Mindsight

The New Science of Personal Transformation

by Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. 

DR. DAN SIEGEL
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Dr. Daniel Siegel is one of the most thoughtful, eloquent, scientifically solid and reputable exponents of mind/body/brain integration in the world today.

Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., author of Wherever You Go, There You Are and Full Catastrophe Living

A groundbreaking book on the healing power of "mindsight," the potent skill that is the basis for both emotional and social intelligence. Mindsight allows you to make positive changes in your brain-and in your life.

  • Is there a memory that torments you, or an irrational fear you can't shake?
  • Do you sometimes become unreasonably angry or upset and find it hard to calm down?
  • Do you ever wonder why you can't stop behaving the way you do, no matter how hard you try?
  • Are you and your child (or parent, partner, or boss) locked in a seemingly inevitable pattern of conflict?

What if you could escape traps like these and live a fuller, richer, happier life? This isn't mere speculation but the result of twenty-five years of careful hands-on clinical work by Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. A Harvard-trained physician, Dr. Siegel is one of the revolutionary global innovators in the integration of brain science into the practice of psychotherapy. Using case histories from his practice, he shows how, by following the proper steps, nearly everyone can learn how to focus their attention on the internal world of the mind in a way that will literally change the wiring and architecture of their brain.

Through his synthesis of a broad range of scientific research with applications to everyday life, Dr. Siegel has developed novel approaches that have helped hundreds of patients heal themselves from painful events in the past and liberate themselves from obstacles blocking their happiness in the present. And now he has written the first book that will help all of us understand the potential we have to create our own lives. Showing us mindsight in action, Dr. Siegel describes:

  • a sixteen-year-old boy with bipolar disorder who uses meditation and other techniques instead of drugs to calm the emotional storms that made him suicidal
  • a woman paralyzed by anxiety, who uses mindsight to discover, in an unconscious memory of a childhood accident, the source of her dread
  • a physician-the author himself-who pays attention to his intuition, which he experiences as a "vague, uneasy feeling in my belly, a gnawing restlessness in my heart and my gut," and tracks down a patient who could have gone deaf because of an inaccurately written prescription for an ear infection
  • a twelve-year-old girl with OCD who learns a meditation that is "like watching myself from outside myself" and, using a form of internal dialogue, is able to stop the compulsive behaviors that have been tormenting her

These and many other extraordinary stories illustrate how mindsight can help us master our emotions, heal our relationships, and reach our fullest potential.

A book as inspiring as it is informative, as practical as it is profound, Mindsight offers exciting new proof that we aren't hardwired to behave in certain ways, but instead have the ability to harness the power of our minds to re-sculpt the neural pathways of our brains in ways that will be life-transforming.

Siegel (Parenting from the Inside Out) combines Western neuroscience with Eastern meditation in an exciting exploration of how a troubled mind can right itself. Drawing on current science and case studies, Siegel, a clinical professor of psychiatry at UCLA School of Medicine, reinforces "the idea that the power of reflection allows us to approach, rather than withdraw, from whatever life brings us." And learning to stay with a feeling, even a threatening one, is the beginning of discovering that this emotion is just "a set of neural firings in our brain." There is enormous pain in the clinical cases: 31-year-old Allison’s back pain conceals a painful memory; 12-year-old Sandy is stuck in a panic expressed in obsessive-compulsive behavior. But there is also enormous hope—that therapy, sometimes even without medication, can guide a patient through life. Siegel’s method isn’t a quick fix and doesn’t sugarcoat reality: The mindful traits of serenity, courage and wisdom involve accepting our place in the order of things." He challenges his patients to a life of tough work and convincingly suggests it will be well worth the effort.

