How a New Science Reveals Our Extraordinary Potential to Transform Ourselves

For nearly a century, scientific dogma held that the brain is immutable, fixed by genes and early upbringing. Wall Street Journal science writer Sharon Begley recently visited the frontiers of neuroscience and returned with a news flash: The dogma is wrong. Researchers have discovered that the brain remains plastic, lifelong. This creates new frontiers: Stroke victims can rewire their brains using challenging exercises; deaf people can repurpose dormant auditory cortexes for other tasks; and blind people can begin to "see" patterns of Braille dots using a seemingly dead visual cortex. Suspecting that they were on to a general pattern, researchers soon looked for similar changes in "normal" brains. Working repetitively on your golf swing, playing the piano or learning a language, they found, also change your brain in lasting, important ways, as does practicing compassion toward others. Begley arrives with heavyweight friends: a foreword by the Dalai Lama and a preface by Daniel Goleman of Emotional Intelligence. If you want to understand how the brain keeps working, and how to make yours do more of what you want it to, we think you should start here. Your brain will thank you.

This is not a self help book, but popular science of the best kind, carefully, objectively describing the scientific concepts and research which support the idea that at any age your brain can be modified for the good. In particular stroke victims can achieve physical recovery by "rewiring" the brain so that movement is controlled by neurons adjacent to those destroyed, or even directly by the pre-motor cortex (usually used only to plan movement) or by the comparable areas in the other side of the brain, so that, e.g., both left arm and right arm might be controlled from the left side of the brain. The research described pertains primarily to scientific understanding, but also to practical results.

The book goes well beyond rehabilitating stroke victims. Your pre-frontal cortex, which is important to the emotions you experience, might potentially be modified so that not only may the ill be helped, but the "normal; e.g., normal people's "happiness point" might be elevated, they could be become more secure and compassionate (psychology tells us the two go together), etc.. This and other discoveries fit well with Buddhist views. As it happens, the Dali Lama is very interested in Western science, and has encouraged some of the research described. Begley is interested in him and Buddhism, so that this is a complementary focus of the book.

Much as I liked Begley when she was science writer of the Wall Street Journal, and much as I learned from her book and was influenced by it, I did not enjoy it as much as I should have. I found it unnecessarily verbose. It is true that for a long time neuroscientists strongly resisted the idea that the brain could be rewired, but I don't think the lay person intuitively finds the idea hard to accept, at least as it pertains to motor control. Yet Begley writes as if she has to keep hammering the idea home, and also spends too much time in describing some of the animal experiments: for example, a few pages could almost be completely summarized by saying that if you keep the auditory nerve of one ear, in a ferret baby, from reaching the cortex , the visual nerve of one eye will attach to the auditory part of the cortex, and light on that eye will be interpreted as sound (ferret is trained to react very specifically to sound).

Begley, the well-known science writer from Newsweek and the Wall Street Journal, is a genius at translation. She has the ability to go from scientific research to the application of that research to life. Typically, scientists stick to their science, and practitioners stick to their professional practice. Begley has a near-unique ability to make the successful translation between the two disciplines.

She's also an interesting--even fun read. This book, among the first to show the practical relevance of the mass of neuroscience research churning out of our best institutions, challenges much conventional wisdom regarding our minds and our intelligence. I'm well aware that overturning conventional wisdom doesn't change the orthodoxy, yet I'm also curious about the degree to which these well-researched ideas are beginning to spread.

Begley emphasizes that the brain is a dynamic organization--and that stasis is illusory. Significantly, the research shows that enrichment is key for humans--our brains are shaped by our experiences. Couch potatoes are in for long-term trouble.

I'd summarize this fine work by debunking three widely held beliefs: it's all downhill after age thirty, you lose 100,000 nerve cells a day, and you can't teach an old dog new tricks. That's very encouraging, nay exhilerating research for this member of the silent generation. ([.......])

Filled with interesting stories, quotes, and ideas about Buddhism and the evolution of the field of neuroscience, this book is truly a pleasure to read. Indeed, much of what we know about neural plasticity comes from studies of the somatosensory system, including the work of Merzenich, Sur, and others that is described in this book. I also think the reader comes away with the feeling that neuroscience and Buddhism are not mutually exclusive ways of understanding the brain and the mind, but are actually complementary. And, as Francis Collins has pointed out, science and spirtuality in general are not mutually exclusive. Author of Adjust Your Brain: A Practical Theory for Maximizing Mental Health.

