A Nirvana that Is Burning in Hell: Pain and Flourishing in Mahayana Buddhist Moral Thought

Harris, S. E.

doi:10.1007/s11841-017-0619-4

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 13 publications

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“…Notice that even for the “well-taught noble disciple” (that is, meditators who no longer operate under craving and illusory notions of the self), valenced states still arise. These states are in and of themselves neutral in terms of well-being ( Harris, 2018 ). It is the strong motivational impulse to act (i.e., fleeing our pain; grasping at joys) in response to those signals that the Buddhist meditative project aims to transform.…”

Section: Acm Account Of Meditative Selflessnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Losing Ourselves: Active Inference, Depersonalization, and Meditation

2020

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Disruptions in the ordinary sense of selfhood underpin both pathological and “enlightened” states of consciousness. People suffering from depersonalization can experience the loss of a sense of self as devastating, often accompanied by intense feelings of alienation, fear, and hopelessness. However, for meditative contemplatives from various traditions, “selfless” experiences are highly sought after, being associated with enduring peace and joy. Little is understood about how these contrasting dysphoric and euphoric experiences should be conceptualized. In this paper, we propose a unified account of these selfless experiences within the active inference framework. Building on our recent active inference research, we propose an account of the experiences of selfhood as emerging from a temporally deep generative model. We go on to develop a view of the self as playing a central role in structuring ordinary experience by “tuning” agents to the counterfactually rich possibilities for action. Finally, we explore how depersonalization may result from an inferred loss of allostatic control and contrast this phenomenology with selfless experiences reported by meditation practitioners. We will show how, by beginning with a conception of self-modeling within an active inference framework, we have available to us a new way of conceptualizing the striking experiential similarities and important differences between these selfless experiences within a unifying theoretical framework. We will explore the implications for understanding and treating dissociative disorders, as well as elucidate both the therapeutic potential, and possible dangers, of meditation.

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Section: Acm Account Of Meditative Selflessnessmentioning

confidence: 99%