The Buddhist view of the mind- how it works, how it goes wrong, how to put it right- is being increasingly recognized as both profound and highly practical by scientists, counselors, and other professionals. In the "Psychology of Awakening," editors Gay Watson, Stephen Batchelor, and Guy Claxton have compiled a wide-ranging and penetrating selection of articles on the relevance and application of Buddhist philosophy and practice in the modern Western world. Divided into four parts, the book explores the contemporary mind and philosophical issues in Buddhism; the scientific perspective of the Buddhist concept of body, mind, and spiritual development; Buddhism and psychotherapy; and practical applications of Buddhism in contemporary life.
Accessible and authoritative, "The Psychology of Awakening" will be of interest to those who wish to better understand the workings of their own mind, and also those seeking new ways of mastering the challenges we all face in modern life- personal, professional, and cultural.


Psychology of Awakening: Buddhism, Science and Our Day-to-Day Lives , Gay Watson, Stephen Batchelor & Guy Claxton, eds., Weiser, 347 pages, $19.95

Stephen Batchelor (born 7 April 1953) is a Scottish Buddhist author and teacher, known for his writings on Buddhist subjects and his leadership of meditation retreats worldwide. He is a noted proponent of agnostic or secular Buddhism

Guy Claxton is Emeritus Professor at Winchester University and Visiting Professor of Education at King's College London. He has previously taught and researched at Oxford University, Bristol University, and the University of London Institute of Education, and is an internationally renowned cognitive scientist. Guy's books include Hare Brain, Tortoise Mind; Wise Up: The Challenge of Lifelong Learning; The Wayward Mind; and Intelligence in the Flesh. Recent books on education include What's the Point of School?; Building Learning Power; and, with Bill Lucas and others, New Kinds of Smart; The Learning Powered School; and Educating Ruby. Guy's Building Learning Power approach to teaching is widely used in all kinds of schools across the UK, as well as in Poland, Dubai, Indonesia, India, China, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Brazil, and Argentina.

Gay Watson, PhD, trained as a psychotherapist with the Karuna Institute of Core Process Psychotherapy, a Buddhist-inspired psychotherapy. Concurrently she attained a first class honours degree followed by a doctorate in the field of Buddhist Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies of London University. She is currently associated with The Karuna Institute and Sharpham College of Buddhism and Contemporary Inquiry, and a member of the editorial board of Contemporary Buddhism. She lives in Devon, UK and is a Trustee of the Dartington Hall Trust.