This book isn't written specifically as a "self-help" book, and that is exactly why I like it. It isn't full of mumbo jumbo about channeling the energy of the universe, or using "The Secret" to magically daydream money into your life.

It is about neuroanatomy, and how the things you pay attention to actually change the structure of your brain. In other words when you spend all your time concentrating on negative things, you brain changes to get better at concentrating on those things. A powerful concept.

The book is presented as a sort of addendum to a presentation made to the Dali Lama, which gives it a more engaging tone. An almost story like tone, the story of discoveries that changed the way scientists thought about the brain, including their studies into Buddhist meditation.

It is intelligently written enough to keep the attention of those who already read a lot about the brain, but still accessible (and I think enjoyable) to the average person.

This book did a lot to help me improve my life without magic thinking. I give it my highest recommendation.

This is an excellent book that explains the science behind the brain as it is presently understood in a very clear and extremely engaging way. There are multiple aspects that make this book a worthwhile read:

1) It shows how science is typically done and how scientific progress is made. First some data that are pointing to a different conclusion than the previaling theories emerge and are ignored. Then, over time, scientists driven by theie integrity and perseverance to get to the truth begin accepting the conclusions

2) The relief that the brain is, in fact, very plastic. A fact intrinsically very uplifting on its own

3) That the plasticity takes many forms - brains getting damaged leading to assignement of a different region for the function, functional loss leading to re-use of the brain for a different function, gene-expression based on nurture rather than nature

4) Controlled outcomes that can be had by using this power of plasticity effectively (such as "cures" for dyslexia etc.)

5) The power of meditation to change the brain especially in areas such as decreasing depression and OCD, improving ones intrinsic positivity and allowing one to be compassionate

As a student of science and meditation (Practicing with Erhard Vogel, Journey Into Your Center, Second Edition,The Stress Release Response Meditation : 7 Steps to Triumph Over Stress), I understand and buy into the premise that we are all intrinsically equal (and equally endowed in the grand traditions of Nature) and, therefore, must have love and compassion for fellow beings (human or otherwise). Equally, I believe that the basis for feeling good about onself is not some California thing but is, rather, rooted also in this intrinsic equality and divinity. Ever since I have managed to internalize this perspective my life has improved immensely (physiologically and psychologically). I have stopped having headaches, I have stopped biting my nails (a lifelong habbit) and my productivity at work (signal processing for wireless applications) has increased significantly.

Obviously there is no way I can claim that my perspective change has changed my brain. There are no measured data supporting such a broad claim. Nonetheless, from personal experience I can understand and believe the premise of the book and the underlying positive implications that a plastic brain would entail.

I picked up this gem along with three other popular books on neuroplasticity. Not reviewing it carefully I did not notice its reliance on Buddhism. I probably would not have picked it up had I known that, but I AM GLAD I DID.

The brain in action is called mind, triggered by consciousness which is the invisible life essence that animates the brain. Consciousness can be defined as the aspect of self, both aware and unaware, both conscious and subconscious, using the brain to capture the thoughts, and then coalescing them to create the mind. With that thought, the title should be reversed, "CHANGE your Brain, Change your Mind" or even better, "Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Brain".

How your nerve cells are specifically arranged, or neurologically wired, based on what you learn, what you remember, what you experience, what you envision for yourself, what you do, and how you think about yourself, defines you as an individual.
Forget the notion that the brain is static, rigid, and fixed. Instead, your brain cells are continually remolded and reorganized by external stimuli, our thoughts(this books focus), and experiences. The organization of brain cells that makes up who you are is constantly in flux. You are a work in progress.

In a clinical setting we use physical stimuli to the senses(smell, touch, temperature, exercise etc.) to alter neurological function. Using the thoughts has been available but seen as a IMO less impactful method to alter neurology. Nevertheless the process has been mastered by the Buddhist practitioners.

This book is a good read and better suited to a clinician or researcher than the lay public. It rehashes many research papers and historical breakthroughs with little in the way of a "to do" list.

For many of those interested in the brain, questions linger about the relation between the brain and the mind. While science typically avoids dealing with the philosophical and religious implications of this dichotomy, this book explores head-on the relationship that has been growing between the new discoveries in neuroplasticity and the ancient traditions of Buddhist meditation practices. I hope to provide a brief overview of Train Your Mind Change your Brain and describe what a fantastic job Begley does of presenting the recent dialogue between neuroscience and Buddhism.

