"We all sleep. And, whether we acknowledge
it or not, we all dream. And certainly
every single one of us will die."
The new Wisdom Publications title, Sleeping,
Dreaming and Dying, allows you to
listen in on a fascinating conversation
among western scholars and the Dalai Lama
on those in-between states of consciousness
which modern science has done little to
penetrate. It is an annotated account of
an intimate dialogue that took place at the
Fourth Mind and Life Conference in Daramsala,
India. The West is represented by
a philosopher, a psychologist, a psychoanalyst,
a neuroscientist and a cultural
ecologist. The reader, along with the
participants, takes away much to ponder and
savor from this exchange.
One can sense the participants' rapt
attention as subjects such as lucid dreaming and
Tibetan dream yoga, Western and Tibetan
ideas of self, neuroscience and the subtle
mind, and Buddhist and Western perceptions
of death and near death experiences
are each addressed in the mornings and
then opened to freewheeling question and
answer sessions in the afternoons. The
book allows the reader to a participate in a
group journey through aspects of these
"shadow states" as the capable editor, Dr.
Francisco Varela, refers to them.
There are surprising parallels between
Western scientific data and Eastern teachings,
as well as expected and unexpected divergences.
For example, modern Western
"near death experiences" and accompanying
phenomena are not corroborated by
Tibetan Buddhism's rigorous exploration
and observation of death and dying states
over the centuries.
Sleeping, Dreaming and Dying is highly
recommended for anyone interested in
exploring the breadth and depth of these
subjects. In view of the current fascination
in the West with both dreaming and death
and dying, this book belongs on the shelf
of every good bookstore and library -
Megan Whilden
