The New Science of Transformation
February 1, 2016
Combining anecdotes, awareness exercises, and examinations of contemporary neurological research, Newberg and Waldman (How God Changes Your Brain: Breakthrough Findings from a Leading Neuroscientist, 2009) seek to identify pathways to enlightenment. To clarify, that's "small-'e' " enlightenment, the "mini-experience that provides us with new insights about ourselves and the world," and "big 'E' Enlightenment," the "experiences...that ultimately relieve suffering and bring peace and happiness to the world." Early on, the authors admit that moments of "e" and "E" are "almost impossible to relate in words"; ineffability hardly seems promising as a guide to either kind of enlightenment. Readers may be skeptical when the authors suggest they have discovered "insights into a faster way to experience the big 'E' forms of Enlightenment that are often described in ancient spiritual texts" or "some shortcuts that may speed up your own quest for a small 'e' or a big 'E' experience." But step back, and remember this is a spiritual quest--characterized by the authors' common elements of "E": oneness, clarity, intensity, surrender, and permanent change--and a spiritual quest is nothing if not confusing and mysterious, perhaps even just an extension of wishful thinking. The authors are on more solid footing when they discuss their levels of awareness, which have merit as guides, though transcendence remains elusive. Their exploration of Hungarian psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's concept of "flow" is furtive yet intriguing, and they offer a promising look into the working of the brain's frontal lobe--an area concerned with compassion, empathy, and connection--and how it appears to be deliberately accessed by a wide variety of spiritual people, from Pentecostals to Sufis, when they practice "intense body movement." A heartfelt pursuit of enlightenment and its causes, a subject that calls for an even more dynamic treatment.
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March 1, 2016
Coauthors Newberg (director of research, Myrna Brind Ctr. of Integrative Medicine, Thomas Jefferson Univ. Hospital and Medical Coll.) and Waldman (executive MBA faculty, Loyola Marymount Univ.; both, How God Changes Your Brain) have put together a "how-to" for illuminating the mind. Based on neurological studies of individuals who have had transformational experiences--nuns, psychics, mystics, those who speak in tongues--this study distills some of the commonalities among these varying groups of practitioners, such as perceived experiences and physiological changes in the brain. Through relating their own stories, Newberg and Waldman set the scene for why enlightenment should be sought. Buoyed by their survey quotes from others whose lives have been changed and Newberg's neurological findings, readers are encouraged to engage in practices that will promote personal improvement. A comprehensive overview of the history of enlightenment in Eastern and Western religious and secular traditions is also provided. VERDICT Recommended for readers looking for a structured path to moments of enlightenment.--Rachel M. Minkin, Michigan State Univ. Libs., East Lansing
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