The Mind and the Brain: Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force

Jeffrey Schwartz, M.D., with help from the talented Sharon Begley, has written a sort of masterpiece exploring the mind's effect on the brain. He restores volition as agent in what has been predominantly a materialistic reduction in the explanation of the mind.

In this terrific book, he explores how history has reduced the view to mainly one that states that the mind arises solely and deterministically from the biological functioning of the brain.

What is particularly fascinating is his assertion that this view is wrong - that the mind, to a great exent, actually "creates the brain" - which he supports by his own well-known work with helping (and studying) patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), as well as related work by show more other imminent researchers, such as Michael Merzenich, Edward Taub, and many others. He indicates that OCD is particularly valuable to studying the mind and brain, because OCD sufferers are cognizant of the faulty nature of their obsessions and compulsions, even if unable to control them.

Hence, there is an opportunity to study what appears, at first, as a mind/brain dichotomy in OCD sufferers, and Schwartz has helped patients use their "independent observer" (mindfulness) ability to build mindful awareness and attention in a four step program to re-label, re-attribute, re-focus, and revalue to overcome their disorder and actually physically change their brains. Volition in choosing what what pays attention to is what effects the change, and is, according to the great American psychologist William James, an essentially moral act. The mind and brain appear to be both separate and united at once.

There is brief periodic mention of Buddhist prescient observations about much of what neuroscience is now discovering - many parallels can be noted.

Schwartz explains how he and physicist Henry Stapp have collaborated to theorize how quantum physics explains the probabilistic window of opportunity in which volition and attention can act to change the brain.

It is somewhat difficult to do justice to, and accurately explain, the concepts in this book in a short review, because the book itself carefully builds in a way that I cannot do in a few sentences. I therefore recommend that one read this very interesting book! show less

The Mind and the Brain, written by Jeffrey M. Schwartz and Sharon Begley, published in 2002, examines the mind-body problem introduced by Descartes, and attempts to reconcile material determinism with free will, and resolve the conflict between science and moral philosophy. In this effort, the book cites past thinkers such as the Buddha and William James, and discusses research in the areas of neuroplasticity, mindfulness meditation and quantum physics, to support the concept of mental force as a force that can be developed and applied to exercise free will at the quantum level in the brain, to use the power of the mind to shape the brain.

One central thesis of the book is very attractive - that our brain continues to grow and change as we get older, and that there is something we can do about it. The most interesting part was the discussion of treating obsessive-compulsive disorder, which was too short.
But when Schwartz gets onto the bigger canvas of mind-brain relationship that he so wants to paint on, he is just sloppy. He portrays himself and the people he has worked with as rebels against an establishment, but I think he is just wrong.
His take on Buddhism is limited. His ideas about "quantum consciousness" are very simplistic. His interpretation of other, more subtle, thinkers are, in the cases I know, wrong. His discussions of mind-brain relationship are sloppy in show more the extreme.
If you follow this by something like "Consciousness: A Very Short Introduction" by Susan Blackmore, you'll see the difference. Blackmore says far more in a much shorter book.
Disappointing. show less

I enjoyed hearing Dr. Schwartz speak in person on this topic at the U of MN some years ago and finally got a hold of this book. The concepts and evidences presented are very interesting and I think immediately useful. The writing itself is a bit repetitive, but I'm glad I stuck it out. The measurable data and the relationship to quantum theory are fascinating.

BTW, I wa able to check this out for free as an .epub from the Saint Paul Public Library system.

Good overview of neuroplasticity for the lay audience, but not up to date to recent research.

Fascinating subject capable of changing our approach to life. However this book is heavy going. It is far too technical for the everyday reader, especially with its heavy emphasis on quantum physics.

A good book. Wish there were more details given about brain function. Maybe that just means I was sorry there wasn't more of it to read.