Synopses & Reviews
Dr. Gregg Jacobs suggests that while we are better off materially than any generation in history, we remain unhappy, frustrated, and stressed, in large part because we have neglected our emotional well-being.
A significant cause of our current condition is our over-reliance on the Thinking Mind and our disconnection from the Ancestral Mind. The Thinking Mind-the rational, self-conscious mind-is responsible for our great technological achievements, but is also the root cause of the unhealthy stresses of modern life and excessive negative emotions. The Ancestral Mind-our older, more unconscious, emotional mind-represents a deeper, wiser guide to well-being and is the source of a more integrated concept of self, an expanded sense of daily awareness, powerful positive emotions, and healthy mind/body interactions.
The fundamental message of this book: if we reconnect to the Ancestral Mind, we will achieve a more harmonious integration of intellect and emotion, use the mind's capacity to the fullest, and experience a more meaningful, joyful life.
Synopsis
This revolutionary program improves emotional well-being and reduces stress-related illness by reactivating the deepest part of the brain--the seat of emotion, instinct, and intuition.
Synopsis
Includes bibliographical references (p. [193]-229) and index.
About the Author
Gregg D. Jacobs is an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, a senior research scientist at Harvard's Mind/Body Medical Institute, and a research scientist at the Laboratory of Neurophysiology at Harvard Medical School. He is also the author of Say Good Night to Insomnia.
Table of Contents
1 Part I: One Body, Two Minds
3 Introduction: From Whence We Came
11 Chapter One: The Tyranny of the Thinking Mind
27 Chapter Two: What Is This Ancestral Mind?
41 Chapter Three: Bypassing the Thinking Mind
51 Chapter Four: The Power of Positive Emotions
63 Chapter Five: The Ancestral Way of Life
75 Part II: Reclaiming the Power of the Ancestral Mind
77 Chapter Six: Taming Toxic Thoughts
91 Chapter Seven: The Power of Stress-Reducing Attitudes and Beliefs
113 Chapter Eight: Social Support and Stress Hardiness
123 Chapter Nine: Opening the Door to the AM: The Relaxation Response
139 Chapter Ten: Before Words, Images Were
149 Chapter Eleven: The Ancestral Mind's Minimal Daily Requirements
163 Chapter Twelve: Solitude and Wilderness: Medicine for the Soul
173 Chapter Thirteen: Through the Eyes of a Child
179 Appendix A: Physiology and the Brain
185 Appendix B: The Effects of Stress on Health
189 Appendix C: Additional Relaxation Scripts
193 Notes
231 Acknowledgments
233 Index