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Publisher's
Information: Conventional science has long held the position
that "the mind" is merely an illusion, a side effect of
electrochemical activity in the physical brain. Now comes a major work,
ground in two decades of research, that argues exactly the opposite: that
the mind has a life of its own.
In The Mind and the Brain, Dr.
Jeffrey Schwartz, a leading researcher in brain dysfunctions, and Wall
Street Journal science columnist Sharon Begley demonstrate that the
human mind is an independent entity that can shape and control the
functioning of the physical brain. Their work has it basis in our emerging
understanding of adult plasticity--the brain's ability to be rewired not
just in childhood, but throughout life, a trait only recently established
by scientists. But in this paradigm-shifting work, Schwartz and Begley
take neuroplasticity one critical step further. Through decades of work
treating patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Schwartz made
an extraordinary finding: while following the therapy he developed, his
patients were effecting significant and lasting changes in their own neural
pathways. It was a scientific first: by actively focusing their attention
away from negative behaviors and toward more positive ones, Schwartz's
patients were using their minds to reshape their brains.
The Mind and the Brain follows
Schwartz as he investigates this newly discovered power, which he calls self-directed
neuroplasticity or, more simply, mental force. It describes his work
with noted physicists Henry Stapp to establish the basic mechanics of
self-directed neuroplasticity in quantum physics, and reveals its
connections with the ancient practice of mindfulness in Buddhist
tradition. And it points to potential new applications that could
transform the treatment of almost every variety of neurological
dysfunction, from dyslexia to stroke--and could lead to new strategies to
help us harness our mental powers.
Yet as wondrous as these implications are,
perhaps even more important is the philosophical dimension of Schwartz's
work. For the existence of mental force offers convincing scientific
evidence of human free will, and thus of man's inherent capacity for moral
choice. Challenging the scientific mainstream, Schwartz and Begley suggest
boldly that we human beings are more than mere automatons--that with the
ability to shape our brains comes the power to shape our destiny. The
conclusions they draw, and the questions they raise, should provoke debate
among not only scientists but philosophers, legal scholars, and anyone who
cares about the role of man in the universe.
Pat's Comments:
I am excited about this book because it clearly demonstrates how focusing
on specific, chosen thoughts and images can develop new neuronal
structuring in the brain, creating the necessary mind/brain environment
for new experience. His discussion of quantum physics is pretty easy to
follow and helps the reader better understand the meaning of the new
scientific paradigm to everyday life.
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The
Mind and the Brain: Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force