The concept of emotional intelligence, or EI, rather than IQ as the true barometer of social success has been a hot topic in psychological circles since Daniel Goleman’s landmark Emotional Intelligence (1995). Yet, according to UCLA psychiatrist Siegel, the notion of "mindsight," or the mind’s knack for stepping back and analyzing its own thought processes, is just as critical. Drawing on cutting-edge neurobiological research and Eastern meditation practices, Siegel presents a convincing case that mindsight’s dual focus on mindfulness and empathy can literally rewire the brain and catalyze greater personal fulfillment. In 12 lucid yet scientifically grounded chapters, he provides the evidence for mindsight’s powerful effect on human behavior and then presents a guidebook for developing and applying mindsight in one’s life. Mindsight is refreshingly accessible, offering solid practical advice while avoiding the naive optimism of many mainstream self-help books.

Integrating ancient contemplative practice with contemporary neuroscience and psychotherapy, Dan Siegel removes the veil on the mysteries of the interface between mind, brain and relationships with novel and profound descriptions of how we become who we are, what makes things go wrong and how all of us can achieve optimal well being by using our capacity for attention to change the very structure and function of our brains. Weaving the narrative of his own life, his intellectual and clinical journey and the experiences of his clients through his explanation of deep clinical theory and sophisticated practice, he has written a book that reads like a mystery novel.

Mindsight is a rare book. Rooted in groundbreaking scientific research and searching professional practice, it is also a deeply compassionate and human account of what it is to be human. Mindsight has powerful lessons for doctors, parents and educators, and for all of us who are trying to make sense of how we make sense of things.

This exciting book reveals the secrets of the mind that we have sought in Eastern and Western thought for 2000 years. How do we see the mind and learn to tame it for a happier and healthier life? Filled with engaging stories, Mindsight uses cutting edge science and deep humanity to address the questions that we all have about the mystery in our skull.

In this brilliant and highly readable book, Dan Siegel combines his prodigious knowledge of brain science, clinical psychology and mindfulness with his immense capacity for original thinking to develop a new and useful concept—mindsight. An intrepid navigator of the vast sea inside us all, he maps the territory and offers amazing insights into how to benefit from the journey. His work will forever change the way we understand ourselves and our relationships.

In his new, graceful, wise, creative, utterly approachable book, Mindsight, Dr. Daniel J. Siegel integrates two of the most important discoveries of our time: the cutting-edge research into the brain functions relevant to understanding our emotions, and the discovery that our brains are plastic and can grow and change through properly guided mental activity. Through beautiful and often remarkable case histories, he shows us the principles we can use to better understand ourselves and, more often than we might imagine, change our minds, brains, relationships, some lifelong character traits, and even the course of some important mental illnesses.

An extraordinary and practical wedding of neuroscience and spiritual wisdom. Accessible and visionary, Mindsight is bound to be a classic.

Mindsight is a literary MRI: a mind-blowing book that will change the way you think about the way you think.

Dr. Daniel Siegel is one of the most thoughtful, eloquent, scientifically solid and reputable exponents of mind/body/brain integration in the world today.

In The Developing Mind, Daniel Siegel brilliantly revealed how relationships sculpt and are sculpted by the brain. Mindsight is the perfect follow-up, a daring plan of action for a wiser and kinder life that’s transformative, yet easy to understand, and should appeal to specialists and laymen alike—in fact, to anyone who wants to enrich their life, their children’s, and society.

Right now, Dan Siegel is creating a stir among therapists unmatched by any other in the field. Mindsight offers a fascinating synthesis of his innovative ideas about the implications of the new brain science for understanding relationships and the processes of human change.

Drawing upon and explaining the intricate workings of the brain, Mindsight sets itself apart from other self-help books. Dr. Siegel helps the reader understand how we can change our dysfunctional habits of mind and become more flexible, adaptive, coherent, energized, and stable. He helps us see that we can rewire our own brains and become truly integrated, through personal understanding and, most important, through meaningful relationships with others. This is a must-read for anyone who wishes to have a happier, more productive life.

Mindsight is a seminal piece on bringing neuroscience to everyday life, helping us to understand what can go awry in the mind so that, armed with that knowledge, we will be better able to change. The book is a wonderful journey from the mind through the brain and the body and then back again. Siegel's use of elaborate personal as well as patient stories makes us feel as though we are on a guided tour with a friendly group of fellow travelers.

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