Paper Summary:

This paper contends that the Tibetan theory of consciousness has a lot in common with modern natural science. The paper claims that it appears that current efforts by Western philosophers, psychologists and neuroscientists may well benefit from examining whether there is more to the human mind than neural mechanisms. The paper explains that in stark contrast to Western beliefs, Tibetan Buddhism holds that nothing is real outside the mind and that there exists both the individual mind and the ultimate, absolute mind of which they are emanations.

From the Paper:

"Tibetan Buddhism's doctrine that human consciousness has a primordial oneness with the universe and is eternal is perhaps best understood through a comparison with Western thought on the subject. The study of human consciousness by Western civilization has been dominated by scientific materialism. As a result, although major breakthroughs have occurred in understanding mind and body phenomena, the tendency has been to reduce the mind to no more than biological processes in the brain. This conceptual framework of human consciousness is supported by the theory of evolution, which maintains that human emotions and behavioral traits are necessary for survival in the outer physical universe. Viewed from this context, the assumption that human consciousness ceases at the moment of death seems fairly logical. Tibetan Buddhism, however, has a very different view of the origins, nature, and role of consciousness in the natural world."

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