Power Up Your Brain

It's wonderful theory. However there is no chance to practice everything if you live outside US. I not succeeded to get recommended products as activator nrf2 from xymogen outside US. To few my email inquiries xymogen (company of one of the authors producing products recommended for book readers;) ) answered .... with proud silence :)

"Power Up Your Brain" is a thought provoking and insightful book. It not only gives you access to valuable research about a fascinating topic (the brain), it also inspires the reader to improve the quality of life through the book's straightforward and practical suggestions.

I think the most influential power of this book's information is the synthesis of science and spirituality (not religion). It is very insightful. And the information about supplements, etc., very helpful.

I found this an easy, captivating, and believable read. It entrances the reader with the arguments - until you consciously appraise the book when you will release that there is no information at all on counter arguments. And therein lies the problem. This is a book which puts forward a solution which, if you literally read everything in it - will (note there is no consideration in the book that these remedies might - or might not work) make the lame walk again; solve the low energy which so many of us have today; and prevent Parkinson's and many other age related mitochondrial problems. Yet there is no critical peer review of the solutions proposed. Do they work for everyone? How many people have followed the regime and not benefited from it? To be honest - even though that rings loud warning bells in itself - I'd still be tempted to try the programme of lifestyle / diet / supplement changes proposed. I've had serious life long problems exercising aerobically; had mitochondrial analysis by muscle biopsy as its been screaming out to me that the mitochondria are the problem; have very low energy; had complex PTSD; have a parent who suffered from Parkinsons.... This book therefore seemed to resonate so strongly and offered The Solution...

And then I looked at the cost of the supplements. Very cheap working out at pence per day if you buy some of them individually, green tea extract; curcumin; sulforaphane etc - and this I may do. But buy these combined from the official source XYMOGEN as suggested in the book and its over $100 a month.... which energetically feels so very very wrong to me. Why such an excessive mark up?

Additional supplements are also required - including vegetarian DHA; in the quantities suggested - 1000 mg a day - this will set you back over £5 a day for a quality branded product. Also 'controlled release' Alpha Lipoic Acid is required. Now controlled release ALA is potentially a marketing scam - google "the case against controlled release alpha lipoic acid Heinz Ulrich" to read the paper concerned. But CR Alpha Lipoic acid is more expensive than the non CR product... and guess what? Xymogen sell it as well - and that's another $100 dollars a month gone. For as long as you live.

By an amazing co-incidence, Xymogen is owned by the co-author of this book David Perlmutter.

I then looked at the powerupyourbrain.com web site. The 6 day Intensive programme costs over $8000 (based in Italy - the cost is firmly fixed in US dollars!). It includes 5 sessions of shamanic 1 to 1 healing plus journalling and breath work, a fire ceremony and a massage which account for an almighty $3500 part of the cost. This is totally non residential . Someone is going to get very very rich as a result of desperate people like me reading the book and buying the all in one Nrf2 supplement or going on the 6 day course.

Saddened beyond belief because whilst I sense that Villoldo understands more than most of us about a nearly lost way of living and understanding our connection to the earth - he seems to me to be increasingly motivated - or perhaps corrupted is a better word- by the ease with which he can make money. Which just seems plain wrong given that his wisdom was given so freely to him by native people in the first place.

As to the book itself - apart from trying to make a case for these supplements (David Perlmutter met Villoldo in Peru and the two seem to have had a meeting of their commercially orientated value systems in bringing this forward) it is intensely repetitive with extracts from previous books of Villoldo's.

So unless you are mega rich and can afford to spend over $2000/year on supplements for ever, there's no point buying this book in my opinion. I know that Villoldo has a huge following of people who will no doubt spring to his defence against this review - and to be honest, I'd love to count myself in amongst them. Shaman, Healer Sage was such an amazing book. But Villoldo's path is most certainly not an altruistic one, valid though it may be and I feel that this book is an example of how far off the path Villoldo has strayed as he supports the big con that is the great pharma industry.

