Neuroscientists snub Dalai Lama

New York Times[Wednesday, October 19, 2005 11:51]

The Dalai Lama, revered as a spiritual leader, is at the center of a scientific controversy. The exiled leader of Tibet has been an enthusiastic collaborator in research on how the intense meditation practiced by Buddhist monks can train the brain to generate compassion and positive thoughts. He is scheduled to speak about the research next month in Washington, at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience. But 544 brain researchers have signed a petition urging the society to cancel the lecture, because, according to the petition, "it will highlight a subject with largely unsubstantiated claims and compromised scientific rigor and objectivity." Read the full story here