Overall Opinion of the Book:
This is an absolutely terrific read. Clearly written, well-structured, and engaging, this book does a great job of presenting in laymen's terms both the seminal research and the recent studies which validate the now accepted concept of neuroplasticity, and how Buddhism is playing a role in our understanding of this phenomenon. I personally found the book to be intriguing, informative but light, and a pleasurable read.

Recommendation:
With plenty of background and simple explanations, the author does a great job presenting this complex material for all to understand. I highly recommend this book to anyone (high schoolers and above) interested in learning about neuroscience, plasticity, or just explore an area where a great religious tradition and modern science are finding common ground.

Synopsis:
This book really comes as the result of one man's striking curiosity for science, the Dalai Lama of Tibetan Buddhism. In 1990, as part of the Dalai Lama's personal quest for understanding science and seeking Buddhism's footing in the modern world, the Mind and Life Institute began as an annual conference hosted in Dharamsala, arranged as a week of lectures and discussion between Western scientists and the Dalai Lama. The dialogue of the 2004 conference - the focus of this book - centered on the advancements in understanding neuroplasticity and the results of the then recent experiments studying its relationship with intense meditation and mental training. It is from these proceedings that the book gets its major content and structure - discussing the topics and appropriate background of the ideas presented to the Dalai Lama.

While Begley structures the book around the presentations that occurred during the Mind and Life Institute of 2004, she frequently interjects the stories and experiments that carved out the heated debate over plasticity that spanned many decades in neuroscience. The book effectively intertwines the personal stories of the scientists and the research performed by the leading figures on both sides of the historic debate. From describing Merzenich's famous experiment's to the Silver Springs controversy, the author weaves the hard science and research with enriching personal anecdotes and experiences of those behind the discoveries.

First the book explores the discovery of neuroplasticity followed by a treatment on explaining the recent evidence supporting neurogenesis. Next follows discussions on plasticity in developing brains in children, then how sensory experience can induce changes in adult brains, and eventually reaches the debate of whether the mind can influence the structure and function of the brain through plasticity. All the while, Begley adds in commentary from the discussion between the Dalai Lama and the scientists and makes ties to the Buddhist philosophies that relate to the neuroscience being discussed. Finally, the book concludes with a discussion of the experiments carried out on monks and the changes that occur with years of mental training and meditation and how the relationship between Buddhism and science has illuminated new areas of research for neuroplasticity.

Complaints:
While I overall enjoyed the book thoroughly and thought it did a terrific job educating the reader on the advancements and the debate on plasticity, I wished there would have been a slight bit more background on the Buddhist principles and meditation practices mentioned throughout. Begley does a terrific job summarizing the science behind plasticity, but I think lacks in fully explaining the Buddhist concepts that provoked the study of the monk's minds near the end of the book.

Favorite Parts:
I most thoroughly enjoyed how Begley kept the book from being solely focused on the academic side of plasticity. Frequently throughout the book she describes the efforts that research on plasticity has enabled in aiding the treatment of diseases such as depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, and dyslexia, but even more so, how the science of plasticity and the practices of mental training can help improve the general daily lives of anyone, not just those suffering from a disability or injury. Additionally, I appreciated reading of the respectful dialogue that is bridging the gap between modern science and religious traditions - as both disciplines have a tremendous amount to learn from each other as this book shows.

The starting point of this book is a conference held in Dharamsala India under the auspices of the Dalai Lama in which leading Western scientists inform the Dalai Lama of their discoveries. The Dalai Lama has been eager to understand western science since he was the child we met in Seven Years in Tibet. The conference being reported on here was focused on neuroscience, and both the reporter/author and the Dalai Lama, as well as the scientists, are excited at the points at which Buddhism and science agree: that training the mind can actually make changes in the mind/brain.

What makes the story rather underwhelming, however, is that despite the fact that neurology supposedly just discovered this, almost everyone else has always figured that if you train your mind intensely, it, well, it gets trained. In other words, it changes. But, Begley reminds us over and over--we didn't know it could change the physical *brain*! Well what else would it change? Is it really revolutionary news that violinists who practice for 6 hours a day for 20 years have actual differences in their actual brains, and not just in some non-physical thing called the mind? Is it really a remarkable discovery that blind people not only pay more attention to aural input, but that this means that the part of their brain that pays attention to aural input is different?