If you are at all interested in the connection between the mind, body and the spirit, then this is a must read! There are no new herbs or techniques here (at least not for the experienced professional), but this is the first synthesis of how the various parts come together I have read. This is a book that truly speaks to our time, needs, and has answers. Not just hypothetical answers, but answers from a physician putting these concepts into daily practice.

To be honest, I might not have read this book had it not been given to me by Dr. Perlmutter after attending his lecture at an integrative health conference in NYC. While MDs typically get press, book deals and TV shows when they start talking about herbs and vitamins, this is the bedrock of naturopathic medicine (ND/NMD) and I had some of the greatest instructors during my years at Southwest College in Arizona. Also, if I had a dime for every Shaman I have met, as they say...I'd be rich! However, I was taken by Dr. Perlmutter's powerful presentation, sincerity and humbleness. While traveling home from the conference, I had plenty of time on my hands. I started reading the book anticipating skimming it and giving it to someone who might be interested. It wasn't long before I had my pencil out making notes in the margins-- something I only do with books I really treasure--and turning page after page!

After years of experience, I can tell you what really works in medicine--natural or pharmaceutical! The basics: Diet, exercise, and prayer/meditation/ relaxation. This book tells you why and how to maximize results!

This book is an amazing gift for everyone seeking to grow spiritually.It offers insightful tools to utilize the power of the brain in connection with spiritual elements; enabling others to gain clarity of intuition, as well as a higher connection to the essence of spiritual awakening within the soul. With the genius of both Dr. Perlmutter's knowledge of neuroscience, coupled with the mysticism that Dr. Villoldo provides, they offer the reader a way to prepare themselves physically and mentally to receive a spiritual awakening, thus aligning the body, mind, spirit connection. The process included within the book, assists in clearing out any physical and emotional blocks that have been latent within the psyche, and enabling a healthy mind and body to connect directly to spiritual essence.I highly recommend this book and know it to be groundbreaking information to assist in spiritual development and awareness.

A lot of scientific detail. It has changed the way I eat and opened my mind to different vitamin supplements that enhance brain function. The one thing I didn't like is that the author tries to get you to buy his vitamin supplements.

POWER UP YOUR BRAIN is a fascinating mix that keeps you turning page after page. Such interesting information! Rather than focus on the medical model for optimal health or spiritual enlightenment as a goal unto itself, this book is a multidimensional exploration of both. It's about time that science and spirituality come together in such a readable form. Each human is an entire entity, affected by all input -- physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. This book is filled with an eye-opening facts and concepts, and is one that I will refer to often as I continue to grow and expand. I lived with suicidal ideation for eighteen years, and only when I began to see the interconnectedness of spiritual--mental--emotional--physical--social, did I begin to understand how much I can do to improve my overall health, which for me ultimately leads to deeper spiritual understanding. I don't know if I could have made all the changes in five weeks -- seeing as I've been in therapy for over 30 years! -- but having POWER UP YOUR BRAIN would have made my life so much easier, and I highly recommend it. This would also be a great book for therapists to discuss with clients. Susan Rose Blauner is the author of HOW I STAYED ALIVE WHEN MY BRAIN WAS TRYING TO KILL ME: ONE PERSON'S GUIDE TO SUICIDE PREVENTION.

This is an uplifting book for many reasons. It added to my belief that we are on the edge of an evolutionary leap in consciousness, and backed this up with scientific evidence. It also reinforced my belief that anything is possible and bolstered my hope that the Western medical community will wake up and realize we are integrated beings with a body, mind and soul. It encouraged my commitment to take care of my body by eating well, taking supplements, exercising and meditating.

The one area where the authors seemed slightly unenlightened was that they seemed unsure of who their audience was. For example, although it is interesting to know that hyperbaric oxygen therapy "empowers mitochondrion to energize the brain," this is not useful information to the average the store or Barnes & Noble reader since we cannot go to the nearest spa for a treatment.

