Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain: How a New Science Reveals Our Extraordinary Potential to Transform Ourselves

Very interesting.

Absolute must read for anyone who believes in the potential of the human mind to transform and evolve humanity.the latest breakthroughs in neuroscience are echoed in centuries old buddist mind training techniques....the result is so exciting that it had me babbling to anyone I met all the time I was reading it.

A dry account of evidence that the neural structure of the brain is not static but dynamic or plastic. Neuroplasticity suggests that the human brain is quite capable of changing itself. The idea does not only exists in primitive organisms and children but extends to adult human beings. The author, Sharon Begley, draws her evidence from the research findings from a bunch of biologists,...more

A dry account of evidence that the neural structure of the brain is not static but dynamic or plastic. Neuroplasticity suggests that the human brain is quite capable of changing itself. The idea does not only exists in primitive organisms and children but extends to adult human beings. The author, Sharon Begley, draws her evidence from the research findings from a bunch of biologists, neuroscientists, and psychologists who get together once a year in a Mind-Science forum with Buddhist monks at the Dalai Lama's Dharamsala residence. The book chronicles a set seminal experiments proving that neurons are created in in the human brain every day. It is a comprehensive--and dry--and of current knowledge of neuroplasticity in the animal world and both neurological and psychological experimentation with human beings. Why is the Dalai Lama and Buddhists interested in this topic? This brings us to the most interesting aspect of the book. Begley occasionally makes diversions into Buddhist philosophy. One of the most interesting topics is the Buddhist notion of the duality of mind and body--conceptual consciousness and the mechanics and anatomy of the brain. Buddhists believe the mind-consciousness is autonomous to the brain. Furthermore, at the basis of Buddhism is the ability to train or perfect the mind through various forms of meditation to influence skillful living and vice-versa. The Dalai Lama is curious whether this training leads to changes in the physical structure of the brain. The controversial notion of neuroplasticity supports this argument. Mind-body duality is at odds with Western science which holds that influence is a bottom up process--the brain influences the mind but not the other way around. The book climaxes with a fascinating series of experiments where Buddhist adepts (highly trained monks and practitioners) who have spent over ten thousand hours meditating. These experiments show that it is possible to train the brain to be better at correcting negative emotions and promoting positive emotions such as loving-kindness, empathy, and compassion. This in fact shows that influence between brain and mind is a two way street--both bottom-up and top-down. Both Buddhist meditation and cognitive psychotherapy are potential alternatives to psychotropic drugs and SSRI for dealing with mental pathologies such as obsessive compulsive behavior (OCB), adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (AADHD), depression (seratonin imbalances), and manic depression (bipolar disorder), and addiction. Unfortunately, the book leaves the question of mind-body dualism open, and rightly so, since it does not serve as a forum for discussing this deeply puzzling philosophical question. Even a Buddhist needs to have faith.   hide

Describes some really fascinating experiments on the effects that different types of thinking have on the brain's development and its chemistry.

I remember going to school 10-15 years a go and being taught that we have all the brain cells we're ever gonna get, and that we are "fixed". This research shows how wrong that is and with taking care of our minds and training we can bring about physical changes to our brains which can stay with us permanently if we choose.

New cutting-edge research reveals the truth potential of the brain: even after we reach adulthood, even after we suffer physical damage, the brain retains capacity to continue to grow, to adapt and to overcome any obstacles. The book reviews evidence for the plasticity of brain, and explores how we can capitalize this amazing ability.