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Articles    H4'ed 6/10/10

The Self-Transforming Brain; Excerpt from Buddha's Brain; The practical neuroscience of happiness, love and wisdom

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Originally Published on FutureHealth


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Excerpted from the book, Buddha's Brain; The practical neuroscience of happiness, love and wisdom

by Rick Hanson and Richard Mendius

Published by New Harbinger

chapter 1

The Self-Transforming

Brain

also listen to this podcast interview between author Rick Hanson and Rob Kall: Rick Hanson; Co-author; Buddha's Brain;The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, love and wisdom

The principal activities of brains are making

changes in themselves.

--Marvin L. Minsky

When your mind changes, your brain changes, too. In the saying from the work of the psychologist Donald Hebb: when neurons fire together, they wire together--mental activity actually creates new neural structures (Hebb 1949; LeDoux 2003). As a result, even fleeting thoughts and feelings can leave lasting marks on your brain, much like a spring shower can leave little trails on a hillside.

For example, taxi drivers in London--whose job requires remembering lots of twisty streets--develop a larger hippocampus (a key brain region for making visual-spatial memories), since that part of the brain gets an extra workout (Maguire et al. 2000). As you become a happier person, the left frontal region of your brain becomes more active (Davidson 2004).

What flows through your mind sculpts your brain. Thus, you can use your mind to change your brain for the better--which will benefit your whole being, and every other person whose life you touch.

This book aims to show you how. You'll learn what the brain is doing when the mind is happy, loving, and wise. And you'll learn many ways to activate these brain states, strengthening them a bit each time. This will give you the ability to gradually rewire your own brain--from the inside out--for greater well-being, fulfillment in your relationships, and inner peace.

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Buddha's Brain has been among the top 100 non-fiction books on Amazon for more than half the time it's been published and is ranked as the number one book for some Amazon categories. There's a good reason. It's brilliant. Rick Hanson (more...)
 
Related Topic(s): Attention; Awakening; Brain; Brain; Emotions; Excerpts; Feelings; Love And Soul Consciousness; Love-soul Consciousness; Mindfulness; (more...) Neuroscience; Pain; Spirit; Suffering, Add Tags  (less...)
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