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January 15th, 2009 | by Alive Mind Education | published in Mystical Brain
It seems that mystical ecstasy is a profoundly transformative experience. It could contribute to people’s psychic and bodily health, treat depression and speed up the healing process in patients who combine meditation with conventional medicine.
A guided tour of the depths of the human spirit, Mystical Brain is a fascinating documentary that breaks new ground on the intersection of science and spirituality.
Mystical Brain Product Information
Subjects: Psychology, Mental Health, Eastern Teachings
Copyright: © 2007
Set: DVD Only
Total Running Time: 52 minutes
ISBN-10: 0-9822536-1-3
Educational Prices:
Educational with Public Performance Rights: $189.00Educational without Public Performance Rights: $89.00
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Note: Please contact info@alivemindeducation.com or call us at 800-562-3330 if you need further assistance.
Video Librarian Review May-June 2009 on Mystical Brain
Rating: 3 out of 4 Stars - Recommended!
Philosophical, theological, and scientific questions are raised in Mystical Brain, this fascinating National Film Board of Canada-produced documentary from director Isabella Raynauld, which follows the efforts of North American neurobiologists investigating how the brain reacts during prayer and meditation. In one study, two researchers at the University of Montreal persuade several contemplative Carmelite nuns to undergo scientific tests to try to localize and measure the impact of the mystical experience on their brains. A similar project (although with different techniques) follows a team at the University of Wisconsin working with Buddhist monks, including a translator for the Dalai Lama. Both scientists and subjects feel that the research does not endanger the spiritual experience but rather may aid in our understanding of it—a point driven home in a conference featuring the Dalai Lama, a Cistercian monk, and scientists. Meanwhile, another university researcher is shown here experimenting with a device known as the “God helmet,” which aims to replicate the physiological effects of religious belief on the brain without what the researcher calls the potentially destructive impulses associated with doctrine and dogma. A single documentary obviously can’t resolve fundamental questions about the nature of the soul and the Cartesian mind-body dichotomy, but this one does offer a fascinating look at such profound matters without ever becoming either heavy-handed or dismissive. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)