The funny thing is, the scientists, being non-dualists, assume that the brain is where all the action is, while the Buddhists, being non-dualists, assume that the subtle mind is where all the action is. And the average westerner, being a dualist, is the only one surprised that something presumably non-physical (mental attention) can change something physical (the brain.) If either the scientists or the Buddhists is correct in their pre-suppositions, then there is no news. (The mind changes the mind. No surprise. The brain changes the brain. No surprise there either, is there?)

Begley also reminds us several times a chapter that her long detailed summaries are paraphrases of what was being directed at the Dalai Lama. But apart from the reminders of what he said occasionally (Yes, we also believe that), this is basically a review of the scientific literature on neuroplasticity. I am hardly an expert on this subject, but I had already read several of these reports previously. The story of the Silver Springs monkeys who were subjected to deaffrentation (nerve-severing) of an arm in order to demonstrate that their brains would change as a result has been told before (though probably not to the Dalai Lama. It was a bit of a shock to be told that a Buddhist would suggest that this kind of cruelty is acceptable as long as it benefits humans.) And I had already read Jeffrey Schwartz's work on using the mind to overcome OCD. So that research isn't exactly cutting edge news either.

I kept waiting for the payoff. Ok, so bizarre and basically cruel experiments were done on monkeys back in the 80s. And ok, only slightly less cruel therapies were done on stroke victims (tying down their good arm to force them to use their useless arm, in order to teach new brain areas to function. What fun that must be!) And ok, Schwartz thought that using your mind to overcome OCD is less cruel than forcing people to confront their phobias (He was squeamish about forcing germ-phobic people to touch dirty toilets--as well he should be!)

But now what? The whole point of Buddhists and their mind training is that we can become better than just normal. And the conclusion is--yeah, that should work. Well monks and meditators already knew that, and they have demonstrated it to their own sastisfaction for hundreds and thousands of years. The idea that you don't *really* know this to be true until you euthanize a bunch of monkeys and see the change in their brain cells is the problem with scientism.

Do we need brain scans and autopsies to believe that musicians use their brains in ways that are different from the ways basketball players use theirs? Do we have to measure brain waves before we can accept that a monk who meditates to generate compassion is going to react differently than a guy straight out of Marine boot camp?

This book is not only not a self-help book, as the title might suggest, it is not even a description of any actual therapeutic procedures. Its purpose is to convince us that what we do with our minds affects our brains. If you need convincing, have at it with this book.

For those who remain in disbelief of the mental mind's ability to change the physical brain, this book is the one for you. Sharon Bagley provides a balanced, smooth, and extremely thought-provoking experience through Train your Mind, Change your Brain. The book enhances the connection between Eastern religion--Buddhism--and the knowledge of leading neuroscientists, and how each informs the other. She addresses and then proves wrong traditional beliefs of the human brain, while stressing its neuroplasticity over its predetermined fate. Appropriate for those searching for scientific, spiritual, or even self-help, Bagley's book can be approached from several different angles. Bagley sets a scientific and research-based foundation, and then transitions into the practical applications of neuroplasticity and mental training to solve common human problems. For those with little to no neuroscience background, this read will open one's eyes to an honest representation of the brain, mind, and to the evidence proving that what we do with them can change our very existence. Allow this read to be an introduction, and a scientific basis, for the transformative effects which can result from rewiring our brains--and our lives.

Filled with interesting stories, quotes, and ideas about Buddhism and the evolution of the field of neuroscience, this book is truly a pleasure to read. Indeed, much of what we know about neural plasticity comes from studies of the somatosensory system, including the work of Merzenich, Sur, and others that is described in this book. I also think the reader comes away with the feeling that neuroscience and Buddhism are not mutually exclusive ways of understanding the brain and the mind, but are actually complementary. And, as Francis Collins has pointed out, science and spirtuality in general are not mutually exclusive. Author of Adjust Your Brain: A Practical Theory for Maximizing Mental Health.

Fascinating topic, but the book is too long for the information conveyed. The science is interesting, but we don't need all of the experimental detail to grasp the findings. I doubt I am the only person who does not want to hear the excruciating minutiae of all the different ways monkeys were messed with and then killed during the research.

