Alan Watts–Here and Now: Contributions to Psychology, Philosophy, and Religion

Chapter Six. Alan Watts and the Neuroscience of Transcendence

chapter six Alan Watts and the Neuroscience of Transcendence Donadrian L. Rice Among the central aims of neuroscience researchers are (a) to determine what neural activities afford particular behaviors and mental states, and (b) to describe changes in the structure and function of the brain due to experience. Because of advances in brain-imaging techniques and other measurement strategies, neuroscientists are now able to explore in finer detail areas of the brain that might correspond to what has traditionally been considered the domain of psychology (i.e., cognition, memory, emotions, sensation, and perception ). Moreover, the elusive question of “what is consciousness and where does it come from?” has now found a comfortable home in neuroscience with the belief that consciousness emerges from the neural activity of the brain. Although there are variations on exactly how this happens—whether due to the brain’s computational abilities, specialized neurons, or the particular property of a neural network —leading neuroscientists tend to agree that what is called consciousness is a characteristic of the brain (Albright, Jessell, Kandel, & Posner, 2000; Edelman & Tononi, 2000; Gazzaniga, 2000; Greenfield, 1998). Research studies published in academic journals and reported in the popular media now broach the possibility that a strong connection exists between neural activity and subjective experiences of transcendence. My intention in this chapter is to position Alan Watts’ thinking on the subjective experience of transcendence in the context of contemporary neuroscience research. It should be noted that for the purposes of this writing, I am not making fine distinctions at the outset among terms such as transcendent, mystical , ecstasy, and cosmic consciousness. One reason is because the researchers in this area vary in the precision of their definitions of these terms, and there is disagreement as to which terms are more or less useful in neuroscientific research. Second, Watts himself found these terms to be rather cumbersome, loaded as they are with religious and philosophical implications beyond the scope of his considerations of transcendent experience-as-experienced. Therefore, the use 123 124 ALAN WATTS—HERE AND NOW of the term transcendent in the present context is meant to include all altered experiences where one might employ any of the above terms (and others of the kind) in descriptions of that experience. Setting the stage for the present discussion is a brief survey of six contemporary neuroscience approaches to the study of transcendence. This consideration of research programs is followed by an exploration of Watts’ writing on the nature of transcendent experience, especially certain of his works from the early 1960s. Finally, I conclude by examining some possible implications of Alan Watts’ thinking for a neuroscience of transcendence in the twenty-first century. TRANSCENDENCE IN THE LABORATORY What follows is a brief survey of six research programs in neuroscience that claim to address the issue of transcendent experience. This survey is not intended as a thorough exploration but merely serves to exemplify certain trends in the neuroscientific study of transcendence. Moreover, I am not suggesting that only six research approaches are available because others could have been included, for example, Varela’s (1996) neurophenomenology. Thus, my goal here is simply to establish a background against which Alan Watts’ thinking on transcendent experience can be brought to the fore. For various comprehensive reviews of specific domains in the neuroscience of transcendence, see Cahn and Polich (2006); Chiesa (2009); Lutz, Dunne, and Davidson (2007); Nichols (2004; Nichols & Chemel, 2006); Stoerig (2007); Treadway and Lazar (2008); and Voland and Schiefenhovel (2009). For an accessible text oriented toward a general readership, see Fuller (2008). The six research approaches considered here that investigate neural activity vis-à-vis transcendent experiences are as follows: 1. electroencephalographic (EEG) studies; 2. d’Aquili and Newberg’s neuroimaging studies; 3. Hamer’s genetic research; 4. entheogenic drug studies; 5. Michael Persinger’s electromagnetic field research; and 6. Richard Davidson’s affective neuroscience. EEG Studies Electroencephalographs measure the electrical activity of the brain via electrodes attached to the scalp. An earlier generation of researchers used EEG technology to investigate neural functioning during meditation by, for example, THE NEUROSCIENCE OF TRANSCENDENCE 125 yogis (Anand, Chhina, & Singh, 1961) and Zen priests (Kasamatsu & Hirai, 1966). These researchers linked alpha brain rhythms with changes in parasympathetic nervous system activity during meditation. Alpha rhythms indicate a state of relaxed yet heightened awareness. These findings suggested that meditation, at the very least, produces physiological relaxation in the body. Contemporary EEG studies on meditative practice...