Molecules of Emotion : The Science Behind Mind-Body Medicine

How do our thoughts and emotions affect our health? Are our bodies and minds distinct from one another or do they function together as parts of an interconnected system? Candace Pert - a neuroscientist whose extraordinary career began with her 1972 discovery of the opiate receptor - provides startling and decisive answers to these and other challenging questions that scientists and philosophers have pondered for centuries. From explaining the scientific basis of popular wisdom and phenomena like "gut feelings" to making comprehensible recent discoveries in cancer and AIDS research, Molecules of Emotion is an intellectual adventure of the highest order. The bestselling and revolutionary book that serves as a "landmark in our understanding of the mind-body connection" (Deepak Chopra, MD). Why do we feel the way we feel? How do our thoughts and emotions affect our health? In her groundbreaking book Molecules of Emotion, Candace Pert—an extraordinary neuroscientist who played a pivotal role in the discovery of the opiate receptor—provides startling and decisive answers to these and other challenging questions that scientists and philosophers have pondered for centuries. Pert's pioneering research on how the chemicals inside our bodies form a dynamic information network, linking mind and body, is not only provocative, it is revolutionary. By establishing the biomolecular basis for our emotions and explaining these scientific developments in a clear and accessible way, Pert empowers us to understand ourselves, our feelings, and the connection between our minds and our bodies—or bodyminds—in ways we could never possibly have imagined before. From explaining the scientific basis of popular wisdom about phenomena such as "gut feelings" to making comprehensible recent breakthroughs in cancer and AIDS research, Pert provides us with an intellectual adventure of the highest order. Molecules of Emotion is a landmark work, full of insight and wisdom and possessing that rare power to change the way we see the world and ourselves. Why do we feel the way we feel? How do our thoughts and emotions affect our health? Are our bodies and minds distinct from each other or do they function together as parts of an interconnected system? In her groundbreaking book Molecules of Emotion, Candace Pert provides startling and decisive answers to these and other challenging questions that scientists and philosophers have pondered for centuries. Her pioneering research on how the chemicals inside our bodies form a dynamic information network, linking mind and body, is not only provocative, it is revolutionary. By establishing the biomolecular basis for our emotions and explaining these new scientific developments in a clear and accessible way, Pert empowers us to understand ourselves, our feelings, and the connection between our minds and our bodies -- body-minds -- in ways we could never possibly have imagined before. Molecules of Emotion is a landmark work, full of insight and wisdom and possessing that rare power to change the way we see the world and ourselves. The Author, A Neuroscientist, Asserts That It Is Our Emotions And Their Biological Components That Establish The Crucial Link Between Mind And Body. Further, Her Findings Complement Existing Techniques By Offering A New Scientific Understanding Of The Power Of Our Minds And Our Feelings To Affect Our Health And Well-being.--jacket. Ch. 1. The Receptor Revolution : An Introductory Lecture -- Ch. 2. Romance Of The Opiate Receptor -- Ch. 3. Peptide Generation : A Continued Lecture -- Ch. 4. Brains And Ambition -- Ch. 5. Life At The Palace -- Ch. 6. Breaking The Rules -- Ch. 7. The Biochemicals Of Emotion : A Continued Lecture -- Ch. 8. Turning Point -- Ch. 9. The Psychosomatic Network : A Concluding Lecture -- Ch. 10. Child Of The New Paradigm -- Ch. 11. Crossing Over, Coming Together -- Ch. 12. Healing Feeling -- Ch. 13. Truth. Candace B. Pert ; With A Foreword By Deepak Chopra. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [354]-358) And Index. "Why do we feel the way we feel? How do our thoughts and emotions affect our health? Are our bodies and minds distinct from each other or do they function together as parts of an interconnected system?" "In her groundbreaking book Molecules of Emotion, Candace Pert - a neuroscientist whose extraordinary career began with her 1972 discovery of the opiate receptor - provides startling and decisive answers to these and other challenging questions that scientists and philosophers have pondered for centuries"-- Book jacket This volume describes how the immune and neurological systems communicate with each other through biochemical messengers, thus demonstrating a mind-body connection. The author establishes a biomolecular basis for our emotions and explains eight ways to use awareness and intention to tap into the psychosomatic network, in order to prevent disease and maximize health Overview: Why do we feel the way we feel? How do our thoughts and emotions affect our health? Are our bodies and minds distinct from each other or do they function together as parts of an interconnected system? Explains the science behind the brain's opiate receptors and other evidence of the intimate connections between mind and body, and their meaning for the future of Western medicine SCIENTISTS, by nature, are not creatures who commonly seek out or enjoy the public spotlight.