5min
What's the Early Material?
54:20 • 3min
I'm Not a Fan of All Ten Thousand It's a Limited Subset
57:03 • 2min
Is There a Grip in the System?
59:06 • 3min
How to Be Comfortable With What You Don't Know
01:02:00 • 4min
Is There a Prior Art Test for Fluid Intelligence?
01:06:05 • 4min
How Does the Mindfulness Practice Cultivate a Relationship to Sensory Experience?
01:09:58 • 4min
Centre Surround Neon in the Visual System
01:14:27 • 2min
The Mechanism of Inhibition in the Motional System
01:16:41 • 3min
Unified Mindfulness
01:19:12 • 2min
The Sensational Paradise of Sensual Processing
01:21:10 • 6min
Sex Research and Inhibition
01:27:23 • 2min
What Is the Effect of Meditation on Seizures?
01:29:38 • 4min
The Creas and the Peti Are Sustaining It.
01:33:47 • 3min
Is There a Reordering of the Top Down Processes in the Brain?
01:37:10 • 5min
Is There a Date for Your Book on Tin Origination?
01:42:18 • 3min
In this episode special guest Leigh Brasington, Buddhist meditation teacher and author of ‘Right Concentration, A Practical Guide to the Jhanas’, joins the ongoing conversation featuring:
- Shinzen Young, meditation teacher and neuroscience research consultant
- Chelsey Fasano, a Columbia University neuroscience student
- Dr Jay Sanguinetti, Assistant Director for the Center for Consciousness Studies and Research Professor at the University of New Mexico
In this episode Shinzen and Leigh engage in a detailed discussion about the variety of classifications of jhana in Buddhist scripture and the competing interpretations of them that exist today.
They examine the contents and political context of 5th century text the Visuddhimagga and its author Buddhagosa and consider possible conflicts between its jhana system and the those of the Sutta and Abhidhamma literature.
Chelsey reveals fascinating research on the neuroscience of pleasure and its relationship to meditational bliss, Jay shares the research on cognitive bias and religious belief, and the group ask the question if jhana and kriya phenomena are actually forms of epileptic seizure.
…
Video version available at: https://www.guruviking.com/ep115-jhana-ego-orgasm-leigh-brasington-shinzen-young-chelsey-fasano-dr-sanguinetti/
Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
…
Topics Include:
00:00 - Intro
01:45 - Sutta vs Visuddhimagga jhanas
06:53 - Complete absorption and nimitta
09:35 - Do jhanas confer an evolutionary advantage?
11:54 - Orgasmic jhanas
14:18 - Shinzen and Leigh discuss jhanas and lineage
25:40 - How enlightened was Buddhagosa?
29:55 -Sutta vs Abhidhamma vs Visuddhimagga
33:01 - Why did the Visuddhimagga become so popular?
37:14 - Leigh’s orientation vs Shinzen’s orientation
43:36 - The spiritual ego
47:11 - Cognitive bias and defense mechanisms in spiritual practice
54:38 - Sutta Nipāta on dogmatism and bias
59:05 - Is grasping fundamental to the brain?
01:01:54 - Leigh’s enlightenment test
01:07:34 - The nature of pleasure
01:14:28 - Reducing inhibition to reveal states of bliss
01:15:33 - Centre-surround neurons
01:22:25 - Sensory processing according to Buddhism
01:27:24 - The neuroscience of pleasure
01:32:43 - Jhana and kriya as kinds of epileptic seizure
01:42:58 - Leigh’s upcoming book on dependent origination
…
Previous episodes in this series:
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlkzlKFgdknxjhwG5wmXRVfrkeGczVPVI
To find out more about Leigh, visit,
- https://www.guruviking.com/ep18-leigh-brasington-guru-viking-interviews/
- http://www.leighb.com/
- Case Study of Ecstatic Meditation: fMRI and EEG Evidence of Self-Stimulating a Reward System - https://www.hindawi.com/journals/np/2013/653572/
- How Many Jhanas Are There? http://www.leighb.com/howmanyjhanas.htm
To find out more about Shinzen, visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com/ep37-shinzen-young-pandemic-edition-guru-viking-podcast/
- www.shinzen.org
To find out more about Chelsey, visit:
- www.chelseyfasano.com
To find our more about Dr Sanguinetti, visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com/ep102-dr-jay-sanguinetti-cults-science-the-dalai-lama/
- https://www.jaysanguinetti.com/
For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- www.guruviking.com
Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James