The promised dialogue with Buddhism is mostly absent. Every once in a while the Dalai Lama is "dragged in" to ask a question or to be the ostensible audience for the scientist, but it seems more of a marketing gimic than an essential part of the narrative.

I do not care for Sharon Begley's writing style. Her analogies seem forced and false, and the "joke a minute" approach doesn't blend well with the subject matter. If it is intended as "the little bit of sugar that makes the medicine go down", she would have been better off to forget the sugar and cut the medicine to the essentials.

Sharon Begley does an extraordinary job of explaining and supporting the scientific PROOF that it is possible to change the structure and function of the brain. Additionally she introduces us to practical methods of mindfulness as a means of generating new neurons throughout our lifetime. This concept of neuroplasticity and "changing your brain" offers a hopefulness to those who suffer from depression, anxiety and other emotional and behavioral problems.

Lesli Johnson, MFT
[....]

Sharon Begley's fascinating book, shares new ways that show the reader how to train his/her brain. The inner powers of the mind go along way to make a differnce. Meditation is a pwerful tool in expanding brain function. Could those who meditate, decrease their risk of developing brain conditions such as Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia? Read this book and discover the powers of meditation. This book is full of hope and optimism. Let the author share this and so much more with you.
by Susan Berg, author of Adorable Photographs of Our Baby: Meaningful, Mind Stimulating Activities and More for the Memory Challenged, Their Loved Ones, and Involved Professionals

Train Your Mind Change Your Brain
By Sharon Begley
We no longer live in a world where our mind is set in stone. Sharon Begley makes the science of Neuroplasticity and mind science not only comprehensible but meaningful on a very personal level. For anyone who meditates and wonders about the effects of meditation on the brain. [...]

I enjoyed this book, but as another reader put it, the text covers so much the same ground as The Mind and the Brain: Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force by Jeffrey M. Schwartz and Sharon Begley. I read them one after the other, and was surprised how much material and stories were the same. It was deja vu all over again. Still, a great read. Read either of the Ms. Begley's two books and watch the PBS DVD The Brain Fitness Program, and you will have a thorough understanding of the neuroplasticity information and the scientists who did the research.

I found this to be a fascinating glimpse into the intersection of some ideas in Buddhist psychology/philosophy and Western research into similar and related ideas. Goleman's book, Destructive Emotions, is also good, but I think Begley's much more accessible to a thinking public not well-versed in the field(s). The ancient Hindu sages were the ground out of which a great deal of the Buddhist thinking arose. Current scientific research is, IMO, relearning a great deal of what was known experientially a loooong time ago.

A careful read also may prompt a thoughtful reader to try out for themselves some of the intriguing possibilities and probabilities contained here. What we pay attention to really does color and shape our view of the world...try it.

For those who would like a "manual" or "road map" to help put much of these principles into practice, I would suggest considering Eknath Easwaran's book Passage Meditation, and further, his three-volume commentary on the Bhagavad Gita. He was an English Lit professor -- engaging reads, and very helpful.

Enjoy!

In this lucidly written, very readable and compact volume, science writer Sharon Begley explores the recent convergence of learning about the mind and the brain through two very different approaches: Western science, in particular neuroscience and medical studies of the brain; and Eastern (Buddhist) philosophy, including mental training via meditation. As the book explains, recent research has documented changes in the brain that were once held to be impossible, changes wrought by conscious, focused mental effort on the part of the brain's owner. This emerging science has opened up wide vistas of possibility, ranging from mitigation of mental disorders that originate in brain (dys)function, such as OCD or the after-effects of stroke, to improving one's character by becoming more humane and compassionate. This book makes you think humanity may have a future after all, despite so much current evidence to the contrary, if we are wise enough to harness this powerful new knowledge to expand the common goodness of people everywhere.

The book's central message is a little like the old joke about how many psychiatrists it takes to change a light bulb--mind/brain change comes to an individual who really wants to change, and has the will to exert the needed effort. But techniques of mental discipline can be learned, and with proper motivation we can truly "re-wire" ourselves, potentially to eliminate violent or selfish impulses, for instance. The Dalai Lama is one leader who has already grasped the significance of the new science of neuroplasticity. Let us hope many others can follow in his footsteps. I highly recommend this book, which is readily understandable even for those with a minimal scientific background.

