In the fifth century BCE, in northern India, Siddhartha, the wandering sage who became the Buddha, developed a program, rooted in meditation and mindfulness, for mastering the mind and achieving lasting peace and contentment. Twenty five centuries later, humans have transformed everything about our world except our brains, which remain the same powerful yet flawed instruments possessed by our ancestors. What if the solution we seek to the psychological problems of life in the digital age distraction, anxiety, addiction, loss of deep meaning had already been worked out by the Buddha in ancient India? Appealing to readers of Eastern wisdom and Jon Kabat Zinn, as well as to fans of bestsellers by Oliver Sacks and Malcolm Gladwell, acclaimed science writer and practicing Buddhist James Kingsland reveals how scientists are now unlocking the remarkable secrets of Siddharthas brain. Moving effortlessly between science and scripture, Kingsland charts Siddharthas spiritual journey and explains how new research by leading neuroscientists and clinical psychologists many of whom are interviewed in these pages suggests that mindfulness practice reconfigures our brains to make us sharper, smarter, healthier, and happier, and that it can help treat stress, anxiety, depression, chronic pain, hypertension, and substance abuse. There have even been hints that meditation can enhance immune function, slow cellular aging, and keep dementia at bay. Featuring six guided meditations, Siddharthas Brain is a practical and inspiring odyssey of mind and spirit.

Siddhartha's Brain: Unlocking the Ancient Science of Enlightenment, James Kingsland, William Morrow, Paperback, 338 Pages, 2016, $16.99

James Kingsland is a science and medical journalist with twenty-five years of experience working for publications such as New Scientist, Nature, and most recently the Guardian (UK), where he was a commissioning editor and a contributor for its Notes & Theories blog. On his own blog, Plastic Brain, he writes about neuroscience and Buddhist psychology.

	Introduction	1
1	A Fool's Paradise	15
2	Child's Play Guided Meditation: Only the Breath	40
3	The Cloud of Unknowing	59
4	The Second Dart	74
	Guided Meditation: Open-Minded	93
5	The Man Who Disappeared	96
6	Golden Slippers	121
	Guided Meditation: Three-Step Reboot	142
7	Fire Worshippers	144
8	A Drunk Elephant	167
	Guided Meditation: The Warm Glow	192
9	The Fall	195
10	Wonderful and Marvelous	217
	Guided Meditation: Body Scan	236
11	Mind Mirrors	240
	Guided Meditations: Mindful Toast	272
12	The Deathless Realm	274
	Acknowledgments	299
	Notes	301
	Index	325