I have been practicing meditation for two years already.In so far I have attended all Deepak Chopra meditation experiences which I found very helpful but not as helpful this course provided me so far.
I thought this was a great introduction to both modern Buddhist thought and evolutionary psychology. Professor Wright is an excellent lecturer, and his office hours are informative as well as amusing.
par juan c p m
•Es un buen curso desde el punto de la psicología evolucionista. Pero desconoce otros aportes muy importantes de la psicología moderna. No debería llamarse budismo y psicología moderna, sino budismo y psicología evolucionista.
No es muy profundo en cuanto al pensamiento budista. Me hubiese gustado más temática budista que desde la psicología evolucionista.
se podría pensar en un segundo curso mas profundo.
par Julián P E
•Great course! Robert Wright is a wonderful teacher that explains in a very simple and easy to understand way some difficult concepts from Buddhism and modern psychology. My only complaint is that there were a lot of Buddhist ideas that were left out, like the moral ideas of Buddhism. Also the last lecture on Enlightenment was really hard to grasp without understanding previous Buddhist precepts.
par Eesha L
•Course material is really challenging and thought provoking. It really gives you a new perspective to look at everyday things. it would have been better if the course could provide a certificate however it is rather ironic to ask for such a amendment shortly after learning about how illusions are often related with certain reinforcements. I really enjoyed the course and the reference material.
par Rytis R
•Generally well designed and presented. It gets somewhat repetitive towards the end, it would have been good to include more scientific theories and evidence, especially considering the advancements in neuropsychology. The shift towards morality at the end of the course is unsubstantiated and unnecessary. The course is on the links between Buddhism and psychology, not ethics.
par MC
•Great introduction to the study of Buddhism through the lens of modern science. If you are "prove it" person this course is very helpful to get over some obstacles. Science is an wonderful tool to help us learn, even if takes centuries to "prove" what many cultures have known for millennia. Thanks to Prof. Wright and his faithful companions for taking us on this journey.
par Barbara M
•Lectures were interesting, fun, and...dare I say...enlightening? Though I was initially put off by having to write papers, I did see the value in it as I had to review the written transcripts of the video lectures and work to assemble my ideas and arguments for the essays. I would definitely take another class by Prof. Wright, Milo and Frasier.
par Peter C
•I liked it a lot. After a while, it occurred to me that modern psychology, a new and highly fad and change prone academic interest, has a lot of gall to judge a tradition that remains strong after 2500 years.
But I had to know enough about Buddhism and psychology to ask that question in the first place. And that's what I got from this course.
par Lyla B
•I thought the course was very helpful as an introduction to Buddhist philosophy and the companion material about brain studies that have been undertaken to prove/disprove some Buddhist teachings was very interesting. The Office Hours piece was a little burdensome, especially toward the end, but all in all the course was definitely worthwhile.
par Oliver S
•An interesting supplement to my Zen studies and practice. While somewhat speculative in some parts (largely due to fact that the brain's complexity makes full understanding just a little out of reach even today), the course is clearly built upon the foundations of rigorous science, thousands of years of Buddhist inquiry and common sense.
par Tharindu R
•Very Important and valuable course, contrasting both Buddhism and modern science. I feel it will be much effective if the course coordinator can edit the video adding more graphics, texts, images, examples and summarized points other than showing the speaker continuously. Anyhow thank you for all the knowledge you shared. Good Luck
par Vu H
•Interesting view of an ancient religion through the scope of modern psychology. I was born and raised in a Buddhist family but I do not really understand the details about the religion as I do now after the class. Thank you Dr. Wright for expanding my own view of Buddhism and making sense of the inner workings of the human mind.
par john l
•From this course, a book is born! Buddhism is True, in the sense that the secular practice is validated by Evolutionary Psychological scientific experiment and research. Thus, one can take step to ameliorate ones pain, suffering, and dissatisfaction of life. Nirvana can be achieved with the right view and effort.
par Ruth G
•Excellent course provoking much thought. However, did think that week 6 was a little rushed with lots to review and think about and then to write an essay. I would have liked more time to assimilate the final week with longer time to write the final assignment. However did enjoy and would recommend to others.
par Sam T
•For those interested in what Buddhism has to offer regarding the mind, but without any of the religious aspects, this is a good course both for information as well as for being thought-provoking/stimulating. The online environment enables contact with people and materials which might otherwise be beyond reach.
par Irina N
•Very nice course, very interesting. I really liked the professor's specific sence of humour in examples he makes. The course was a little boring because of a lot talking about things already talked and understood, lots of specifications for people who might argue or disagree, or might feel offended.
par ritesh m j
•very well explained.in this i learned that how buddhism and modern science is related and in this its shows that how important meditation is to see the world more clearly and how to work on your emotions in right manner. this course shows how to think and organise your thoughts in positive way.
par Carlos V H
•It is a full and long course with many interesting concepts to compare and learn. The only problem I see is the monotony of the classes, which sometimes make it difficult to follow in a suitable activacion. Maybe I should focus on streghten my concentration, but I think it could be more dynamic
par Huanglei P
•A good introduction course for buddhism and its relationship to modern psychology. Some of the illustrator's idea are really innovative. However, most of the video lessons are in lecture format and lack of summary slides for logical structure during each lesson, so I might get confused somehow.
par Van d t
•The topic was very interesting and well taught. I read the book as well and I am a great admirer of Robert Wright ever since I read the Moral Animal in 1999 or so. I feel we could have gone a little deeper and could have had an even better course if we did. It was basically a bit short
par MARC G
•short and sweet, a good introduction to the ideas of Buddhism and how they might connect to modern psychology. Some very interesting resources I don't think I would have encountered otherwise especially in the last couple of weeks.
Really annoyed there is no certificate for it though.
par Omer G
•I thought the course was great. The instructor is very clear in his explanations and a lot of ground is covered in the lectures. I didn't give the full amount of stars because you can't get a certificate in the course, for some reason. I was hoping I could get a certificate :(
par Pamela W
•The material was quite valuable and I had one good discussion in the Forums. I perceive that the Office Hours segments became less useful at Lecture 6. I would have appreciated a briefer description of the questions and answers on the forums and much less on 'mindful dogs.'
par Danilo R
•An awesome course on psychology, for both newbies and students, but also an excellent introduction to Buddhism. I'm just perplex about the view of evolution as an entity that (seems to) shapes biological and psychological features with the purpose of obtaining advantages.
par Marcus B
•The course goes a long way in proving what it sets out to prove. However, it would have been good to hear from some people (I am sure they exist) who dispute the stipulated thesis that modern psychology confirms that accuracy of the Buddhist analysis of the human mind.
par Daniel K
•Lectures are engaging and clear. Assessment process is good although some quizzes to test comprehension of relevant studies.
Clearer sources and citation for arguments from evolutionary psychology would be good, too. Overall, however, an excellent course.