Product Description

A groundbreaking work of science that confirms, for the first time, the independent existence of the mind–and demonstrates the possibilities for human control over the workings of the brain.

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 in paperback, Dr Jeffrey Schwartz and Sharon Begley's groundbreaking work, The Mind and the Brain, argues exactly the opposite: that the mind has a life of its own.Dr 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 its basis in our emerging understanding of adult neuroplasticity–the brain's ability to be rewired not just in childhood, but throughout life, a trait only recently established by neuroscientists.

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–and discovering a thrilling new dimension to the concept of neuroplasticity.

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 physicist Henry Stapp and connects the concept of 'mental force' 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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5670 in Books
• Published on: 2003-10-01
• Released on: 2003-10-14
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 432 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Schwartz (A Return to Innocence), a UCLA psychiatrist and expert on treating patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), teams up with Begley, a Wall Street Journal science columnist, to explore the mind/brain dichotomy and to discuss the science behind new treatments being developed for a host of brain dysfunctions. Building on the work presented in Schwartz's first book, Brain Lock, the authors begin by demonstrating that OCD patients are capable of rechanneling compulsive urges into more socially acceptable activities and that, by doing so, they actually alter their brains' neuronal circuitry. By presenting a wide array of animal and human experiments, Schwartz and Begley show that similar neuroplasticity is possible in stroke victims, often leading to a return of function previously thought impossible. The medical results and treatments they summarize are exciting and deserve widespread attention. In a chapter entitled "Free Will and Free Won't," the authors turn to the philosophical, examining the implications neuroplasticity might have on the differences between mind and brain; they also discourse on the existence of free will. Unfortunately, their integration of quantum mechanics and Buddhism into a search for a mechanism to explain the patterns scientists have been discovering is too superficial to fully engage readers. Nonetheless, a great deal in this book is sure to motivate discussion and more research.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Schwartz's undergraduate major was philosophy, and that interest as well as Buddhism has broadened his outlook and makes this book potentially attractive to more readers than those habitually interested in "brain science." Psychiatrist Schwartz pioneered the use of positron-emission tomography in studying obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The behaviorists' therapeutic use of the often-harsh exposure and prevention method with OCD struck Schwartz as brutal and unproductive. Searching for a new approach, he gradually developed the four-step method that he and science writer Begley thoroughly describe here. Employing the Buddhist idea of willful mindfulness, Schwartz and his colleagues enjoyed considerable research and clinical success. A long, informal collaboration with physicist Henry Stapp enabled Schwartz to overcome the problem of free will and moral action, and one of his major achievements was proving the neuroplasticity of the adult brain, thanks to which the formation of new transmission routes coincides with that of new neurons. Schwartz and Begley bring to life the thinking and work of many original investigators in a book that thoughtful readers will enjoy. William Beatty
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author
Jeffrey M. Schwartz M.D. is an internationally-recognized authority on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and is the author of the bestseller Brain Lock. He is a Research Professor of Psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine.

Customer Reviews

You can Change your mind
This book presents a scientific premise that though you may be born hard wired or predisposed to certain thinking patterns those patterns are change able. You are what you think and how you think will make you what you will be. Yes we can inherit certain traits and chemical imbalances can affect our attitudes , but we are not bound , we are not slave to these patterns of thought . We can change the way we think . The admonition of scripture " to let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus " is achievable . We can develop new thinking patterns . That is one of the great blessings of meditating (thinking in a specific manner) on scripture that by this we can develop the mind of Christ in us . We do not have to be bound by hatred of another . When we consistently pray for one ( not pray against ) who is a perceived enemy , with time and practice our perception will change , our attitude will change , our MIND will change , even though they may not change their attitude towards us( this is about changing ourselves "0UR own MIND"). We cannot always make people like us but we can chose to love them . This book presents the scientific facts concerning the plasticity of the brain (the ability to reshape our brains by the application of our mind (will). ) This book is a great encouragement for personnel change . Chemical imbalances affect the way we think , but the way we think affects the chemicals we release . Bitterness is rooted in our habits of thought and can only be rooted out by a new way of thinking (Jesus is the way the truth and the light). This book is not a theology book but The Bible will shed a lot of light on it . The heart of man ( how he thinks , our emotional seat )can be changed . With the help of Christ we can break the chains and habits of (the motions) miss thinking , negative thought life , lustful thinking(sin) . Some may call it "the power of positive thinking" , the Bible refers to it as righteous living or , doing what is right in the sight of God (as defined by scripture in the Bible). We can develope an attitude of gratitude for the blessings in our life even as we strive to over come the difficulties we daily face . The fact that there are now instruments that can register our mental activity and quantify mental changes is a bonus.

Thorough and satisfying
Schwartz provides a thorough picture of the development of neuroscience over the 20 years. His research into OCD is presented in a simple yet beautiful way. His book open my mind to the beauty of the human brain and to the idea of the mind. The chapter on physics was a little hard to understand.

Thought provoking
This book provides the reader a very thought provoking experience regarding what causes a person to produce certain thoughts and how one is able to regulate unwanted thoughts and actually change brain morphology and thought patterns. It integrates concepts in neuroscience with physics and applies these concepts to patients with neurological/psychological disorders. There are spots in which readers interested in neuroscience may think the discussion of physics requires a bit of patience and thought, but if you continue reading it will continue to suprise you.