Rick Hanson

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 show more 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. show less

This was really disappointing for me. I was expecting a discussion of the neurochemical components of happiness, blended in with some analysis and work in meditation. What it actually seems to be is a long treatise on fairly arcane Buddhist insights. For someone who's somewhat or very accomplished in meditation, with many many hours of practice, maybe this book could be useful. Alas for me it was not, and my eyes glazed over for the vast majority of it, which I ended up mostly skimming. I show more gave it half a star since it managed to explain the Buddhist concept of the non-existence of self better than anywhere else I've seen so far. Approach with care. show less

I'm a big fan of Rick Hanson and his exploration of the intersections of neuroscience and Buddhist spirituality. This book offers a systemic pathway to deepening one's practice through what Hanson calls the "Seven Ways of Being" (Steadying the Mind, Warming the Heart, Resting in Fullness, Being Wholeness, Receiving Nowness, Opening into Allness, and Finding Timelessness).

For me, I found more practical profundity in Hanson's "Buddha's Brain" and "Just One Thing". "Neurodharma" feels like it show more requires two mediums: the physical book for understanding/absorbing the scientific and metaphysic aspects and the audiobook to listen to Hanson lead the guided meditations. A large portion of the book is, in fact, meditations. And while I'm a believer in what he teaches, I can get a bit lost in too much "beingness" and "nowness" language (my shortcoming, not his).

I have, both, the ebook and the audiobook, and frustratingly would have to toggle back and forth between them to get the greatest benefit (for myself, at least) from the experience. There's a lot of great wisdom here, just a challenge to navigate how to best absorb it. Perhaps some can use the physical book as a meditation guide. Hanson has the meditations laid out, in italics, so one can sit with it. I just find meditations like these are often more effective when you can be a passive vessel to a spoken guidance, rather than actively reading the meditation while sitting.

I'll continue to enjoy and learn from Rick Hanson, as I did from Neurodharma. I just found it to be a bit more work than his other books because of the bouncing back and forth between his message and his meditations.

If one is looking for a Rick Hanson book, I would recommend "Neurodharma", but perhaps not as the one to start with. show less

I’ll admit to a fascination with the concept of resilience, so I grabbed up the Advance Reader’s Copy (ARC) of the latest book from Rick Hanson, Ph.D. The full title is long and descriptive: Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength, and Happiness. But don’t let this scare you away. Hanson takes a complex concept, adds layers, and then deconstructs everything so it’s easy to grasp.

Resilient is broken down into four parts, each with three chapters. There’s show more something about the symmetry of this that makes reading it (or listening to, as I did) go smoothly. And I think that’s part of Hanson’s plan. For me, each part or chapter was like another stone in a gently-balanced cairn.

In addition, he takes three approaches and combines them. The first is his background as a psychologist. Much of this book contains things I’ve heard from therapists over the years. But Hanson takes this perspective and adds layers, making the ideas seem fresh and unique. The second approach is that of Buddhism. Hanson incorporates this softly, with quotes and stories. If Eastern philosophy’s not your thing, I’m guessing you won’t feel forced to agree.

Thirdly, Hanson adds the layer of neuroplasticity, which is the idea that the brain can remake its well-worn behavior pathways with some assistance. Neuroplasticity is an intense scientific concept, but Hanson gives the reader bite size pieces. That helps make it digestible, as does the fact he uses many examples and jargon-free language to explain the ideas.

My conclusions:
I am deeply appreciative of self-help authors who create “Key Concept” sections throughout their book. These are the places I highlight (yes, I had an ebook copy of this as well). When I come back to this book in a few months, it’ll make finding what I want so much easier.

Two of my favorite “key concepts” included the ideas of disentangled and full pardon forgiveness. This is a perfect example of how Hanson imparts his ideas. Contained in the fourth part, titled Relating, and in the chapter on Generosity, he’s found a perfect spot for the ideas. If they’d been introduced earlier on, I might not have been ready—just as it feels with real-life forgiveness. And Hanson doesn’t force his readers to forgive in full pardon, recognizing it’s just not always possible. Instead, he offers a mid-way point with disentangled forgiveness. Thus, the participant in resilience is able to benefit from the information, while still being on the path of growth.

I recommend this book to seekers, and also to those looking for a way to incorporate techniques to build neuroplasticity into everyday life. It’s well worth your time!

Acknowledgements:
Many thanks to NetGalley, the authors, and Crown Publishing / Harmony for the digital ARC in exchange for this honest review. show less