The Universe in One Atom: Science and Spirituality in the Service of the World. 8. Factors of consciousness
In the very construction of the methodology for studying the mind with its various states, Buddhism and modern science proceed from completely different premises. Science focuses its efforts primarily on the study of basic neurobiological structures and the biochemical properties of the brain, while Buddhism, in its study of consciousness, deals primarily with the experience of subjective experiences. Dialogue between these areas can open up new ways to study consciousness. Buddhist psychology bases its approach on a combination of meditative practices (which can be understood in this context as phenomenological research) with empirical observation of human motivations as manifested in emotions, thoughts and behaviors, and with critical philosophical analysis.