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Bliss Brain

The Neuroscience of Remodeling Your Brain for Resilience, Creativity, and Joy

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About this listen

 Neural plasticity-the discovery that the brain is capable of rewiring itself-is now widely understood. But what few people have grasped yet is how quickly this is happening, how extensive brain changes can be, and how much control each of us has over the process. In Bliss Brain, famed researcher Dawson Church digs deep into leading-edge science, and finds stunning evidence of rapid and radical brain change. In just eight weeks of practice, 12 minutes a day, using the right techniques, we can produce measurable changes in our brains. These make us calmer, happier, and more resilient. When we cultivate these pleasurable states over time, they become traits. We don't just feel more blissful as a temporary state; the changes are literally hard-wired into our brains, becoming stable and enduring personality traits. The startling conclusions of Church's research show that neural remodeling goes much farther than scientists have previously understood, with stress circuits shriveling over time. Simultaneously, "The Enlightenment Circuit"-associated with happiness, compassion, productivity, creativity, and resilience-expands. During deep meditation, Church shows how "the 7 neurochemicals of ecstasy" are released in our brains. These include anandamide, a neurotransmitter that's been named "the bliss molecule" because it mimics the effects of THC, the active ingredient in cannabis. It boosts serotonin and dopamine; the first is an analog of psilocybin, the second of cocaine. He shows how cultivating these elevated emotional states literally produces a self-induced high. While writing Bliss Brain, Church went through a series of disasters, including escaping seconds ahead of a California wildfire that consumed his home and office and claimed 22 lives. The fire triggered a painful medical condition and a financial disaster. Through it all, Church steadily practiced the techniques of Bliss Brain while teaching them to thousands of other people. This book weaves his story of resilience into the fabric of neuroscience, producing a fascinating picture of just how happy we can make our brains, no matter what the odds.This audio product contains a PDF with supporting material, and the PDF is available for download. Personal Development Personal Success Spirituality Meditation Human Brain Happiness Brain Resilience
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I sped it up to 1/20 as his speech was a little slow, not his fault but I found speeding it up sounded more like normal speech.

good understanding of meditation with practical elements

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Planned to buy this after hearing the author on a 'Sounds True' podcast with Tami Simon. Then I hesitated after reading some negative reviews on Audible (not so much about the content, but 'niggly' things like the author's voice). But i made the purchase and I'm glad I did!

I've dabbled with meditation (having read about all the benefits) and Church talks about neuroscience research into efficient meditating - ie getting the benefits. So the book is fascinating - serious changes certain types of meditation have on the brain - it's crazy. And meditations are included in the audiobook, which I've bookmarked and am using.

So I had to write this review. It's amazing people buy zen and meditative books like this then attack them with such anger because they dislike a narrator or delivery of the author... but anyway - I did find the author's voice and delivery strange (slightly ostentatious/ theatrical), but hey - I got past that. And okay, he talks about himself in chapter 1 - how his home was destroyed in a fire, and how he used these techniques - I found it interesting, but if it's not your cup of tea - the book still is worth sticking with.

Some of the science bits got a bit dry, but it being an audio - I let them wash over me, and the book engaged me again. Excellent listen.

Really enjoyed, very helpful

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This book will even inspire the dead! It is absolutely brilliant in collecting up our latent powers and creating an explosion within. Love it!

brilliant, brilliant, brilliant, brilliant,

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This book is best read a chapter at a time. Also at the end of each chapter there are meditations and other activities to download. Very important to do this . Use the activities to give oneself a greater understanding of the chapter. There are 8 chapters, which if you want, could be read over eight weeks. It's a series of workshops over those weeks. Brilliant book.

Most interesting

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Awful. The author is a real life Alan Partridge, going into intricate pointless detail about his own irrelevant life. The narration is unbearable. Even at X1.7 speed it is broken up and slow. I feel cheated by the title that this would have some science in it. Well, 2.5hr in of self aggrandising I can’t take it any more. Don’t bother is my advice.

Disappointing

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