CHAPTER 1 – Introduction -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.2 A new situation -- 1.3 From bad to worse -- 1.4 How to handle matters better: skills required to manage risks -- 1.5 Can we acquire the skills? -- 1.6 Enhancement methods -- 1.7 Which cognitive capacities? -- References -- CHAPTER 2 – The neurophysiological background -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Neuroplasticity -- 2.3 Attention -- 2.4 Mind-wandering -- 2.5 Emotional regulation -- 2.6 Mental training –meditation -- 2.7 Some challenges with meditation practice and research -- References -- CHAPTER 3 – The Methods -- 3.1 How to improve -- 3.2 Defining cognitive enhancement -- 3.3 Three methods -- 3.4 Pharmaceuticals, hormones and neurotransmitters -- 3.5 Technology -- 3.6 Possible effects of meditation techniques and mental training -- 3.7 Computer games -- Combining methods -- References -- CHAPTER 4 – Cognitive flexibility -- 4.1 How does cognitive flexibility relate to meditation? -- 4.2 Cognitive flexibility 4.3 Why is it good to be more cognitively flexible? -- 4.4 Improved cognitive flexibility can translate to better decision-making -- 4.5 Smarter but not nicer -- 4.6. Summary -- References -- CHAPTER 5 –Some key elements of virtue ethics -- Part A: A brief introduction to virtue ethics -- 5.1. Introduction -- 5.2 A suitable moral framework -- 5.3 The beginnings of virtue ethics -- 5.4 What is the virtuous life and what is so good about it? -- 5.5 In summary -- Part B: From meditation to the good life -- 5.6 Training for virtue -- 5.7 Creating moral experts -- 5.8 Enhancement as an enabler -- 5.9 Enhancement as a way to increase commitment -- 5.10 Helpful but not enough -- 5.11 The role of epistemic virtues -- 5.12 Some modern or new epistemic virtues that might be useful -- 5.12 From core capacities to functional change and decision-making -- 5.13 Commonalities and compatibility -- 5.14 Conclusion -- References -- CHAPTER 6 – Conclusions -- 6.1 Summary -- 6.2 Combinations -- 6.3 Moral enhancement – different takes -- 6.4 The role of embedding structures -- 6.5 Concluding remarks -- References.

This book explores how one can bring about changes in the brain through meditation, both through attention-focus training and through compassion training. Recent findings in the natural sciences have confirmed that it is possible for humans to achieve these structural and functional changes through various life-style practices. It is argued that meditation enables us to influence some aspects of our biological make-up and, for example, could boost our cognitive flexibility as well as our ability to act compassionate. Such changes are likely to facilitate the instilling of a number of epistemic virtues which have great bearing on our quality of life. This book offers the reader an accessible introduction to a set of neuro-enhancement methods, with a special focus on meditation techniques, and explores how such practices could contribute to make us better decision-makers and improve our moral virtues. The book is suitable for anyone looking for a text discussing the effects of neuro-enhancement from a secular ethics perspective.