The book's content covers several scientific seminars held in the presence of the Dalai Lama to support the theory that the human brain changes throughout life and can be trained to recover from or compensate for certain types of damage - congenital, accidental, and research-induced, using various techniques, including meditation.

The topic (background, recent research) was well presented. However,I had bought this book thinking it was a 'how to train the mind', and was disappointed that it was not. The 'training-transformational' techniques were mentioned, including meditation - but only as they supported the research.

The key to change appears to be attentional.

I was especially surprised to discover that stroke-caused paralysis can be overcome by restricting movement of the unaffected limbs!

I'm a board-certified cognitive behavioral therapist and I'm so glad that Sharon Begley wrote this book. I will recommend it to my fellow therapists as it has even broader application than my own book BRAINSWITCH OUT OF DEPRESSION which is more specific to depression. I've had great success training people to re-wire their brains to quickly get out of the pain of depression by using simple mind exercises to switch their neuronal activity from the feeling part of the brain (the subcortex) to the thinking part of the brain (the neocortex). So I can personally attest to the feasibility and practicality of what Begley writes about.

Sharon Begley does a worthy job of opening the mysteries of neurobiology to common understanding. She invites us to see more clearly how we think and feel, to look below the surface at how we "know" what we know. Rather than approach the subject as a concern of epistemology and philosophy, she uses hard science as the basis for her writing and reflecting.

For me, the implications of her book are deeply exciting. If understanding neuroscience can help each of us with our personal transformation, if we live in a society created through our own individual daily choices and actions, then the author offers us a path toward social transformation through self transformation (which is the premise of my own studies on the power of global thinking).

Sharon Begley's book is more important than teaching us how seratonin and endorphins affect our emotions. Her book helps us realize that what happens inside our skulls directly shapes what happens on our planet.

Currently I'm working finishing my graduate studies in Psychology. I've been reading quite a few 'brain' books lately left brain/right train/teach your brain that kind of thing. The premise of this one got my interest but it's not so much about training your brain as it is a look at the pliability of the brain and the impact of new medical discoveries in brain science. In the search for answers and better understanding of our mind, this is a look at ways we can influence our inner thoughts and self.

This book has the most misleading title. The title makes it sound like it is going to be a self help book. Thankfully I knew it was not when I bought it. Had I not, it would have been very frustrated when reading it.

THe content of the book is very interesting and the author gives you enough background of neurological science to make the studies she discusses make sense in the context of the subject without overwhelming you. Also interesting is the discussion between what western science is confirming and what Buddists believe. Sometimes these ideas converge, and sometimes not, especially in the case of attachment.

A solid read on a subject I did not expect to enjoy so much!!!

For many years it was thought that the brain could not physically evolve or change after childhood. Sharon Begley gathers the results of neurological experiments and excercises that proves not only can we change the brain (add/grow neurons, alter neural networks, re-purpose entire regions according to experiential demand) but that all of this change can start with a thought, hinting at the identity of you as the conscious "chooser" behind your neural tissue. Though a bit tedious in its languaging of laboratry significance at times, the author also has the courage to steer her focus into theambitious realm of consciousness itself. Using the framework of yearly summits on science and consciousness between leading scientists and the Dalai Lama, Begley directs our attention to the possibility of creating real change in our lives on an individual, social and global level that has the potential to change the very quality of existence which we call "life". For even more spiritual emphasis with an experiential backbone still grounded in science, check out "Evolve Your Brain" by Joe Dispenza, D.C.

This is an incredible book with news from the frontiers of neuroscience. It is well written in a very readable style.

For many years scientists and medical practitioners considered that once we reach adulthood our brains abilities were fixed. This book documents discussions between neuroscientists and the Dalai Lama and his scholars regarding recent new understanding about the ability of the brain to change at any age.

This book was amazing-the implications are far reaching for your own life, as well as your childrens lives. As a mom of three, and someone new to meditation, it's an exciting time to be raising young people. This book has made me think about every aspect of my life differently. I've reccommended it to everyone!!

Fascinating topic, well written book. I have to admit I was skeptical when I first saw the title. Sounds like a new age self-help book, doesn't it? Well, it's not! If you're interested in both Buddhism and the art of scientific research, this is probably the book for you. I highly recommend it.

