Remembrance of things to come: a conversation between Zen and neuroscience on the predictive nature of the mind

The notion of the brain as a predictive organ following Bayesian principles has been steadily gaining favor in neuroscience. This perspective, which has broad theoretical and applicative consequences, suggests also a novel way to look at the mind-body processes mobilized by meditative practices. In this article, the topic is introduced and subsequently explored as a conversation between a neuroscientist (GP) and the abbot of a Zen Sōtō monastery (FTG). We believe that such ‘mutual perturbations’ between the third-person descriptions provided by scientific research and the phenomenological depth of Buddhist lore have a great potential for advancing our understanding of both brain function and meditation.