Explore Unusual Brain States in Thailand

Thailand is famous for its stunning natural landscapes and rich cultural heritage, boasting over 16,000 temples and a strong Buddhist tradition. In the late 1950s, John E. Coleman was stationed in Bangkok as a security advisor to the Thai government. One day, a Thai friend invited him to join a psychic research group meeting, which turned out to be eye-opening. Coleman discovered that hypnosis and meditation could lead to unique mental states, a revelation that sparked his interest in the potential of the human mind.

A group of experts met at a temple to explore the similarities between hypnotized and meditating brains. Among them were a doctor who delivers babies, a specialist in numbing pain, and a psychiatrist. Coleman, who was present, saw firsthand the effects of hypnotism. For example, a young boy was hypnotized and had soft pads placed over his eyes. He stood behind a board while someone wrote random words on it. Shockingly, the boy accurately copied those words onto his side of the board. This experience motivated Coleman to learn more about hypnotism and Buddhism. He believed there was a connection between hypnotism and the ancient Buddhist practice of meditation.

Unusual Mind Power Demonstrated During Hypnosis and Meditation

Coleman visited Dr. Charoon, a member of a psychic research group, on a hot and stressful day. Dr. Charoon, who had completed his studies and was now spending time as a monk, noticed Coleman was tense and offered to hypnotize him to help him relax. While Coleman was under hypnosis, something strange happened. Without Coleman knowing, his right arm started to rise and lower repeatedly. Dr. Charoon was surprised. The only other person in the room was a Thai naval officer who was sitting and meditating. Dr. Charoon, feeling unsettled, asked the officer what was going on. The officer grinned and explained that he was mentally instructing Coleman to move his arm.

Dr. Charoon was amazed and asked the officer to do it again. The officer agreed and mentally directed Coleman to move various combinations of his limbs up and down, and it worked every time! After bringing Coleman out of the hypnotic state, Dr. Charoon explained what had occurred. Both wondered about the unusual power of hypnotism and meditation.

The Power of a Quiet Mind

Coleman had a profound experience at a temple in Bangkok, but soon he had to return to America for work. There, he met Professor J. B. Rhine, who studied unusual phenomena. Rhine, a parapsychologist, gave Coleman a unique deck of cards for ESP, or extra-sensory perception. Instead of pictures, the cards had symbols on them. They were used in a guessing game where one person picked a card, and their partner tried to guess the symbol. Rhine explained that most people could only guess correctly about five out of 25 times. Anything more might suggest ESP was at play. What happened with these cards showed how powerful a calm mind could be.

Coleman tested the cards on a hesitant neighbor at home. Surprisingly, the neighbor guessed correctly on 23 out of 25 cards! Both men were amazed and tried the experiment again, but couldn't get the same results. Coleman was shocked by this firsthand experience of what seemed like mind-reading. He thought his neighbor's calm mind, without any strong thoughts or wishes, might have allowed telepathy. Could this peaceful state of mind be what Buddhists also aim for?

Prince Gotama's Path to Enlightenment

In the Buddhist tradition, a prince named Gotama was born about 2,500 years ago near Nepal's borders. Gotama spent much time pondering the nature of suffering. As a young man, he left his royal life to become an ascetic. For six years, he followed the teachings of Brahman priests, practicing strict self-denial like fasting, yet he didn't find true understanding. One night, Gotama sat beneath a bodhi tree and meditated deeply. After several weeks, he achieved a profound state of enlightenment, known as nirvana. He gained insight into the origin of suffering and achieved clarity of mind.

In nirvana, according to all branches of Buddhism, desires and suffering come to an end, and the mind becomes tranquil. However, different branches of Buddhism disagree on the best methods to attain nirvana - the specific actions and practices required vary. John Coleman set out to explore these practices for himself.

Coleman's Initial Attempts at Meditation

Coleman's initial attempts at meditation didn't go well. When he returned to Thailand, he decided to try meditating at Wat Mahatai, a temple in Bangkok.

