[by Rick Hanson]

Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and other great teachers were all born with a brain built essentially like anyone else’s. Then they used their minds to change their brains in ways that changed history.

With the new breakthroughs in neuroscience, combined with insights from thousands of years of contemplative practice, you, too, can shape your own brain for greater happiness, love, and wisdom.

Written with neurologist Richard Mendius, M.D., and with a Foreword by Daniel Siegel, M.D. and a Preface by Jack Kornfield, Ph.D., Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom joins modern science with ancient teachings to show you how to have greater emotional balance in turbulent times, as well as healthier relationships, more effective actions, and greater peace of mind.

You’ll learn how your brain creates worry or inner strength, heartache or love, anger or peacefulness, confusion or clarity, and suffering or its end – and how to:

• Take in good experiences to feel happier and more confident – defeating the brain’s negativity bias, which is like Velcro for bad experiences but Teflon for positive ones

• Train your brain to cool down stress, greed, and hatred – and come home to your natural core of calm and contentment

• Energize the neural networks of compassion, empathy, and love – and clear out resentment, envy, and ill will

• Improve attention for daily life, mindfulness, and meditation

• Feel more at one with the world, and less separate and vulnerable

• Get the nutrients your brain needs to maintain a good mood, relieve anxiety, sharpen memory, and strengthen concentration. If you can change your brain, you can change your life.

read more