Science of Mind

Buddhism is not only a religion but also a science of mind—an inquiry into how perception, thought, and awareness unfold.

Every experience we have is filtered through the mind. Yet most of the time, we don’t see how it works—we mistake appearances for reality and thoughts for truth. The Buddhist tradition has spent centuries mapping the mind: its perceptions, its biases, and its deeper nature.

This study is not abstract philosophy. It is practical. When we understand how the mind works, we can see how afflictions arise and how to free ourselves from them. We can also bridge Dharma with modern science, philosophy, and psychology, discovering unexpected resonances.

In Dzogchen, the science of mind culminates in direct recognition: awareness itself knowing itself.

Takeaway practice: The next time you have a strong thought or emotion, ask: What is its source? Where does it go? Look closely—not at the content, but at the process of mind itself.

Reflections on the Science of Mind

Science of training the mind.

Meditation is the science of training the mind. It is a vehicle for recognizing our own true nature and understanding the nature of reality. What we often call meditation can be categorized as two types of meditation, shamatha and vipashyana. Shamatha, or calm abiding, is the practice of bringing the

A Life's WorkGreg Patenaude

Time on the Cushion.

This weekend I read an interesting framework for progress on the path in Altered Traits. Based on a wide sample of meditation research, they categorized practitioners according to three stages of development: 1. Beginner, with less than 100 practice hours. 2. Long-time practitioner, with greater than 1,000 practice hours.

A Life's WorkGreg Patenaude

Freedom from views.

When we talk about the nature of the mind as an integral part of the nature of reality as we did when talking about the primordial state, one of the initial reactions by hyper-rationalist, secular people can be “who cares, how does this apply to anything useful like science or

A Life's WorkGreg Patenaude

There Is No Mind-Body Problem

A Buddhist view on the false divide between mind and matter

A Life's WorkGreg Patenaude

Read more blog posts on the science of mind.

The science of mind is not only for scholars. It is for anyone who wants to understand how suffering begins and how freedom is possible.

“To know the mind is to free the mind.”

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