The Awakened Brain
The New Science of Spirituality and Our Quest for an Inspired Life
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4.5 • 11 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
A groundbreaking exploration of the neuroscience of spirituality and a bold new paradigm for health, healing, and resilience—from a New York Times bestselling author and award-winning researcher
“A new revolution of health and well-being and a testament to, and celebration of, the power within.”—Deepak Chopra, MD
Whether it’s meditation or a walk in nature, reading a sacred text or saying a prayer, there are many ways to tap into a heightened awareness of the world around you and your place in it. In The Awakened Brain, psychologist Dr. Lisa Miller shows you how.
Weaving her own deeply personal journey of awakening with her groundbreaking research, Dr. Miller’s book reveals that humans are universally equipped with a capacity for spirituality, and that our brains become more resilient and robust as a result of it. For leaders in business and government, truth-seekers, parents, healers, educators, and any person confronting life’s biggest questions, The Awakened Brain combines cutting-edge science (from MRI studies to genetic research, epidemiology, and more) with on-the-ground application for people of all ages and from all walks of life, illuminating the surprising science of spirituality and how to engage it in our lives:
• The awakened decision is the better decision. With an awakened perception, we are more creative, collaborative, ethical, and innovative.
• The awakened brain is the healthier brain. An engaged spiritual life enhances grit, optimism, and resilience while providing insulation against addiction, trauma, and depression.
• The awakened life is the inspired life. Loss, uncertainty, and even trauma are the gateways by which we are invited to move beyond merely coping with hardship to transcend into a life of renewal, healing, joy, and fulfillment.
Absorbing, uplifting, and ultimately enlightening, The Awakened Brain is a conversation-starting saga of scientific discovery packed with counterintuitive findings and practical advice on concrete ways to access your innate spirituality and build a life of meaning and contribution.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this insightful study, psychologist Miller (The Spiritual Child) shares research on the role of spiritual experiences in the human brain to argue that "an awakened brain is the healthier brain." She explains personal spiritual experiences, including a Lakota ceremony that taught her "healing was not synonymous with brokenness part of life," and how such spiritual insights inspired her to start treating patients in an "intentionally spiritually supportive way" that was at odds with conventional psychiatric wisdom; the approach was based on developing a "personal relationship with a surprising transcendent presence" so as to allow one to "stop trying to fix the world." Miller explores the long-term effects of spiritual searching and recounts her breakthrough discovery of the awakened brain, or "the neural circuitry that allows us to see the world more fully and thus enhance our individual, societal, and global well-being." While Miller's writing can veer toward the academic—with many technical terms and lengthy sections of data—the practices she suggests to "awaken the brain" are relatively straightforward and include mindfulness practice, exposure to nature, prayer, and therapy. Those interested in the interplay between spirituality and neuroscience will find much to consider.
