The Mindful Brain: Reflection and Attunement in the Cultivation of Well-Being
Daniel J. Siegel
Interviews and appearances:
Read about Dan Siegel's appearance on the "Ask the Authors" segment of Dr. Phil. How can ideas of mindfulness change your life?
Hear Daniel Siegel discuss The Mindful Brain and how to "Become a More mindful Practitioner" with Dr. Larry Kasell on the REACH MD satellite radio program. Use promo code BSHost for three months of free online access.
Praise for The Mindful Brain:
"Siegel has both a meticulous understanding of the roles of different parts of the brain and an intimate relationship with mindfulness. . . . [I]nsightful proposals, bolstered by preliminary research data, for how mindful awareness might engage parts of the brain in novel ways and lead to permanent neurological changes. His speculations are interesting in and of themselves, and they also may provide neuroscientists with ideas for experiments that could test the effects of mindfulness on the brain. . . . [A]n exciting glimpse of into an uncharted territory of neuroscience."
—Scientific American Mind
"[A]n interesting combination of neurobiological findings that support how the brain changes through meditative practices and a personal and professional exploration of meditation. Thus, whether your interest is in learning more about how meditation affects the mind or in learning how to practice meditation personally and use meditation in your clinical practice, this book has important insights to offer. . . . It can be a useful adjunct to classes taught in cognitive neuroscience, health psychology, positive psychology, and psychotherapy."
—PsycCRITIQUES
"[A] rich and illuminating exploration of what it means to live in the here-and-now, to be fully present in the moment, to be 'mindfully aware.' . . . . [I]n-depth as well as life changing. . . . [T]he ideas in this book will both enrich one's own mindfulness practice and enhance one's therapeutic skills."
—The American Journal of Psychiatry
"[A]n astounding achievement. . . . This is a book that belongs on the shelf of anyone who works with people who suffer from depression, anxiety, PTSD or other imbalanced mind states. It will also appeal to lay practitioners of meditation or those who are considering meditation as a tool to alter the structure of their brains in ways that support optimal mental health. . . . [A] pleasure to read."
—Lifeforce Yoga News and Research
"If you would like to know how to rewire your brain (and the scientific background on how and why the techniques work) this book, which synthesizes extensive brain science literature and some basic breathing and meditation techniques, will serve you well. . . . Appropriate for both professionals (clinical psychologists, counselors, etc.) and the general public"
—Metapsychology
“The Mindful Brain marks a major landmark in the emerging field of contemplative neuroscience . . . .This is a must-read for anyone interested in the science of mind and mindfulness.”
—Daniel Goleman, author of Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships
“A brilliant and visionary wedding of mindfulness and neurobiology. Siegel’s book stands out for its skillful weaving together of the interpersonal, the inner world, the latest science, and practical applications, all envisioned as a whole.”
—Jack Kornfield, Ph.D. founding teacher of the Insight Meditation Society and Spirit Rock Center, and author of A Path With Heart
“Siegel has done a masterful job of translating hard science into practical language and usage….speaks not only to mindfulness practitioners, teachers, and psychotherapists, but also to all of us who need to learn the lessons of mindful awareness if we are to move to the next step in our evolution as a species.”
—Marion Solomon, Ph.D., author of Narcissism and Intimacy: Love and Marriage in an Age of Confusion, and Lean on Me
"Bravo! While especially relevant for practitioners and teachers, the student in all of us will prosper from reading it."
—Ellen J. Langer, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of Mindfulness and On Becoming an Artist: Reinventing Yourself Through Mindful Creativity
Overview – Contents
Three human experiences have been documented as promoting well-being: secure attachment, mindfulness meditation, and effective psychotherapy. In his first professional book since the publication of The Developing Mind in 1999, leading neurobiologist Daniel Siegel presents a unifying theory that shows how being mindfully aware and attending to the richness of our experience, creates scientifically recognized enhancements in our physiology, our mental functions, and our interpersonal relationships. Being fully present in our awareness opens our lives to new possibilities of well-being. In this new book, Siegel uses theory, science, and anecdote in order to reveal how to transform the brain as well as promote well-being and emotional balance within everyday life as well as within psychotherapy.
Contents
Part I: Mind, Brain, and Awareness
- A Mindful Awareness
- Brain Basics
Part II: Immersion in Direct Experience
- A Week of Silence
- Suffering and the Streams of Awareness
Part III: Facets of the Mindful Brain
- Subjectivity and Science
- Harnessing the Hub: Attention and the Wheel of Awareness
- Jettisoning Judgments: Dissolving Top-Down Constraints
- Internal Attunement: Mirror Neurons and Attention to Intention
- Reflective Coherence: Neural Integration and Middle Prefrontal Function
- Flexibility of Feeling: Affective Style and an Approach Mindset
- Reflective Thinking: Imagery and the Cognitive Style of Mindful Learning
Part IV: Reflections on the Mindful Brain
- Educating the Mind: The "Fourth R" and the Wisdom of Reflection
- Reflection in Clinical Practice: Being Present and Cultivating the Hub
- The Mindful Brain in Psychotherapy: Promoting Neural Integration
Afterword: Reflections on Reflection
Appendix I: Reflection and Mindfulness Resources
Appendix II: Glossary and Terms
Appendix III: Neural Notes
About the Author
Daniel J. Siegel received his medical degree from Harvard University and completed his postgraduate medical education at UCLA with training in pediatrics, general adult psychiatry, and child and adolescent psychiatry. He has served as a National Institute of Mental Health Research Fellow at UCLA, studying family interactions with an emphasis on how attachment experiences influence emotions, behavioral regulation, autobiographical memory and narrative processes. An award-winning educator, he formerly directed the training program in child psychiatry and the Infant and Preschool Service at UCLA. He is the recipient of the departmental teaching award and several honorary fellowships. He is currently an associate clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine and serves as the director of interdisciplinary studies for the international nonprofit Children's Mental Health Alliance in New York. He is also the Director of the Center for Human Development, an educational organization that focuses on how the development of individuals, families and communities can be helped by examining the interface of human relationships and basic biological processes.
ISBN 10: 0-393-70470-X
ISBN 13: 978-0-393-70470-9
280 pages / Hardcover /2007