At the temple, he was taught to meditate in a sitting position called the lotus position, where each foot rests on the opposite thigh. His instructor told him to focus on his breathing by looking at his belly, and noticing how it goes up and down. The idea was to give his mind something steady to focus on. Instead of calming his mind, Coleman found it hard to concentrate. He couldn't stop thinking about the pain in his legs and kept checking the time on his watch.

Coleman gradually improved at focusing on his breath during a meditation class. The instructor then instructed him to turn his attention inward and notice any thoughts or desires that came to mind. Coleman tried his best to observe his thoughts, but sitting in the lotus position for long hours caused him intense physical discomfort and boredom. Eventually, he decided to leave the course early. Despite this, he still wanted to learn more about meditation. During a vacation trip to Europe, Coleman made a detour to Burma to meet a spiritual leader named U Ba Khin.

Coleman Learns Vipassana Meditation

U Ba Khin, a high-ranking government official in Burma, also taught meditation. Whenever he felt overwhelmed, he would sit in the lotus position and meditate briefly to relieve stress. Coleman was inspired by this practical use of meditation in daily life.

Coleman decided to join a ten-day course led by U Ba Khin, focusing on a type of meditation called vipassana, which means gaining insight. In vipassana, practitioners concentrate on sensations within their body and mind. This helps them understand their inner workings better, leading to clarity and freedom from suffering.

Coleman was enthusiastic about the course, but perhaps too much so. He spent a lot of time taking notes and analyzing every aspect of the practice. Despite his efforts, he found that his mind was still not calm.

Krishnamurti's Influence on Coleman's Spiritual Views

Coleman was disappointed when U Ba Khin's training didn't bring him the results he wanted. So, he flew to India to find other spiritual teachers. During a layover, he met Krishnamurti, an Indian man in a white suit who called himself a philosopher.

Their conversation deeply impacted Coleman's ideas about spirituality. Krishnamurti believed that all philosophies and religions arise from fear, which is essentially a desire for certainty. According to him, no organization, belief system, or theory can truly guide someone to truth. Krishnamurti emphasized that while knowledge can come from books and teachings, real understanding only arises from personal experience.

Krishnamurti's Journey

Coleman found Krishnamurti intriguing. Their conversation continued on their next shared flight. Krishnamurti explained that he owned nothing except the clothes on his back. He traveled between cities, speaking to anyone who sought him out. Krishnamurti was born in India near the end of the 1800s. When he was young, a theosophist named Annie Besant believed he had great potential as a spiritual leader. She took him to Europe, declared him a future Messiah, and founded an organization called the Order of the Star in the East around him.

One day, Krishnamurti's brother, Nityananda, passed away. Despite his deep sorrow, Krishnamurti realized there was also joy in the experience. He understood that death is a natural part of life and shouldn't cause grief. From then on, Krishnamurti saw his purpose as helping others realize this same understanding and the happiness it brings-not through organized religion, but through personal experience. In 1929, he gave up his role in the Order of the Star in the East and disbanded the organization.

Krishnamurti sadly told Coleman that he felt few people truly grasped his message. He taught that the truth lies within ourselves, but most people prefer to follow rules rather than seek the inner truth. Coleman, who had been seeking answers from established religions, felt a strong sense of recognition.

Coleman's Experience with Tibetan Buddhism and Tantrism

Coleman wasn't drawn to Tibetan Buddhism or Tantrism. Seeking relief from Bangkok's intense heat one winter, he took a quick trip to Darjeeling, a town in the Himalayas of Northern India. There, he met Sherpa Tenzing, the famous climber who had conquered Mount Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary. Although Sherpa Tenzing was Nepalese by ethnicity, he followed Tibetan Buddhism, which he credited with helping him through the challenging Everest ascent.

Intrigued, Coleman decided to learn more and visited an annual Buddhist festival near the Tibetan border in Gantok, India. However, what he experienced there didn't appeal to him.

