The Awakened Brain: The New Science of Spirituality and Our Quest for an Inspired Life (Hardcover)
A groundbreaking exploration of the neuroscience of spirituality and a bold new paradigm for health, healing, and resilience—from a New York Times bestselling author and award-winning researcher
“A new revolution of health and well-being and a testament to, and celebration of, the power within.”—Deepak Chopra, MD
Whether it’s meditation or a walk in nature, reading a sacred text or saying a prayer, there are many ways to tap into a heightened awareness of the world around you and your place in it. In The Awakened Brain, psychologist Dr. Lisa Miller shows you how.
Weaving her own deeply personal journey of awakening with her groundbreaking research, Dr. Miller’s book reveals that humans are universally equipped with a capacity for spirituality, and that our brains become more resilient and robust as a result of it. For leaders in business and government, truth-seekers, parents, healers, educators, and any person confronting life’s biggest questions, The Awakened Brain combines cutting-edge science (from MRI studies to genetic research, epidemiology, and more) with on-the-ground application for people of all ages and from all walks of life, illuminating the surprising science of spirituality and how to engage it in our lives:
• The awakened decision is the better decision. With an awakened perception, we are more creative, collaborative, ethical, and innovative.
• The awakened brain is the healthier brain. An engaged spiritual life enhances grit, optimism, and resilience while providing insulation against addiction, trauma, and depression.
• The awakened life is the inspired life. Loss, uncertainty, and even trauma are the gateways by which we are invited to move beyond merely coping with hardship to transcend into a life of renewal, healing, joy, and fulfillment.
Absorbing, uplifting, and ultimately enlightening, The Awakened Brain is a conversation-starting saga of scientific discovery packed with counterintuitive findings and practical advice on concrete ways to access your innate spirituality and build a life of meaning and contribution.
“A new revolution of health and well-being and a testament to, and celebration of, the power within.”—Deepak Chopra, MD
Whether it’s meditation or a walk in nature, reading a sacred text or saying a prayer, there are many ways to tap into a heightened awareness of the world around you and your place in it. In The Awakened Brain, psychologist Dr. Lisa Miller shows you how.
Weaving her own deeply personal journey of awakening with her groundbreaking research, Dr. Miller’s book reveals that humans are universally equipped with a capacity for spirituality, and that our brains become more resilient and robust as a result of it. For leaders in business and government, truth-seekers, parents, healers, educators, and any person confronting life’s biggest questions, The Awakened Brain combines cutting-edge science (from MRI studies to genetic research, epidemiology, and more) with on-the-ground application for people of all ages and from all walks of life, illuminating the surprising science of spirituality and how to engage it in our lives:
• The awakened decision is the better decision. With an awakened perception, we are more creative, collaborative, ethical, and innovative.
• The awakened brain is the healthier brain. An engaged spiritual life enhances grit, optimism, and resilience while providing insulation against addiction, trauma, and depression.
• The awakened life is the inspired life. Loss, uncertainty, and even trauma are the gateways by which we are invited to move beyond merely coping with hardship to transcend into a life of renewal, healing, joy, and fulfillment.
Absorbing, uplifting, and ultimately enlightening, The Awakened Brain is a conversation-starting saga of scientific discovery packed with counterintuitive findings and practical advice on concrete ways to access your innate spirituality and build a life of meaning and contribution.
Lisa Miller, Ph.D., is the New York Times bestselling author of The Spiritual Child and a professor in the clinical psychology program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is the founder and director of the Spirituality Mind Body Institute, the first Ivy League graduate program in spirituality and psychology, and for over a decade has held joint appointments in the department of psychiatry at Columbia University medical school. Her innovative research has been published in more than one hundred empirical, peer-reviewed articles in leading journals, including Cerebral Cortex, The American Journal of Psychiatry, and the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and three children.
“Dr. Miller’s cutting-edge research heralds a new revolution of health and well-being. The Awakened Brain is an investigation of the choice we each have in confronting challenges and limitations—and it’s a testament to, and celebration of, the power within.”—Deepak Chopra, MD, New York Times bestselling author of Super Brain
“A captivating look at what happens to our brains when we’re connected to something greater than ourselves—and what it does for our lives.”—Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of the TED podcast WorkLife
“The Awakened Brain is a revelation of the spirit and the mind, and a revolution for all of us. Dr. Lisa Miller’s science is on the cutting edge, and her personal journey is both heartrending and uplifting.”—Lori Gottlieb, New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
“Lisa Miller is the leading psychologist of her generation on the benefits of religion and spirituality. She asks, ‘What makes life worth living?,’ and finds evidence-based answers.”—Martin Seligman, PhD, founder of the Positive Psychology movement and New York Times bestselling author of Learned Optimism and Authentic Happiness
“A masterpiece! Dr. Miller’s method of using both science and experience to show how and why the awakened mind is essential and attainable for everyone is nothing short of enlightening.”—Andrew Newberg, MD, author of How God Changes Your Brain
“Dr. Miller is a consummate scientist who refuses to accept one of our culture’s most pervasive and damaging assumptions: that science and spirituality are at odds. She unequivocally shows that spirituality heals.”—Larry Dossey, MD, New York Times bestselling author of Healing Words
“A captivating look at what happens to our brains when we’re connected to something greater than ourselves—and what it does for our lives.”—Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of the TED podcast WorkLife
“The Awakened Brain is a revelation of the spirit and the mind, and a revolution for all of us. Dr. Lisa Miller’s science is on the cutting edge, and her personal journey is both heartrending and uplifting.”—Lori Gottlieb, New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
“Lisa Miller is the leading psychologist of her generation on the benefits of religion and spirituality. She asks, ‘What makes life worth living?,’ and finds evidence-based answers.”—Martin Seligman, PhD, founder of the Positive Psychology movement and New York Times bestselling author of Learned Optimism and Authentic Happiness
“A masterpiece! Dr. Miller’s method of using both science and experience to show how and why the awakened mind is essential and attainable for everyone is nothing short of enlightening.”—Andrew Newberg, MD, author of How God Changes Your Brain
“Dr. Miller is a consummate scientist who refuses to accept one of our culture’s most pervasive and damaging assumptions: that science and spirituality are at odds. She unequivocally shows that spirituality heals.”—Larry Dossey, MD, New York Times bestselling author of Healing Words