Sleeping, Dreaming, and Dying

An Exploration of Consciousness with the Dalai Lama

By: Francisco J. Varela PhD

Narrated by: Fajer Al-Kaisi

Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

This is an absorbing account of a dialogue between leading Western scientists and the foremost representative of Buddhism today, the Dalai Lama of Tibet.

For modern science, the transitional states of consciousness lie at the forefront of research in many fields. For a Buddhist practitioner, these same states present crucial opportunities to explore and transform consciousness itself. This book is the account of a historic dialogue between leading Western scientists and the Dalai Lama of Tibet. Revolving around three key moments of consciousness - sleep, dreams, and death - the conversations recorded here are both engrossing and highly listenable. Whether the topic is lucid dreaming, near-death experiences, or the very structure of consciousness itself, the listener is continually surprised and delighted.

Narrated by Fajer Al-Kaisi, the book begins with insightful remarks on the notion of personal identity by noted philosopher Charles Taylor, author of the acclaimed Sources of Self. This sets the stage for Dr. Jerome Engel, Dr. Joyce MacDougal, and others to engage in extraordinary exchanges with the Dalai Lama on topics ranging from the neurology of sleep to the yoga of dreams.

Remarkable convergences between the Western scientific tradition and the Buddhist contemplative sciences are revealed. Dr. Jayne Gackenbach's discussion of lucid dreaming, for example, prompts a detailed and fascinating response from the Dalai Lama on the manipulation of dreams by Buddhist meditators. The conversations also reveal provocative divergences of opinion, as when the Dalai Lama expresses skepticism about near-death experiences as presented by Joan Halifax. The conversations are engrossing and highly listenable. Any listener interested in psychology, neuroscience, Buddhism, or the alternative worlds of dreams will surely enjoy Sleeping, Dreaming, and Dying.

©2002 Mind and Life Institute (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Amazing Report.

Anything with Francisco Varella is a must listen. What a pity the narrator felt it necessary to mimic female voices: it came across as disrespectful and mocking at times. Also, it would help if narrators did some background research on the proper pronunciation of Tibetan words.

Unlike any other book I have read

Enthralling overall. For someone who has journey’d through a near death experience and the wonderful and terrifying aftermath this book has offered some possible explanations for some of the experiences and post recovery feelings and thoughts. The book offers up many more questions than answers, however listening to a multidisciplinary panel of questions and opinions on subjects of consciousness and death has been invaluable compared with one alternative of picking myself up and dusting myself off. This book provokes thought and exploration

Illuminating

Some of the greatest representatives of human kind are sharing their views in this recording. The authors take a listener from Himalayan mountains to neuroscience lab and back. It is very thought-provoking and informative in the subjects of life, death, and biological and intellectual functions of the mind. Pleasure to listen to and feels like hope.

Encuentro entre Ciencia y Budismo

Este increíble libro ayuda abrir la mente a nuevas posibilidades de ver y vivir el mundo y nuevos caminos en la vida.

RECOMMEND

This is not an easy book to listen to. So much information.
I recommend the book to anyone who is interested in Buddhism. I listened to it twice, so far.
The author, Francisco J. Varroa and the Dalai Lama are excellent, so is the narrator, mr. Faker Al-Kaisi.
As usual, my thanks to all involved, JK
It is now 9/7/2023 and I am adding to my review.
Since I am further on my path of Buddhism, I decided to listen to the book again, this time with the written book.
So much information and all so interesting. Some parts made more sense to me now.
As a retired ICU nurse, mainly dealing with brain injuries, it was doubly interesting.
I regret that I did not have enough time to delve into a book like this when I was still working.
I do highly recommend this book.
My other book on the subject will be “The Tibetan Book of the dead”
Again, my thanks to all involved for making these great books available, JK.

must reading for serious students

Must reading for serious students of cognitive science and mindsciences in general. same for Varela's Embodied Cognition.

Instant classic

This book is fantastic. I felt like I had a front row seat to the most intelligent discourse possible between mortals. Hanving just witnessed death first hand just a week ago with the loss of my Father in law, the descriptions of the subtle body really resonate with what I saw during his last moments.

Excellent

I found this book to be very insightful, well written, and excellently narrated. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in Tibetan Buddhism.

excellent

glad I got it on tape because the content is slightly out of my depth and it helped me with my comprehension. The Dalai Llama is so intelligent and interesting. Very good book

Interesting, but a little dissatisfying

His Holiness starts out asking "teaching questions" as if he's trying to guide science to come to his own view, and by the end he's frequently relaying 'ghost stories', by which I mean secondhand accounts of supernatural events (possession, oracles, ghosts) which don't fit well in either the Buddhist framework or the Western. In between, there is certainly genuine Buddhist teaching and some genuine dialogue between the two cultures.

The scientists, for their part, do manage a middle ground, being respectful while asking some of the incisive questions a sceptical Westerner naturally has. However, as a group they often quickly forget careful distinctions that are introduced, most annoyingly continuing to bring up comparisons between ordinary orgasm and death well after it's clarified that the traditional Buddhist comparison extends only to a special ritual involving orgasm.

The Buddhist practices and beliefs which are discussed all relate to very specific convictions about reincarnation and how it comes to pass. How do Buddhists come to know these things, and why are they so certain? The challenge is never quite put to them.