Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body - Softcover

Goleman, Daniel; Davidson, Richard J.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 073522031X ISBN 13: 9780735220317

Publisher: Penguin LCC US, 2017

Synopsis

A radical reinterpretation of mental exercise from two New York Times bestselling authors - "What if we could exercise our minds like we exercise our bodies?" - backed by state-of-the-art scientific research

More than forty years ago, two friends and collaborators at Harvard, Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson were unusual in arguing for the benefits of meditation. Now, as mindfulness and other brands of meditation become ever more popular, to fix even more about our lives, they reveal the cutting-edge science of how smart practice can change our personal traits and even our genome for the better.

Drawing on the kind of cutting-edge research that has made them giants in their fields, Goleman and Davidson sweep away neuromythology and reveal what we can learn from a one-of-a-kind data pool of world-class meditators. They share for the first time remarkable findings that show how meditation can cultivate - without drugs or high expense - qualities such as focus, selflessness, and compassion.

For beyond the pleasant states that mental exercises can produce, purposeful, sustained mind training can create altered traits: sustained, beneficial qualities of thinking, feeling, and acting that are accompanied by lasting, supportive changes in the brain.

Demonstrating two master thinkers at work, The Science of Meditation explains precisely how and when mind training benefits us. More than daily doses or sheer hours, we need smart practice, including crucial ingredients such as targeted feedback from a master teacher and a more spacious, less attached view of the self, all of which are missing in many versions of mind training. Exploring, too, how new technologies can really help with meditation, this is the truth about what meditation can do for us today.

Gripping in its storytelling and grounded in new research, this is one of those rare books that has the power to change us at the deepest level.

About this title

Review

A happy synthesis of the authors' remarkable careers, which grew from the intuition they shared as students that there was something deep and transformative about meditation, The Science of Meditation tells the story of what has been discovered since and why it matters critically at this moment on the planet (Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of 'Full Catastrophe Living' and 'Mindfulness for Beginners')

The definitive book on the science of meditation. Rigorously researched and deeply illuminating, The Science of Meditation is a must-read for anyone interested in the hidden potential of the human mind (Daniel Gilbert, PhD, author of the 'New York Times' bestseller 'Stumbling on Happiness')

This exquisite duet between a down-to-earth science writer and path-breaking neuroscientist is a tour-de-force, revealing how training the mind can transform the brain and our sense of self, inspiring us to create a greater sense of well-being, meaning, and connection in our world. Bravo! (Daniel J. Siegel, M.D., author of the ‘New York Times’ best sellers, ‘Mind’ and ‘Brainstorm’)

This is a book that really can change your life. Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson not only show the power of meditation, but also the smartest way to practice for the maximum possible benefit. The Science of Meditation is your roadmap to a more mindful, compassionate, fulfilling life - who doesn't want that? (Arianna Huffington, author of the ‘New York Times’ best seller ‘The Sleep Revolution’)

Here is a message that is both powerful and joyful. Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson reveal groundbreaking science showing how mindfulness and compassion practices can help each of us individually and thus the entire planet. One of the most exciting books I have read! (Chade-Meng Tan, author of the 'New York Times' bestsellers, 'Joy on Demand' and 'Search Inside Yourself')

In this engaging and well-researched book, Goleman and Davidson help us sort out the many claims now being made about the benefits of meditation. Drawing on their own long personal meditative experience and the ever increasing number of scientific studies, The Science of Meditation breaks new ground in illuminating the power of meditation to transform our lives (Joseph Goldstein, author of 'Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening')

A remarkable collaboration between two brilliant and courageous pioneers, The Science of Meditation shares the scientific basis and practical realities of the remarkable impact meditation has on altering the mind. As I have personally experienced, regular meditation practice brings compassion, calm, and clarity for all of us, from beginners to experienced practitioners (Bill George, Senior Fellow, Harvard Business School; former Chair & CEO, Medtronic; and author of 'Discover Your True North')

Impressive in its scope and depth, staggering in its implications (Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD on 'Emotional Intelligence')

Don't miss this smart and lively book by the world's foremost expert on emotion and the brain (Daniel Gilbert, PhD on 'The Emotional Life of Your Brain')

Goleman uses the emerging science of neuro-sociology to show how priming our brains for meaningful connectivity with others can make the world a better place . . . Fascinating (Sunday Telegraph on 'Social Intelligence')

From the Back Cover

'The definitive book on the science of meditation. Rigorously researched and deeply illuminating, The Science of Meditation is a must-read for anyone interested in the hidden potential of the human mind'
Daniel Gilbert, PhD, author of the New York Times bestseller Stumbling on Happiness

'A tour-de-force, revealing how training the mind can transform the brain and our sense of self, inspiring us to create a greater sense of well-being, meaning, and connection in our world. Bravo!'
Daniel J. Siegel, M.D., author of the New York Times bestsellers Mind and Brainstorm

Drawing on the kind of cutting-edge research that has made them giants in their fields, bestselling authors Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson - friends and collaborators at Harvard forty years ago - expertly reveal what we can learn from a one-of-a-kind data pool of world-class meditators. They sweep away the misconceptions around meditation and show how smart practice can change our personal traits and even our genome for the better.

Demonstrating two master thinkers at work, The Science of Meditation explains precisely how meditation- without drugs or high expense - can cultivate qualities such as selflessness, equanimity, love and compassion, and redesign our neural circuitry. More than daily doses or sheer hours, we need smart practice, including crucial ingredients such as targeted feedback from a master teacher and a more spacious worldview.

Gripping in its storytelling and based on a lifetime of thought and action, this is one of those rare books that has the power to change us at the deepest level.

'A happy synthesis of the authors' remarkable careers, which grew from the intuition they shared as students that there was something deep and transformative about meditation . . . it matters critically at this moment on the planet'
Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Full Catastrophe Living and Mindfulness for Beginners

Edition details

• Publisher: Penguin LCC US
• Publication date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 073522031X
• ISBN 13: 9780735220317
• Binding: Paperback