if people were nicer

Ian - Another day and another book being reread.

Walter – yup – this time it's Rick Hanson (2009) Buddha's Brain – the practical neuroscience of happiness, love and wisdom.

Ian – is it any good?

Walter – yup. I am aware of 21 of the people he acknowledges. Many are from the group around Goldstein and Kornfield at the Insight Meditation Society (IMS).

Ian – the worried well – middle class, nicey nicey Massachusetts types?

Walter – many of them lean in that direction. Hanson's approach is that of a neuro-psychologist but, given his client base he has to forge a few sentences to deal with the transcendent.

Ian – how does he do that?

Walter – it involves the presence of an intentional agent which is infinite, eternal and omniscient although 'he' tends to work in mysterious ways.

Ian – but surely he does not take that ancient myth and magic seriously?

Walter - nope - but PR demands that he does not dismiss it entirely.

Ian – is he an easy read?

Walter – yes and he also speaks well. One thing that niggles me, however, is his use of the concept of the 'true self' which is wise and compassionate. This implies the existence of an untrue self which is unwise and lacking in compassion. There are presumably networks in the brain which hold the two opposing modes of thought/feeling and mood.

Ian – God v the Devil, Buddha v Mara

Walter – Jesus changed his mind but so did Hitler. The Buddha changed his mind but so did Pol Pot.

Ian – And human history records many tortures, rapes and genocides with neighbour set against neighbour.

Walter – Aha – I note the feeling and mood related to the worried well, to those who have never had it so good, to those who feel that the world owes them a living.

Ian – the 1% mega rich

Walter – but also the political, economic, military, and religious zealots.

Ian – and the sexists, ageists, racists, wife beaters, alcoholics, drug addicts, paedophiles, and white and blue collar criminals

Walter - a sorry state we are in – the transcendent intentional agent has a lot of work ahead.

Ian – So, what is to be done?

Walter – the grand conclusion – there is neural plasticity – it is never too late to change your mind – mindfulness helps - it would be nice if people were nicer.