Breaking The Habit Of Being Yourself: How to Lose Your Mind and Create a New One

In the Foreword, Dr. Daniel G. Amen emphasizes the vital role the brain plays in shaping our thoughts, emotions, actions, and overall well-being. Drawing on his decades of brain-imaging research involving over 70,000 SPECT scans, Amen highlights the impact of brain health on various aspects of life, including happiness, physical health, financial success, and decision-making. He emphasizes that a well-functioning brain is crucial for achieving personal and professional success, while an unhealthy brain can lead to challenges such as sadness, illness, and poor decision-making.

Amen delves into how trauma, negative thinking, and harmful past experiences can adversely affect brain function. Sharing a personal anecdote, he reflects on how the fear and anxiety stemming from a tumultuous childhood with an aggressive older brother created long-term overactivity in his brain’s fear centers. He acknowledges the transformative power of addressing these issues through proper mental and emotional work.

Introducing Joe Dispenza’s work, Amen praises the book for offering practical strategies to optimize both the brain’s hardware (physical structure) and software (thought patterns and programming). He asserts that daily thoughts significantly influence brain health, either aiding in healing or reinforcing detrimental patterns. While diet, exercise, and brain nutrients are important, the power of moment-to-moment thinking and meditation stands out as a critical tool for improving brain health.