The Science of Enlightenment: How Meditation Works

By: Shinzen Young

Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini

Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

“Enlightenment” - is it a myth or is it real? In every spiritual tradition, inner explorers have discovered that the liberated state is in fact a natural experience, as real as the sensations you are having right now - and that through the investigation of your own thoughts, feelings, and perceptions you can awaken to clear insight and a happiness independent of conditions.

For decades, one of the most engaging teachers of our time has illuminated the many dimensions of awakening - but solely at his live retreats and on audio recordings. Now, with The Science of Enlightenment, Shinzen Young brings to listeners an uncommonly lucid guide to mindfulness meditation for the first time: how it works and how to use it to enhance your cognitive capacities, your kindness and connection with the world, and the richness of all your experiences.

As thousands of his students and listeners will confirm, Shinzen is like no other teacher you’ve ever encountered. He merges scientific clarity, a rare grasp of source-language teachings East and West, and a gift for sparking insight through unexpected analogies, illustrations, humor, and firsthand accounts that reveal the inner journey to be as wondrous as any geographical expedition. Join him here to explore:

• Universal insights spanning Buddhism, Christian and Jewish mysticism, shamanism, the yogas of India, and many other paths
• How to begin and navigate your own meditation practice
• Concentration, clarity, and equanimity - the core catalysts of awakening
• Impermanence - its many aspects and how to work with them
• Experiencing the “wave” and “particle” natures of self
• Purification and clarification - how we digest mental blockages and habits through inner work
• Emerging neuroscience research, the future of enlightenment, and much more

©2016 Shinzen Young (P)2018 Post Hypnotic Press Inc.

Absolute must-read for any level Western meditator

IT'S FANTASTIC. All of Shinzen Young's scholarly rigor (PhD in Buddhist Studies) and deep source-language knowledge of sanskrit, ancient and modern 일본어, 한자, etc. are combined with his 40yr meditation teaching experience and recent forays into science to design meditation-neuroscience research collaborations to create an amazingly rich text in contextual breadth and specific exemplary stories from his teaching career. The story of Gino, the tough sea captain transcending past wrongdoing on through mindful attention to his dying process, was alone worth purchasing. The performance is a bit pretentious and melodramatic - so ridiculously departing from Shinzen's own style in tenor that the minor swoons and stank the reader puts on phrases are magnified to glaring noticeability. But still a 5 star review for the amazingly rich, practically helpful, and shockingly approachable insights offered in this text. I'll be recommending to all I know who have even a slight interest in meditation.

Outstanding, provocative book on a critically important subject, presented in a unique way.

I don’t know what is, or could be, more important to human well being than what has traditionally been called “spiritual enlightenment.” This book discusses that topic in a way that is, overall, quite unique and, I think, helpful and useful. I highly recommend it for anyone who’s ever considered the subject. I especially recommend it for those who’ve been interested, but couldn’t, for whatever reason, handle more traditional presentations. Deeply thoughtful, and practical, it could be an important part of a person’s “path.”

Additionally, the reader is outstanding, and makes it easy and pleasant to follow a theme that could otherwise be more difficult and daunting.

Highly recommended!

One of the best mediation teachers

Shinzen Young’s words have both affirmed my intuition and provided new insights in my meditation and spiritual journey. A masterpiece from a great master. 🙏🏿

brilliant but theoretical, pretentious narrator

super smart and interesting, but quite dry and abstract. narrator was agonizing for me. sounded like he's trying very hard to make his voice sound aristocratic

Better for advanced meditators

This book has been unusual. I can safely say I didn't understand about 50% of it at least, and some chunks I found a bit lenghty and unnecessary. I think an advanced meditator would get a much better value out of it.
Yet, despite my not getting some ideas, this book does deliver many other ideas that are important and made me think.
Finally, it's very interesting and unusual to see a buddhist practitioner who claims that they are a materialist.

Esclarecedor

Este libro permite explorar temas como mindfulness, Flow, presencia y similares. Menciona prácticas budistas con términos nativos de la India. Puede ser tan profundo o ligero según lo que el lector desee experimentar.

BEST EVER!!!

This is the perfect book for beginner and experienced meditators. Explained so many questions I had about meditation. I knew that I wasn’t breathing while I was meditating but didn’t know that was something I should and could experience, this explains that in detail as well. Very nice to meet you Mr. Shinzen Young for this insightful book, nice to meet you

Nothing new

I can't understand why it took you 10 years to write it. It is basically a resume of the classical Science of Enlightenment, and Shinzen's videos both in Shinzen's YT channel and in expandcontract, and interviews. Anyway, I enjoy remembering those subjects.

Excellent, simple and scientific

I highly recommend this book for someone who’s gotten past the initial stages of meditation and contemplating consciousness. I wouldn’t start with this book: There are other introductory books such as the untethered soul. But for someone who’s already taken the time to do some research, practice, and think for themselves this book really brings it all together and provides some Rational explanations to help understand meditation and the human condition.

Very Profound

this is an excellent book very profound only a little bit advance for my understanding, I'll have to listen to it again.