The power of thought has more influence in our physical and mental health than we can imagine. A group of Western and Eastern influencial people work together to discover how our own thinking creates changes in our brain. This book has already changed my brain This is one of many great books that talk about neuroplasticity. I strongly recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

Well-written account of the relatively new concept of neuroplasticity, especially in the area of effective treatment of mood disorders, cognitive disorders, and other dysphorias through thought processes, including "mindful meditation" as practiced by Buddhist monks. Well-explained with real-life examples and synopses of current scientific research supporting the concepts under consideration. Definitely worth reading.

A groundbreaking collaboration between neuroscience and Buddhism. In this fascinating and far-reaching book, Wall Street Journal science writer Sharon Begley reports on how cutting-edge science and the ancient wisdom of Buddhism have come together to show how we all have the mind power to change the structure and function of our brains, and in so doing alter how we think and feel. The findings hold exciting implications for personal transformation.

For decades, the conventional wisdom of neuroscience held that the hardware of the brain is fixed and immutable - that we are stuck with what we are born with. However, recent pioneering experiments in neuroplasticity, a new science that investigates whether and how the brain can undergo wholesale change, reveal that the brain is capable not only of altering its structure, but also of generating new neurons, even into old age.

Begley makes the science accessible, meaningful and compelling and illuminates a profound shift in our understanding of how the brain and mind react. She shows how this is transforming our approach to deep-seated emotional, cognitive, and behavioural problems. She learns of studies performed on Tibetan Buddhist monks and how to tap the power of the mind and to increase compassion and gain focused attention, or mindfulness.

It really makes you reconsider how your brain works. Very well thought out book that outlines and gives hard evidence of research. My friend's aunt who had a stroke is reading it and it's helping her tremendously.

It gets tougher and tougher to pick books that meet my reading interests. I confess that to a large extent I rely on reviewers in a couple of the larger newspapers: New York Times, Seattle Times, Chicago-Sun Times, London Times, etc. I also read the the store buyer's reviews. Occasionally I will watch PBS or listen to PR in their book review programs. Still it seems that more and more frequently my expectations about a book seems to have been misled. I read the reviews in the store and wonder if one or two of the more glowing ones are proffered by the kin and friends of the author or the publisher, and the negative ones might be by envious writers or curmudgeons. Obviously I'm paranoid, as those antics would never happen in the pristine world of publishing. Anyway, the consistently best feedback I receive comes from friends and family; incidentally, who also share they have the same dilemma as I.

Sharon Begley's "Train Your MIND ... Change Your BRAIN" title has the implicit marketing gesture of a "how to" book to start you on an exciting and noble voyage of the sharing of revolutionary discoveries and techniques to enhance your mind and physical abilities ... NOT! Wow, did I misinterpret the intent of the author/publisher.

Once again, here is an author and publisher whom, I believe, have collected some other people's scientific labors and papers in an exciting and amazing field of neuro investigations, and then collates and regurgitates them in an endless cycle of kindergarten repetition that quickly fills page after page whose intent seems more designed to give some heft to their hardback rather than to reinforce and clarify for the reader. I'm feel Begley possibly erred on the side of her didactic role as a science writer when explaining the complicated and esoteric fields in an attempt to clarify for, and educate, the reading public.

Ms Begley interestingly goes on at some length with the old attachment theories, especially the nature/nurture ones as the basis for establishing the viability of neuroplasticity, but seems a bit excessive with attributing a direct correlation between the two concepts especially when considering the possibility if the attachment security is influenced biologically in correlation with temperament. As regards the Dalai Lama, he is cast in a trivialized role and makes no serious contribution to the story line. Some few of his monks do participate in some laboratory experiments resulting in uncertain conclusions.

There are more shortcomings ... but some of the other reviewers pointed them out and I won't repeat them here. There is a great book waiting to be written in this field, but sadly this isn't it.

It really makes you reconsider how your brain works. Very well thought out book that outlines and gives hard evidence of research. My friend's aunt who had a stroke is reading it and it's helping her tremendously.

It gets tougher and tougher to pick books that meet my reading interests. I confess that to a large extent I rely on reviewers in a couple of the larger newspapers: New York Times, Seattle Times, Chicago-Sun Times, London Times, etc. I also read the the store buyer's reviews. Occasionally I will watch PBS or listen to PR in their book review programs. Still it seems that more and more frequently my expectations about a book seems to have been misled. I read the reviews in the store and wonder if one or two of the more glowing ones are proffered by the kin and friends of the author or the publisher, and the negative ones might be by envious writers or curmudgeons. Obviously I'm paranoid, as those antics would never happen in the pristine world of publishing. Anyway, the consistently best feedback I receive comes from friends and family; incidentally, who also share they have the same dilemma as I.

