684. Chris Niebauer

Chris Niebauer earned his Ph.D. in cognitive neuropsychology at the University of Toledo, specializing in the differences between the left and right sides of the human brain. He is the author of No Self, No Problem: How Neuropsychology Is Catching Up to Buddhism and The No Self, No Problem Workbook: Exercises & Practices from Neuropsychology and Buddhism to Help You Lose Your Mind. He was a professor at a state university in Pennsylvania for 22 years, where he taught courses on consciousness, mindfulness, left- and right-brain differences, and artificial intelligence. Website: chrisniebauerphd.com YouTube Channel Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group Summary and transcript of this interview Interview recorded June 3, 2023 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:06:21 - Disappointment with Daniel Dennett's book on consciousness 00:11:55 - The Value of Intelligence and Happiness 00:17:39 - The Dominance of Language in Reality 00:23:31 - Breaking the Cycle of Mental Excitation 00:29:04 - Non-Thinking Forms of Consciousness 00:34:24 - The Power of Numbers and Abstractions 00:40:01 - Observing the Interpreter and Letting Go of Intrusive Thoughts 00:45:55 - The Need for a Tiny Shift 00:51:17 - The Inventive Storytelling of the Left Brain 00:57:17 - Holistic Development of the Brain 01:02:52 - The Playfulness of Debates and the Power of Music 01:08:41 - The Nature of Skepticism and Strange Beliefs 01:14:25 - The Shift to Right Brain Awareness 01:19:53 - The Left Brain on Trial 01:25:32 - Individual Paths and Categorization 01:31:05 - Liberation and the Illusion of Self 01:36:54 - The Paradox of the Soul and Individuality 01:43:02 - Embracing Paradoxes 01:48:22 - The Connection between Light and Consciousness 01:53:31 - The Role of Faith in Materialism and Consciousness Studies 01:58:37 - The Inadequacy of Neuroscience 02:03:46 - The Limitations of Understanding and Balance in Life

Om Podcasten

The implication of the title - Buddha at the Gas Pump - is that ordinary people are experiencing higher states of consciousness once thought to be rare and difficult to attain. People everywhere are undergoing a shift or awakening to their true nature. For some, this shift has been abrupt and dramatic. For others, it has been so gradual that they may not have realized it has occurred. Such shifts, or awakenings, are not new: Christ spoke of the Kingdom of Heaven within, Buddhists speak of Nirvana, Zen masters of Satori, Hindus of Moksha, but these traditions generally regard these states as rare and difficult to attain. Many people are therefore skeptical of claims of higher states of consciousness. They find it hard to believe that apparently ordinary friends and neighbors might be experiencing something extraordinary. Maybe they expect Enlightenment to look as remarkable on the outside as it is reputed to be on the inside. This show will attempt to dispel skepticism and misconceptions by week after week, allowing otherwise ordinary people to relate their experience of spiritual awakening. The terminology is tricky, because there are no universally agreed upon definitions to describe this experience. So please forgive us if we use some unfamiliar terms. We will try to clarify our definitions as we go along. Perhaps, after a while, those listening will become convinced that genuine and permanent spiritual awakenings are not just a pipe dream, but are real and are becoming relatively commonplace. These podcasts are the audio track of a weekly interview show which may be seen as videos on our YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/buddhaatthegaspump). Also see the main site: https://batgap.com. For search purposes, I will add the following to this description - batgap, Buddha at the Gaspump, Buddah at the Gas Pump.