Also, some of the recommended supplements are not readily available and exorbitantly expensive. Dr. Perlmutter specifically recommends Xymogen.com, for whom he is Chairman of the Board of Medical advisors. This was not disclosed in the book, but is listed on the Xymogen website. The lay person cannot order from Xymogen. One must be a medical professional. So again, this is not helpful information for the average reader.

Lastly, the authors recommend cutting out caffeine, sugar, alcohol, wheat and dairy during the initial weeks of the program. On page 177, it states, "If you have been aggressively consuming sugar, caffeine, or alcohol, you may experience significant withdrawal symptoms. The range of withdrawal symptoms is quite wide and can include everything from headaches, depression, fatigue, and mood swings to nausea, vomiting, insomnia, and fever depending on which substance you've given up...Accept that you may have to feel a little bit worse before you start feeling better." That paragraph prevented me from giving this book at least 4.5 stars. This is not sound advice. Someone who is experiencing horrible withdrawal symptoms is not going to stick with the program. It would have been much better for them to recommend that these substances be eliminated gradually (i.e., reduce caffeine consumption by 1/2 cup per day until one is no longer consuming it.)

Otherwise, this book is profound and engaging, and I highly recommend it.

Dreaming Your World Into Being: The Shaman's Secrets To Having The Life You Desire Now

I'm a big fan of Dr. Villoldo's work, and have always appreciated the physical and physioligical knowledge base as well. And this book takes us on the next evolutionary step in the sciences of body, mind, and spirit. A practical guide to improved quality of life.

This landmark book is an extraordinary compendium of scientific and spiritual knowledge coupled with specific steps the reader can take to utilize and apply the information to create a better life. A panacea? No, of course not. Useful, practical and potentially life enhancing information? Absolutely. The critical factor is whether or not the reader is willing to take the suggested steps in order to benefit from the wisdom that fills the 220 pages. Without question, this book should be part of every home library, not to mention public and educational libraries. It is rich, useful and inordinately worthwhile.

This is the greatest book I have ever read before in my life.
I have been trying for a year now to explain the human experience in such a way, and before me now is the gift I must now permeate. I am strongly considering buying multiple copies of this for everyone I know; starting with my family.
Read this book page by page, starting from the beginning.

There is so much that could be said; it's best that I leave all the rest to your discovery.

Very interesting book. I love the way the author's use science to explain the "wildness" of Shamanic practices and its effects on the brain.

I am trying to power up my brain and am wondering if the suggested supplement is worth taking? I am 25.

I have been working on recording my dreams for the past month and last night I attempted my first night of "Lucid Dreaming". I will continue this practice along with the others in the book in order to expand my shamanic practices.

Enjoy the day!

Dr. Perlmutter (a neuroscientist) and Dr. Villoldo (a medical anthropologist) do a remarkable job of combining science and spirituality. When I first picked up the book I thought it might read like a textbook but the authors explain medical and historical facts in a very interesting and readable way. Power Up Your Brain is informative and inspiring, an important read especially for people who know deep inside that they're capable of producing and creating so much more.

I find this book to be too simplistic and dangerous on many levels. Any message that purports to have the formula for an easy path to enlightenment should be viewed with a critical and discriminating mind. If you're reading the book to gain greater peace of mind and physical health than you're fine. But, if you are one of those people that jumps on every bandwagon that offers a quick road to enlightenment than you're fooling yourself. There is no such thing. As an anthropologist that has worked with indigenous Shaman and Medicine Men/Women all over the world for many, many years, there's no easy way. Throughout history, humans have always been trying to find an easy path to enlightenment and there have been millions of people that have tried to make money off of that desire. That's why that path is so mysterious and sacred. There isn't any science that can explain that away nor any amount of money that can change it. It's been that way for 1,000's of years and it will continue to be hidden from those that aren't supposed to know. It's just part of the Big Mystery. So, use the book as a tool to live a better life but don't expect to become a Shaman... it doesn't work that way folks!!