Sharon Begley's "Train Your MIND ... Change Your BRAIN" title has the implicit marketing gesture of a "how to" book to start you on an exciting and noble voyage of the sharing of revolutionary discoveries and techniques to enhance your mind and physical abilities ... NOT! Wow, did I misinterpret the intent of the author/publisher.

Once again, here is an author and publisher whom, I believe, have collected some other people's scientific labors and papers in an exciting and amazing field of neuro investigations, and then collates and regurgitates them in an endless cycle of kindergarten repetition that quickly fills page after page whose intent seems more designed to give some heft to their hardback rather than to reinforce and clarify for the reader. I'm feel Begley possibly erred on the side of her didactic role as a science writer when explaining the complicated and esoteric fields in an attempt to clarify for, and educate, the reading public.

Ms Begley interestingly goes on at some length with the old attachment theories, especially the nature/nurture ones as the basis for establishing the viability of neuroplasticity, but seems a bit excessive with attributing a direct correlation between the two concepts especially when considering the possibility if the attachment security is influenced biologically in correlation with temperament. As regards the Dalai Lama, he is cast in a trivialized role and makes no serious contribution to the story line. Some few of his monks do participate in some laboratory experiments resulting in uncertain conclusions.

There are more shortcomings ... but some of the other reviewers pointed them out and I won't repeat them here. There is a great book waiting to be written in this field, but sadly this isn't it.

I felt empowered by this book. It was written clearly, was easy to read. The informtion in it and the bringing together of the science of brain plasticity and the potential for us to grow and heal ourselves is a gift.

In this extrodinary book is one statement I disagree with. That is that Christianity presents more of a conflict with the results of the scientific research on the human brain than another religion. I think if the author will read Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis she will find out how well the Faith lines up with the scietific research!!

Those who enjoy Sharon Begley's "Science Journal" column in the Friday edition of the Wall Street Journal will discover that she is an even better reporter than a columnist. This book is a feast of useful information elegantly presented. Most important, it's inspirational. Its "between the lines" message: There is hope for our species.

Everyone who is into personal growth should listen to this. It will help you become more aware of your thoughs and the reasoning behind it. It will change you life for the better and with the relationships and the people around you.

This book really "opens your mind"(get it) to some of the brain's possibilities. Not claiming to know everything about what the brain can do Begley gives us hard facts and specific histories on "retraining the brain". If you do crossword puzzles to keep your brain fresh, you will like this book!

This book could have been written without stepping foot in India. It is amazing to me that Ms. Begley could have attended the Mind and Life gathering with the Dalai Lama and created a book that hardly mentions him at all. She could have just stayed home and read some of the recent psychology journals, made a few phone calls and used her vast journalistic story telling skills to cobble this book together.

If you want a much better idea of what happens at the Mind and Life gatherings, how brillant the Dalai Lama is in asking the right questions of scientist at the cutting edge of their field, and a more compelling tale of western reseacher interfacing with Buddhism then I suggest you read Daniel Goleman's book Destructive Emotions which is his version of events at an earlier Mind and Life session. From that book you realize how thick and wide Ms. Begley's blinders are.

This book will neither help you train your mind or change your brain. It only tabulates past science research on rats and disabled people. It is so far from its title that it shouldn't even be included as self help. It should be only what it is a reference of past research which neither makes a point or lives up to its toutings most likely from the publishers themselves. I would like a refund.

The book is filled with pages of disturbing animal experimentation that the author actually defends by saying the animals felt no physical pain. The animals were locked in cages, had their bodies permanently multilated, and their skulls cut open. The author has a quote from the Dalai Lama about animal experimentation and he seems to be saying that the ends justify the means. Compassion and science need not be mutually exclusively. Answers to our questions about the world can be found in many different ways. I don't know what this book had to do with Buddhism.

Sharon Begley is a devout creationist completely opposed to Buddhism. As a creationist, it is not possible to have a firm grasp of neuroscience. As a creationist, it is not possible to understand Buddhism. Her lack of understanding is repeatedly demonstrated throughout the book.