Coleman observed the Tibetan Buddhism festival in Gantok, where he noticed the importance placed on mantras. Mantras are specific words or phrases, like the well-known "om," that people repeat aloud during meditation to help them focus and clear their minds of distractions. Coleman understood the purpose of mantra meditation but questioned if it aligned with Buddha's original teachings. According to his studies, Buddhism aimed to go beyond the self and find truth through direct action. He found Tibetan practices like using prayer wheels, which spin to accumulate spiritual points, to be more showy and symbolic than what he expected.

At the festival, some monks introduced Coleman to Tantrism, another spiritual practice that intrigued him. This led him to Kathmandu, Nepal's capital and a prominent center for Tantrism.

God in Tantric Beliefs and Coleman's Journey

In Kathmandu, Coleman discovered that Tantric monks view God as a being containing both male and female energies. They believe everything in the world reflects this dual nature of God. According to Tantric beliefs, sexual union, which combines male and female energies most clearly, is seen as the path to enlightenment. However, Coleman didn't find peace of mind through Tantric practices. He felt these practices were too focused on achieving spiritual enlightenment through sex, without considering the role of love.

Coleman didn't make much progress with Tibetan Buddhism or Tantrism. Fortunately, his next teacher guided him in a better direction.

Buddhadasa Bikku's Influence on Coleman's Understanding of Buddhism

Coleman learned about orthodox Buddhism and Zen from Buddhadasa Bikku. During his travels in India, Tibet, and Nepal, he was put off by elaborate forms of worship that seemed different from the Buddha's original teachings. However, this wasn't just due to his Western background. Krishnamurti also believed that focusing on mantras was distracting and that anyone could train their brain to concentrate better, comparing it to something even a schoolboy could do. Buddhadasa Bikku, a respected Thai monk, shared this view.

Buddhadasa Bikku was devoted to preserving Buddhist teachings as closely as possible to Prince Gotama's original intent, without modern additions that had crept into the religion. He passed on this purist form of Buddhism, along with Zen, to Coleman.

Solitude Precedes Learning

Upon Coleman's arrival at Buddhadasa's monastery, Suan Mok, he was warmly welcomed by Buddhadasa, who then allowed him time to settle in. Coleman had arrived full of questions, but he understood that Buddhadasa wanted him to experience solitude to calm his mind before receiving any teachings. When Buddhadasa returned, he brought along a stack of books. He didn't say much, only suggesting that Coleman might find them interesting to read. These books all focused on Zen Buddhism, a branch of Buddhism that Buddhadasa often drew upon in his teachings.

After a few days had passed, Buddhadasa began inviting Coleman to his private quarters for discussions. It was there that Buddhadasa shared his philosophy with Coleman. He likened humans to fish unaware of the water that surrounds them. Life constantly unfolds around us, Buddhadasa explained, and because we are so accustomed to it, we often overlook each passing moment.

Direct Experience Leads to Understanding

Similar to Krishnamurti, Buddhadasa believed that true understanding comes from firsthand life experiences. He strongly opposed the idea of splitting things into opposing pairs, such as right versus wrong. In Zen philosophy, these dualities are seen as illusions created by humans. Concepts like good versus evil are just different aspects of one larger whole.

Coleman's conversations with Buddhadasa helped him achieve a quieter mind. They also made him eager to delve deeper into Zen. Luckily, his job soon took him to Japan, where he could explore Zen more closely.

Zen Practice and Satori Experience

After learning from Buddhadasa for a few months, Coleman went to Tokyo for work. During his visit, he got a chance to meet Dr. D. T. Suzuki, a famous Zen master in his nineties. Though hard of hearing, Dr. Suzuki's wisdom remained sharp. He told Coleman that Zen isn't just a philosophy or intellectual pursuit - it's about practice. By practicing Zen, one can have satori - a sudden realization of one's true self and connection to the universe. Normally, this true self is hidden beneath our concerns about money and success. Clearing our minds of these false values helps reveal our inner kindness and creativity. At the end of their talk, Dr. Suzuki suggested Coleman visit Shokoku Temple in Northern Kyoto to learn more about Zen living.

