Lee Carlson

Zen teacher Lee Carlson speaks with us about being a traumatic brain injury survivor, the healing companionship of dogs, and his new book, Passage to Nirvana.

We are surprisingly resilient, and yet oddly fragile beings. We break. We get injured, and we heal. Sometimes those injuries are not visible wounds, but the effects are life changing. It’s a traumatic life event, as can be the case with brain injury.

Who we are, how we identify with our “self” if I can use that word on a Buddhist podcast, is so very much dependent on this substrate of the brain. And when that physical part of our bodies is damaged, our healing process is that much more challenging.

Lee Carlson has been a journalist for 25 years, has been editor-in-chief of a low temperature physics magazine and a computer magazine, as well as senior travel editor at Skiing magazine. His freelance credits include NBC Sports, ESPN, Outside magazine, the Los Angeles Times and many other media outlets. He is a Traumatic Brain Injury survivor, and Passage to Nirvana is his first book.

So, sit back, relax, and have a nice Nantucket Nectar flavor of your choice.

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:: Discuss this episode ::

Books

Web Links

• Passage to Nirvana
• Brain Injury Radio

Music for This Episode Courtesy of Rodrigo Rodriguez

The music heard in the middle of the podcast is from Rodrigo Rodriguez. The track used in this episode is “Beneath High Cliffs” from his CD, Traditional and Modern Pieces: Shakuhachi.