From an email exchange regarding meditation, music and the brain – in light of this article regarding OBEs (Out-of-Body-Experience). My friend wrote:

Read the article in the Economist. I have been reading books on neuroplasticity for the past several months. Fascinating stuff! Both Newsweek and the Economist have done articles on consciousness research in recent weeks. Tells me that the whole revolution in brain science is finally hitting the general population. Great material. As for OBE training for realization: Don’t see why it wouldn’t work. However, when you read the brain plasticity material, you realize that despite any “wow” experience, to actually learn, and therefore change the brain’s wiring, it takes time. Meditation over a long period is likely still necessary, despite the fact that you can get a bigger bang for your momentary experience out of Big Mind. Meditation and the “wow” are mutually supportive. One for the opening, the other for the real depth learning and benefit of the opening.

My response:

Agreed. You gotta do the time. Nothing might ever replace that, because even if you could “feed” a brain an experience via an implant or whatever – it is still somebody else’s experience because it isn’t in the body. I think if one could isolate the “guitar-related part” of a great player’s brain and transfer that to a novices brain – it would have only minor impact because there would be no physical roots. Those come from doing the time, whether it is in meditation or playing one’s instrument.