Coleman arrived at a Zen temple in Kyoto and learned that a full Zen course could take over a year, which was too long for his short stay in Japan. However, he was allowed to watch the students go about their daily routine. Modern Zen temple life is very disciplined. Every day, the students woke up at 3:00 a.m. to the sound of a bell. They meditated for a while and then gathered in the central hall for an hour of chanting prayers and incantations. After that, they returned to meditation and followed a routine of meditation, meals, and rest throughout the day.

One monk explained to Coleman more about Zen's goal, which is to achieve "satori." To reach this state, students practice "zazen," a type of sitting meditation that helps quiet their minds.

Coleman's Experience in Japan and London

Coleman liked the simple design of the temple and respected the Zen tradition. However, he found the rules strict, and he felt the students were living in fear. Sometimes, potential monks were punished for small mistakes, and teachers carried sticks to wake up sleepy students in the meditation halls.

After visiting Japan, Coleman traveled to London, England. There, he met and married his wife. He also started to explore why more Westerners were becoming interested in Eastern philosophy.

Coleman's Disappointment with Western Meditation Practices

Coleman explored Western meditation at a center in Kensington, England, run by the Spiritual Regeneration Movement. They followed the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, known for his popularity in the West with celebrities like the Beatles.

At the center, Coleman was given a mantra to help him focus. While repeating it was relaxing, it didn't calm his mind as expected. Also, each session cost a week's wages, which was too expensive for him. He decided not to continue but stayed in England with his wife and tried other Western meditation methods. However, he didn't find them very effective.

After his session with the Spiritual Regeneration Movement, Coleman decided to attend a meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, otherwise known as the Quakers, a sect of Christianity. Unusually, the Quakers conducted group meditation sessions rather than individual ones. At the Quaker meeting hall, attendees sat quietly in a circle. Suddenly, a woman stood up and began to speak. She shared a personal problem she'd recently experienced and discussed the insight she'd gained from confronting it. The other attendees listened without comment, and when she finished speaking, the room returned to silence.

The Group Meditation Experience

During the rest of the meeting, one person would sometimes stand up to share their thoughts. Afterward, a church member told Coleman that the group meditation aimed to create unity with God. By sharing your thoughts, you could enrich everyone else's lives. This practice was unique, but it didn't calm Coleman's mind. Another Western meditation tradition he tried was that of the Benedictine monks. These monks lived simply at Nashdom Abbey in Buckinghamshire, striving for sainthood.

Every evening, the monks spent thirty minutes in silent meditation. The abbot explained to Coleman that most monks used this time to think deeply about a passage from the Bible or another religious work. Despite finding these traditions interesting, Coleman felt something was lacking. He realized the closest he had come to quieting his mind was with U Ba Khin in Thailand, and he decided that was where he needed to return.

Coleman's Search for Inner Peace

Coleman had tried many types of meditation but hadn't found lasting inner peace. He kept thinking about U Ba Khin's meditation center in Yangon, Burma. Coleman decided to go back there and retry the course. Last time, he'd overthought the meditation process. This time, he aimed to clear his mind and focus better. Coleman began his journey at the temple by meditating alone in a small pagoda, clearing his mind of stress and worry. After some time, he moved on to vipassana meditation. His teacher guided him to focus on each part of his body with deep concentration. As he did this, Coleman started feeling tingling sensations in each focused area. He realized that these sensations were temporary.

After a few days, Coleman began to feel intense physical discomfort. His body became unusually hot, even though the temple's temperature remained constant. The pain persisted, along with his strong desire to be free from it. Eventually, he understood that his desire to end the pain was making it worse-it was all in his mind. With this realization, something inside Coleman seemed to click. A sudden calmness swept over him, feeling like lightning rushing through his body. This marked the moment of his enlightenment.

Become a Meditation Teacher in the West

Coleman traveled to the US and then to England, hoping to settle down. However, soon people interested in meditation started coming to his house for lessons. They were sent by S. N. Goenka, who was a famous student of U Ba Khin.

Coleman agreed to teach the first group of students. This led him to become a popular meditation teacher in the West. His own experiences had taught him that finding inner peace doesn't require traveling the world. The ability to stay calm is already inside each of us, waiting to be discovered.