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Szczęśliwy mózg. Wykorzystaj odkrycia neuropsychologii, by zmienić swoje życie by Rick Hanson
airheadxt's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
raulbime's review against another edition
3.0
I discovered this book, or rather its author, through Sharon Salzberg's Metta Hour podcast. He made fascinating points during the interview and I was pleasantly surprised when the library had his book and borrowed it as quickly as I could.
The first part of the book was the most interesting for me. In it Hanson discusses neuroplasticity, that incredible discovery that neural pathways can be altered and changed, even in older already “developed” minds, and the ways meditation practices can change the brain. In this earlier section, one also learns about the evolution of the mind. The reason why we pay more attention to harm, evil, and, generally, the bad and wrong than we do the moments of joy, and, generally, the good. (Which made me think of how this affects language and art). Simplifying it: throughout the millions of years of evolution, creatures needed to pay careful attention to what might harm them and this survival need of fixating on the negative was carried into the present.
After this introductory part, what follows is basically a manual for calm. Presupposed, or what’s implicit throughout, is that humans no longer have reason, as their ancestors, to live in constant fear. Which left me confused given how bleak things are for many throughout the world. In other words, this is a self-help kind of book. The practices here, mostly derived from Buddhist practices, are methodical to a clinical level, with suggestions of when to use which for corresponding crisis/worry/trigger.
I have been practicing some meditation exercises for a few years, and what I have learned and continue to learn, that though establishing a consistent practice is good, the methodical often fails, and one ends up feeling worse. Perhaps the intent was pure, the writer sounded honest in his interview and in this book, but circumstance being what it is and self-help’s promise of improvement following prescribed steps, I don’t believe a person in crisis will refer to the steps given to bring themselves out of it. I wish the book had stuck to its earlier portion, tracing the mind’s response to both real, imminent, and imagined fear and the evolution through the ages, but I guess it’s harder to market and sell that than it would a book giving methodical steps to alleviate.
The first part of the book was the most interesting for me. In it Hanson discusses neuroplasticity, that incredible discovery that neural pathways can be altered and changed, even in older already “developed” minds, and the ways meditation practices can change the brain. In this earlier section, one also learns about the evolution of the mind. The reason why we pay more attention to harm, evil, and, generally, the bad and wrong than we do the moments of joy, and, generally, the good. (Which made me think of how this affects language and art). Simplifying it: throughout the millions of years of evolution, creatures needed to pay careful attention to what might harm them and this survival need of fixating on the negative was carried into the present.
After this introductory part, what follows is basically a manual for calm. Presupposed, or what’s implicit throughout, is that humans no longer have reason, as their ancestors, to live in constant fear. Which left me confused given how bleak things are for many throughout the world. In other words, this is a self-help kind of book. The practices here, mostly derived from Buddhist practices, are methodical to a clinical level, with suggestions of when to use which for corresponding crisis/worry/trigger.
I have been practicing some meditation exercises for a few years, and what I have learned and continue to learn, that though establishing a consistent practice is good, the methodical often fails, and one ends up feeling worse. Perhaps the intent was pure, the writer sounded honest in his interview and in this book, but circumstance being what it is and self-help’s promise of improvement following prescribed steps, I don’t believe a person in crisis will refer to the steps given to bring themselves out of it. I wish the book had stuck to its earlier portion, tracing the mind’s response to both real, imminent, and imagined fear and the evolution through the ages, but I guess it’s harder to market and sell that than it would a book giving methodical steps to alleviate.
aignerloren's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
3.75
gloame's review against another edition
3.0
Not bad. Had some good bits in it. There were some places it slogged, and I think a good bit could’ve been cut out. It took me awhile to understand the HEAL actions, so maybe more explanation and examples with that at the beginning would’ve been a better use of word count.