# Brian Josephson found it in meditation

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-brian-josephson-meditated-nobel
- Themes: science, meditation, insight, Nobel
- Life situations: research block, valuing meditation

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Physicist Brian Josephson (quantum tunnelling / supercomputers) won a Nobel; as Ajahn Brahm tells it, the breakthrough came not from more thinking but from meditating.

## The story, as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

briyan Josephson won a Nobel Prize in physics for understanding the essential thing which supercomputers now rely upon similar thing to a a transistor but working at close to absolute zero temperatures Innovative incredibly remunerative supercomputers and he got a Nobel Prize as well in physics he discovered that not through thinking about it through meditating

## Teaching point

Some of the sharpest insights arrive when thinking stops.

## Reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

Ajahn Brahm says a Nobel physicist's breakthrough came from meditation, not more thinking. Whatever the details, his own wisdom, he says, comes from silence, not from books or online research. Don't just believe him. Become still yourself, and find your own wisdom and freedom.

## Source

- [The Wisdom Borne of Silence | Ajahn Brahm | 1 Jan 2016](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTiC0iDg-wk) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:20:21 to 1:21:04: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTiC0iDg-wk&t=4821s

Other tellings of this story:

- [The Nature of the Mind | Ajahn Brahm | 3 May 2024](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HhV-6wQdJ8) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 28:10 to 29:02: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HhV-6wQdJ8&t=1690s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 1 April 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvKMa0_5OBM) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 14:36 to 15:09: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvKMa0_5OBM&t=876s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 1 June 2024](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viAq-ltPTXc) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 16:05 to 16:55: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viAq-ltPTXc&t=965s
- [Power of Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 15 November 2024](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e552Auru2Ow) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 29:17 to 29:57: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e552Auru2Ow&t=1757s
- [Meaning of Rites and Rituals | Ajahn Brahm | 18 May 2018](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyIL3R0o-Jc) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 54:39 to 56:48: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyIL3R0o-Jc&t=3279s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 11 March 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIxFWP1K9ck) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:15:30 to 1:15:59: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIxFWP1K9ck&t=4530s