The Jhanas (Meditative Absorptions)

The Jhanas are eight altered states of consciousness which can arise during periods of strong concentration. The Jhanas are naturally occurring states of mind, but learning how to enter them at will and how to stay in them takes practice. Their principle use in Buddhist meditation is to generate ever increasing levels of concentration so that later when the meditative mind is turned to a practice that tends towards wisdom, it can do that practice with far less distraction.

Below are links to several places on the 'net where the Jhanas are discussed. Some of these pages are mine; some are at other sites I've found.

The Access to Insight website's Jhana Page
The Jhanas are defined by the Buddha as Right Concentration. His declaration of this - here in both Pali and English - can be found found in many discourses including DN 22, MN 141 and SN 45:8.
Sharpening Manjushri's Sword The Jhanas in Theravadan Buddhist Meditation ~ Leigh Brasington
This is revised edition of a paper I presented to the American Academy of Religon/Western Regional meeting on 25 Mar '97. It contains a bibliography and links to other sites that discuss the Jhanas.
Instruction for Entering Jhàna ~ Leigh Brasington
This is a reprint of an article that first appeared in Insight Journal, Fall 2002. It is a transcription of a talk I gave at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies in April of 2002.
The Neurological Correlates of the Jhanas ~ Leigh Brasington
Inspired by Emily Yoffe's article at Slate Magazine on Wanting and Liking and discussions with several students & neuroscientists, I propose a tentative hypothesis.
Jhanas at the Forest Refuge ~ Leigh Brasington
I spent the month of May 2006 on retreat at the Forest Refuge with Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw. This details some extra curricular exploration of the jhanas while more deeply concentrated than described in the papers above.
Interpretations of the Jhanas. ~ Leigh Brasington
There is no real agreement among Jhana teachers as to what exactly the Jhanic state are! This paper outlines the various methods that I have heard about.
Five Factors for the First Jhana - NOT!. ~ Leigh Brasington
As described in the suttas, the first jhana has only four factors, not five.
Arguments for the Importance of the Jhanas in the Suttas ~ Leigh Brasington
A paper I wrote back in 1996 discussing the importance of the Jhanas in the Pali Cannon.
3 handouts on the jhana factors for a day-long course I taught at the Sati Center. ~ Leigh Brasington
Stephanie Nash interviews Leigh Brasington about the Jhanas
Several short YouTube videos on what jhanas are, and how one works with them in one's practice.
The Jhánas in Theravadan Buddhist Meditation ~ Maháthera Henepola Gunaratana
This classic book on the jhanas is now available on the 'net.
Ajahn Brahmavamso is a Theravaden Buddhist monk who lives in Western Australia. He studied extensively with Ajahn Cha in Thailand as well as in other places before returning to Australia. His definition of exactly what constituted a Jhana seems to imply Much stronger absorption than my own definition - or that of other Westerners I have discussed the Jhanas with (such as Ayya Khema, Thanissaro Bhikkhu and others). He has given several talks on the Jhanas which have been transcribed and now appear on the 'net:
- The Basic Method of Meditation
- Travelogue to the four Jhanas
  Both of these come from talks given during a 9-day retreat in North Perth, Western Australia, December 1997
- Other of his writings can be found at The Buddhist Society of Western Australia Publications
Practical Advice for Meditators ~ Bhikkhu Khantipalo
"Nimitta, nimitta, who's got a nimitta?" Ever wonder why the suttas don't mention "nimitta" but that "nimitta" is so important in the Visuddhimagga? Definitely read The Mystery of the Breath Nimitta ~ Bhikkhu Sona.
And for an explanation of what's going on in the brain when a nimitta appears, see Near-Death Experiences: In or out of the body? - scroll down to "The Physiology of the Tunnel" for the details ~ Susan Blackmore.
Two articles by Biswadeb Mukherjee on the pre-Buddhist history of the jhanas discuss A Pre-Buddhist meditation system and Early Modificatios by Gotama the Bodhisattva.
The Winter 2004 issue of Tricycle magazine has a special section on Jhanas.
Lloyd Burton has written a paper entitled The Jhanas and the Brahma Viharas which discusses Brahma Vihara practice in relation to the Jhanas.
The first Western conference on Jhana practice in Theravada Buddhism was held near Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, in June, 2001. See Lloyd Burton's report Gathering Fruit and Planting Seeds for the details.
Working Paper presented at the 2008 Mind and Life Conference: EEG Power and Coherence Analysis of an Expert Meditator in the Eight Jhanas (MS-Word file).
And finally, I've compiled a one page Lists of Things To Do that are helpful for entering the Jhanas ~ Leigh Brasington

For further reading on the Jhanas, see the books on my Buddhist Reading List that are marked with an asterisk.

Tho not specifically about the Jhanas, this article from Newsweek on meditation is interesting as well.

New Scientist reports that self-awareness is switched off when the brain needs to concentrate hard.

Jean Holroyd discusses The Science of Meditation and the State of Hypnosis - not much about the Jhanas but interesting nonetheless.

Time magazine has an interesting article on consciousness (and not-self): The Brain: The Mystery of Consciousness

Dhyana in Buddhism - from Wikipedia has a good write up, tho I disagree with some of the statements there.

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/ Revised 27 Feb 11