Ten Zen Questions

Exploring the Mind from Within

by Susan Blackmore

Debating Deepak Chopra

When I debated with 'spiritual guru' Deepak Chopra, I was shocked by some of his 'spiritual' claims. Read More

Simon Singh, the science author and TV producer, has recently triumphed in his battle with the British Chiropractic Association. They sued him for libel when he claimed, truthfully, that some chiropractors promote "bogus treatments". Read More

"Ten Zen Questions" - is there a better title?

Good news! There's to be a paperback edition of "Ten Zen Questions". At least, I should say there is to be a paperback edition of a book previously called "Ten Zen Questions".The publishers have decided that the title is not good enough and I can see their point. Read More

Emily, anorexia and me

I have my lovely daughter back. She has thrown off her anorexia and returned to health and happiness after ten long, sad and scary years. My relief is hard to describe. Read More

Awe without superstition

Here's a little song by scientists who feel awe, delight, and a sense of mystery when contemplating the universe - without any hint of gods, religions, or any other superstitions.

Take a test to assess your risk intelligence. Read More

The Magician of Lhasa

I read a fun book over the holidays. Has anyone else read it and would like to comment? This is David Michie's "The Magician of Lhasa". Read More

An opposite view on those precepts

Read about those vows from someone who took them. He found himself "sustained and strengthened ... to continue what may" Read More

Discomfort at the precepts

Back at the burning house Read More

Those fancy vehicles are a con too

I've been describing the Zen retreat with Reb Anderson and his teachings from the Lotus Sutra. I've two more posts on this and then we'll get back to the Questions. .... Read More

The horrors of pride

Pride stops us seeing the truth. Pride drives all that rubbish in my meditating mind. How extraordainry is the effect of seeing that! Read More

Dharma Flower Turning Dharma Flower

I'm interrupting our progress with the ten questions to tell you about a wonderful retreat I went on last month. Called "Dharma Flower turning Dharma Flower" it was at Gaia House, here in Devon where I live, and led by Reb Anderson, from Green Gulch Farm Zen Center, California http://www.sfzc.org/ggf/. This was my third or fourth retreat with Reb as teacher. Read More

Loud sirens and backwards consciousness

I've been trying to look back into my own mind a moment ago - trying, as it were, to open the fridge door fast enough to see into the darkness (or light) that was there before I opened the door.

I ask this difficult question - what was I conscious of a moment ago? - when walking about, when doing the washing up, and when meditating. Time to meditate again. Read More

What was I conscious of a moment ago?

If I become conscious only when I ask whether I am (if the fridge light comes on only when I open the door) then what was going on just before I asked? Was I conscious then? And if, of what? Read More

Is the light always on inside the fridge?

Is the light always on inside the fridge? Read More

Are you conscious now?

It seems obvious that I'm conscious now - but is that just because I'm asking myself the question? What about the rest of the time? I tried to find out - and you can too. Read More

Asking the Zen Questions

How do you deal with the big questions "Who am I?", "What's it all about?", "What am I doing and why?". In my book Ten Zen Questions I describe my own attempts - here we begin the journey with how I set about asking the questions. Read More

Mindfulness is infectious

I have just done a live interview for BBC Radio London. This was part of the publicity for my new book Ten Zen Questions for the Sunday morning "In Spirit" show, and to tell the truth I did the interview sitting in bed at 8 a.m. Read More

Do you want to meditate but find it too hard?

Author and Psychologst Susan Blackmore gives advice to those wishing to meditate. Read More

Being mindful

Mindfulness - usually described as "being in the present moment" - is a really tough discipline! When I first heard of this word, at a conference on Buddhism and psychology, I thought it very strange because surely I was already in the present moment wasn't I? Where else could I be? Read More

Going on retreat is a daunting prospect

We meditated for many hours each day, in half hour sessions with brief breaks in between, huddled in blankets in the subzero house. Read More

Falling into Zen

My teacher said that our minds should be so calm that we would hear a woodlouse crawling across the floor. The idea made me realise how much turmoil there was in my mind. There was no silence in which to hear such a tiny noise. Read More

Exploring my mind in meditation

In this blog spot we'll explore how using Zen meditation can help understand the mind. I've been practicing for decades, but now I hope that others will join in and tell me, and each other, what they find. Are we all learning something similar in meditation or are all minds different? Read More