So before we talk about this book, we need to talk a bit first about the subject of "transcendental" meditation.Īs regular readers know, I've been meditating daily now for around two years, in my case a very atheistic, Western-friendly style of meditation in which you concentrate on your breathing (also known by the even more Western-friendly term "mindfulness," and the basis behind Western medicine's "Mindfulness Stress Reduction Therapy") and that's made me more curious than ever about another type of meditation known as "transcendental" (or "TM" for short), which I first became fascinated with in the '80s when I first became a fan of filmmaker David Lynch, and learned that many of the surrealist images that feature in his films come straight from his work in this type of mental practice. Maybe there was more solid information in the 25% of the book I didn't read, but most of this tome consists of the 3rd-party close ("Everybody's doing it! Don't you want to do it, too?") But I wanted a book to educate me, not to serve as a cheerleader. To summarize, I believe TM is beneficial. Wishful thinking: If I meditated for 10 years and, during that time, landed the man of my dreams/won the lottery/found my dream career, I might assume the reason was TM, but it doesn't make it true. If people meditate for a lot of years, and during that time, they experience some of the benefits of aging, like a less reactive "fight or flight" response, is it TM or the benefit of aging? How would you know?Ĭ. Just because Jerry Seinfeld (I'm a fan) has meditated for 40 years doesn't mean meditation is the reason he became a famous and successful comic.ī. No doubt this is helpful, but it's also very expensive. The author is too enthusiastic in promoting the "necessity" of signing on with a certified TM coach. Except for the MRI/brain activity studies, I didn't find it especially convincing. He and his work have been featured on Good Morning America, The Today Show, NPR and other national media.Īlthough I absolutely believe in the value of meditation, this book was pretty unsatisfying. Rosenthal has conducted numerous clinical trials of medications and alternative treatments, such as Transcendental Meditation, for psychiatric disorders. Listed as one of the Best Doctors in America, he has practiced psychiatry for over four decades, and has coached people from all walks of life. His latest book is Poetry Rx: How 50 Inspiring Poems Can Heal and Bring Joy to Your Life. These include Winter Blues, the New York Times bestseller Transcendence, and the national bestsellers The Gift of Adversity, and Super Mind. A highly cited researcher, he has written over 200 scholarly articles, and authored or co-authored ten popular books. Rosenthal is the world-renowned psychiatrist, researcher, and best-selling author, who first described seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and pioneered the use of light therapy as a treatment during his twenty years at the National Institute of Mental Health. Written in Rosenthal's trademark style of restraint and intellectual carefulness, Super Mind explores how we can aspire to so much more than we ever thought possible. It is a gateway to functioning physically, emotionally, and intellectually at levels we never knew we could attain. In his most ambitious and practical book yet, Rosenthal shows how TM is more than a tool for destressing or for general wellness. Rosenthal, M.D., shows how the incredibly simple daily practice of Transcendental Meditation (TM) can permanently improve your state of mind during the routine hours of waking life-placing you into a super-mind state of consciousness where you consistently perform at peak aptitude. In Super Mind, clinical psychiatrist and bestselling author Norman E. Most of us believe that we live in only three states of wakefulness, sleep, and dreaming. The noted research psychiatrist and New York Times -bestselling author explores how Transcendental Meditation permanently alters your daily consciousness, resulting in greater productivity, emotional resilience, and aptitude for success.
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