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Charles T. Tart – Mind Science – meditation training for practical people245 pagesAmazon review:Quote:This excellent meditation guide book is written in the form of a one-day seminar that Charles Tart conducted for the University of Arizona’s “Toward a Science of Consciousness” meeting in Tucson in 1998. While there are many books written on the subject of what meditation is and how to go about meditating, few can match the hands-on feeling of being in a meditation class that this book offers. Right from the beginning, this book grabbed my attention by describing the differences between scientism (the tendency to consider scientific theories to be “laws”) and open-minded, objective science. By pointing out this as well as other common habitual thinking traps we often fall into, Tart’s book helps the reader learn to recognize the way we can become aware of our mechanical, habitual thought patterns.Tart clearly describes concentrative meditation and opening-up meditation (aka “vipassana”) techniques in a straightforward manner that is easy enough for beginners to put into immediate practice. I was glad to see that questions and answers that arose in the workshop were included in this book, because they often addressed the same concerns that were going through my mind as I tried out each meditative technique. As an extra bonus, Tart’s book describes the range of states of consciousness we experience, and how we can awaken from the sleep of ordinary consciousness where we are primarily reacting to external stimuli. Tart has a real talent for illuminating the highlights in consciousness research, and sharing some of the most important findings in simple language. Tart’s down-to-Earth practicality is his great gift as a writer — he brings complex issues into clear focus without losing the main ideas along the way.