UPDATE TO MY FEB 2011 CRITIQUE - DEC 2011

OK, M. Muller, but after this, can you just let it go? I'll do this for all the little Villoldo followers that have been hounding me since I wrote my critique back in Feb. It's been almost a year since I read this self-help book. A friend lent it to me because she'd taken a few of Villoldo's classes and found the claims in this book to be preposterous and wanted my feedback. She's been a practicing healer for about 20 years and found his classes to be very simplistic and misleading, as well. This is what I agree with: The statement about the "feminine lifeforce" being found in the mitochondria. The part about how trauma affects our energy field and the neuro-networks in the brain. You can re-program the brain to create better outcomes and facilitate healing through positive reinforcements, meditations, etc. This is nothing new and most of what's in the book is a regurgitation of "truths" that have been espoused for millennia. But to claim that this book is "the road to enlightenment" is grossly misleading. For example: the few patients in Perlmutter's test group isn't enough to prove his point about the power of the brain; as a scientist he's not doing himself any academic favors by having such a small test group to make his claim. Is the mind capable of healing the body through his "two-pronged approach of neuronutrients and shamanic meditation"? That's very possible. Does this two-pronged approach cause Enlightenment? Absolutely not! The biggest mistake of the whole book is connecting those two ideas. All of us have the potential for psychic and healing abilities. It's a proven fact that we use only about 10% of our brain capacity. My research has revealed that the Shaman and Medicine People (prior to forced assimilation by Anglo-Saxon and European invasion) were capable of shapeshifting, teleporting, healing, accessing universal secrets and communicating with the spirit world on a massive scale unlike anything the non-Native world can even comprehend. The potential of the brain is endless in my opinion but tapping into the power of the brain doesn't make a person Enlightened or in the book's terms, "opening up the god brain" doesn't necessarily mean that you open up the heart that connects to the Divine. That's why we've all met amazing psychics and healers that are far from living an enlightened life. They're just exercising the gifts they've been given. People tend to be so impressed by these gifts that they tend to worship these people as gods because they think that means they are special. What happens when the brain is opened up and the heart is not? It creates very self-righteous and judgmental people who think they're Enlightened and they use their god brain to put themselves in a position of authority over "The Way". This is why Villoldo's followers get so upset when anyone challenges their god. And another good reason why Enlightenment is not a word that can or should ever be commercialized.
In anthropological terms, what they're talking about in this book is what is called "intensified trajectory." Trajectory is connected to an inward-directed state that is described as a dream-like state that can be achieved without going to sleep but by using "sensory deprivation, during which a reduction of stimuli leads to the `release' of internal imagery." These sensory deprivation techniques are also incorporated into many Eastern meditation practices (Lewis-Williams, 2002).
Another form of intensified trajectory experience is "audio driving" that can be induced through "prolonged drumming, visual stimulations, such as continually flashing lights, and sustained rhythmic dancing." Another means of moving the consciousness into another realm is through "fatigue, pain, fasting and the ingestion of psychotropic substances" (Lewis-Williams, 2002). Yoga, meditation, fasting, drumming, sweat lodges, whirling dervishes, etc. all use these techniques that are designed to get a person into an altered state and allows the mind/body to open to healing and heightened emotional exhilaration. Are they good techniques to experience and practice? Sure. Do they make you Enlightened? No. They're just techniques and practices that are passed on by Yogis, Shaman, Medicine Men and Avatars for people to use as they walk on their own individual journeys in the hopes of attaining Enlightenment. Yes, we can shift the circuits of the brain to create health, well-being and prolonged periods of joy and peace but to use this "two-pronged approach" to reach a constant state of Nirvana...absolutely not. The real definition of Enlightenment is a state of being that has to be earned. There's no easy way...if there was we'd all be like Jesus or Buddha. I believe even Perlmutter himself admits at one point that it's something that can only be reached through devotion and dedication.
So, that's all I can remember off the top of my head from about a year ago after reading over 100 research articles and books since then. Now, please, all of you Villoldo followers...give this a rest...go on with your lives and find your own answers...don't try to borrow someone else's answers and think you've Arrived. If you think you have found The Answer...chances are pretty good that you have not.