Dreaming Reality: How Neuroscience and Mysticism Can Unlock the Secrets of Consciousness

Former psychology professors Lynn (Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, and Hypnosis for Smoking Cessation) and Miskovic (who now studies monastic life at New Skete Monastery in Cambridge, NY) journey into the human brain with the goal of understanding consciousness. They share the different ways the brain has been studied over time, referencing both medical neuroscience and the spiritual traditions of Buddhism, ancient Christianity, and Eastern shamanism. Miskovic and Lynn assert that scientists and doctors are often uncomfortable with how spiritual teachers frame the mind and vice versa. They cite research studies and practices from both groups. The book’s combination of ancient and modern perspectives brings together what is known about dreams, memories, emotions, and sleep and how they are related to brain structure and function. It also explores the role of meditation, psychedelics, and sensory deprivation in treating psychological disorders and details how senses shape experiences. Between chapters are “In-Sights” exercises that help readers explore their own sense of perception and consciousness.