How God Changes Your Brain: Breakthrough Findings from a Leading Neuroscientist Paperback – March 23, 2010

Fascinating read.

Twelve minutes of meditation or prayer a day will increase blood flow to your frontal lobes. Keep at it for as little as eight weeks and you will "take charge of your life," "more easily accomplish your goals," and live in more "loving and compassionate ways." This works even if you don't contemplate God. The meditation can be religious or secular.How God Changes the Brain isn't entirely about God (I'll describe the parts that are about God at the end.) It's about attention. The authors have conducted numerous studies on how paying attention to the virtues often associated with religion--love, joy, optimism and hope--changes brain chemistry. "[I]t counteracts our biological propensity to react to dangerous situations with animosity or fear," the authors write. The benefits are too numerous to list: less likelihood of depression, slowdown of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, and stronger memory. Kids miss less school and don't get into trouble as often. Your risk of death goes down 35 percent.35 percent! Who wouldn't buy a prescription to extend your life by 5 to 10 years? And every strategy in this book is free. Yes, the authors recommend DVDs and CDs in the appendices, but all the practices can be done without those.My favorite meditation was Kirtan Kriya. You sit and chant four syllables, while moving your thumb across your four fingers with each syllable. The four syllables could be "sa-ta-na-ma," which is traditional, but it also could "peace, love, hope, and joy." Anything that gets you in a compassionate frame of mind.The candle meditation was new to me as well. "Bring your focus to the flame. Let it fill your entire consciousness as you observe how it dances and flutters. What colors does it make? Does the flame grow taller, then retreat? Keep watching all of the qualities of the flame for three or four minutes."Here's a method for adding centeredness and compassion to conversation: "Bringing meditation into any conversation is surprisingly simple. All you have to do is maintain consistent eye contact and stay physically relaxed and mindful of your responses as you participate in a flow of spontaneous conversation. You say a few sentences slowly, then return to your breathing awareness while the other person responds. The unstructured conversation that follows will quickly move into surprisingly intimate areas. And, like the walking meditation we discussed in the previous chapter, the more you practice, the easier it becomes."The authors are big on yawning. You might be too after reading about all the benefits of yawning on a regular basis, even consciously.Finally, back to religion: The most explicitly religious portion of the book discusses the differences between different understandings of God. There is the authoritarian God, the critical God, and the distant God. About 72 percent of Americans believe in one of these three. "[O]nly 23 percent see God as gentle, forgiving, and less likely to respond with wrath." The authors strongly encourage us to embrace the latter God. Doing so is how we can tame our "selfish brain." "The more compassionate we become," they write, "the more generous those around us become. And when we perceive others as being sensitive to our needs, our brains respond with greater generosity, a condition known as reciprocal altruism." Even they admit, however, that their views are unlikely to be convincing to a "true believer." That truth, unfortunately, is what is preventing many from embracing religion, despite the benefits recounted in this book.

I'm agnostic at best. This book delves into the actual neurological benefits of belief in God. Whether true or not, it is interesting to scientifically examen the effects of having a belief a aGod. If their be a aaGod, this book must be interesting to him

“How God Changes Your Brain” is a book written with honest and good intentions. The authors want the world to be more peaceful and loving. However it seems to me that the authors are saying that we can't rely on the Bible to teach us about who God really is and that is a pity because God is complex, holy, loving and beautiful all at once. If we throw out the biblical God, we also throw out all of Jesus' teachings about love and compassion – which actually the authors are basing some of their ideas on.This book does make some good points about constructive dialogue which may bring more peace into personal relationships. We do need more of that in the world so we can all get along. There is a lot of discussion about meditation but I would only recommend non religious yoga and non religious meditation. And those can be difficult to find. I have found some Christian meditation which was good.The authors of this book seem to also indicate what spiritual people have known all along – that contemplating a loving God feels great to the mind and heart. As Mark and Andrew say: “If you contemplate God long enough, something surprising happens in the brain. Neural functioning begins to change.” This may explain why thinking about a God who loves you can make you happy. The highest enjoyment a human can experience is when you fall in love with God. It happened to me that is why I can verify this fact!Basically in this book the authors don't want to make anyone uncomfortable so they sacrifice some truth in the effort to make everyone happy. I think you can be tolerant of other religions while at the same time telling the truth about Jesus. There is a fine line between imposing one's ideas on others and telling them the great news about how to get to heaven. I believe most Christians are genuinely concerned about unsaved souls and the horrors of hell. I know I worry about my friends too!This book indicates that a visitor to earth would not know what religion to choose. I hope they would take the time to research Jesus' claims about himself being the truth, the way and the life. Some studies of near-death experiences would also show the realities of heaven and hell.Mark and Andrew seem to indicate in this book that our human concept of God is evolving and yet the biblical God is unchanging in his character and has always been the same loving God we know today. I think we can see God as compassionate, while at the same time realizing his holiness requires justice and the punishments of sins. It is wise to read about the seven deadly sins so that you can be at peace with God. The Bible also states that a reverential fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.The book to read after this one is J.I. Packer's "Knowing God". Science has also proven that there is a vast intelligence behind creation. DNA alone proves this! So the authors not knowing what the ultimate truth is....they haven't read enough science books!So the message of this book is that meditation can heal all the world's problems. The facts are unless the heart is changed by Jesus' love there is little hope! Meditation does help anxiety but it can't get your soul into heaven. I think belief in Jesus is a far better bet! Especially since Jesus could accurately predict the future and things he said in the Bible are coming true today!~The Rebecca Review

"How God Changes Your Brain" is an essential read for anyone interested in the intersection of faith and neuroscience. Andrew Newberg and Mark Robert Waldman offer a credible and inspiring exploration of how spiritual practices can profoundly impact our brains and overall well-being. Whether you are a scientist, a spiritual seeker, or simply curious about the benefits of meditation and prayer, this book provides valuable insights and practical advice for enhancing your life through the power of spirituality.