How Meditation Works by Shinzen Young. Sounds True, 2018.
This book is by American meditation instructor Shinzen Young, ordained in Japan as a monk in the Shingon tradition of Buddhism which attempts to reach eternal wisdom through symbolic gestures, mystical syllables, and mental concentration.
The title suggests a scientific study of meditation that reveals its inner workings and proves its benefits, but that's not what this volume is about. Young has collaborated with scientists looking at the effects of contemplative practice on brain waves and physiology, and makes mention of those studies when he describes his approach to teaching meditation as "informed by the spirit of science." But don't expect to find summaries of that research or references to peer-reviewed publications.
Instead, the author teaches the basics of meditation, explains various meditation practices, tells the history of Buddhism, relates inspirational tales, and uses scientific language to make meditative concepts more understandable and less mystical.
"From the viewpoint of a meditator's physiology, changes in alpha brain waves are the most noticeable. Alpha is associated with being both alert and relaxed at the same time," he explains. "Being alert and, at the same time, deeply relaxed could be taken as the definition of a meditative state."
Young envisions a time when scientists will find a way to shorten or speed up the path to enlightenment, just as air travel has practical advantages over journeying by land. If enlightenment is natural and waiting to happen in all of us, as many believe, then a technological intervention that eliminates unnatural barriers would be a natural solution.
