The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter, & Miracles

by Bruce H. Lipton

book data

184 ratings, 4.04 average rating, 59 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		37%
4		40%
3		16%
2		5%
1		0%

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published

September 15th 2008 (first published 2005) by Hay House

binding

Hardcover, 240 pages

isbn

1401923119 (isbn13: 9781401923112)

description

With more than 100,000 copies sold of his self-published book, The Biology of Belief, Bruce Lipton teams up with Hay House to bring his message to an...more

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05/18/08

Jenell rated it:

(review of isbn 0975991477)

bookshelves: psychology, science

Read in May, 2008

Some teachers can just kill your interest in science. They can make it so impossibly abstract that you can’t find any relation to it. Perhaps that is what put me off as I began to read Bruce Lipton’s The Biology of Belief—not that he wasn’t giving a context and showing a relationship to science—quite the opposite. He reminded me of someone receiving an award for the first time and thanking everyone! He was unbridled, unguarded—unintelligent? No! That I was offput by his enthusi...more Some teachers can just kill your interest in science. They can make it so impossibly abstract that you can’t find any relation to it. Perhaps that is what put me off as I began to read Bruce Lipton’s The Biology of Belief—not that he wasn’t giving a context and showing a relationship to science—quite the opposite. He reminded me of someone receiving an award for the first time and thanking everyone! He was unbridled, unguarded—unintelligent? No! That I was offput by his enthusiasm, is really a reflection on me, not him. We are subtly taught to look cool, to appear unaffected, because if we are moved by something, we might be moved into the unknown. This illusion of control seems solid, but it is death for an organism. It is static, whereas life is responsive, adaptive—dynamic. And so is Bruce Lipton. I appreciate that he loves science and is so enthusiastic about it, while acknowledging that science is the continuing exploration of theories. He adheres to objectivity, one of the main tenets of scientific research, but you can definitely see the twinkle in the eye behind the lens!

After Lipton has given us a picture of his academic journey and his unfolding interests, questions and discoveries, he gives a very thorough explanation of the workings of the cell. His writing is well thought-out and organized. He provides extensive end notes as well as referencing other chapters in the book. He really ties everything together and gives great metaphorical examples for laypeople like me so that we can begin to understand the complex machinations, not only of the cell, but of how it is related to quantum physics and what he calls Systems Biology. Lipton believes that the Neo-Darwinian adherence to the theory of survival of the fittest characterizes life in competition, whereas at the cellular level, there is complex communication and collaboration—strength in numbers. The world is not our enemy; it is our belief that it is that causes disease. Beliefs are our subconscious programming. Conversely, if we believe in our vitality, it will flourish.

While we are in the midst of the sixth mass extinction in our planet’s history, our fate is not sealed. While the segue was a little abrupt, I believe that the implication is that our consciousness can change the future and that we must start with ourselves and our children. I thought, “This is great! I can’t wait to hear his ideas on how to do this!” Lipton explains how we have two minds: the subconscious mind for processing vast amounts of information in the present moment (including habits and beliefs) and the conscious mind that has the ability to learn from the past and plan the future. He states how difficult it is to change subconsciously acquired habits and beliefs. Don’t we all know that! So, how do we do it? How do we change our subconscious programming? Unfortunately, Bruce Lipton is not a psychologist. It is not in the last chapter or the Epilogue—but after that—in the Addendum, that the reader is merely referred to someone who is a psychologist and practices something called PSYCH-K. The “K” stands for kinesiology, the science of human movement. The website referred to was not very revealing, and the one book on it was not well-reviewed, saying it had little substance and appeared to be a promotional ploy to get people to go to the author’s expensive workshops. Though The Biology of Belief was a very good book (so deliciously over my head that it deserves a second read) and so well-referenced throughout—it leaves me shocked that it led to this singular reference on the application of his ideas. But I sense that Bruce Lipton is a seeker, and perhaps his continuing research and collaboration will prove ever more fruitful. He does have an audio cd coming out in October 2008 entitled, Spontaneous Evolution. I’ll have to check that out.
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10/31/07

Christopher rated it:

(review of isbn 0975991477)

this book was okay. the part about new biology was interesting, but i just do not feel that the offer had a strong enough understanding of the other topics to adequately tie them together. he talked some about quantum mechanics and how it has changed our understanding of reality, but did not make a clear connection between that and what he was saying.
also, he has written the book as if to say that his message, that people are largely influenced by their environment and are able to make of ...more

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06/29/07

Dennis rated it:

(review of isbn 0975991477)

bookshelves: non-fiction

Read in June, 2007

recommends it for: Doctors, hypnotists, anyone interested in the power of prayer

Outstanding presentation of the science behind positive subconscious programming! Written by a cellular biologist, Dr. Lipton presents a very strong case for why the cell's membrane runs the show and how we directly influence those membranes with our minds.

Easy to read. Helps the reader move smoothly beyond outdated Newtonian physics, Descartes' separation of science/spirit, and Darwin's survival of the fittest into Einstein's quantum physics and the truth about cooperative living ...more

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08/07/07

Pamela Ramey-Tatum rated it:

(review of isbn 0975991477)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Has a copy to sell/swap

recommends it for: anyone interestd in Law of Attraction

I am currently reading this (not even 1/2 way through it), so will write more later. But so far, I like the book very much. Bruce Lipton, Ph.D., a cellular biologist, has an easy style and has a great sense of humor. I know a lot about consciousness as cause (Law of Attraction)--I teach courses on the subject myself--but, because Lipton is a cellular biologist, he's coming from the point of view of our cells--and showing scientifically the biochemical effects of our thoughts on our cells and ...more

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02/24/08

Robin rated it:

(review of isbn 0975991477)

Read in February, 2008

Okay, it IS a science book, but it was really interesting! The author is a cell scientist, and by understanding cells and quantum physics, he sets out to show that our beliefs really do change our biology. I think he does a good job. This also makes a case for why alternative and eastern medicine works, based on energy. He writes in a way that is easy to read in spite of the scientific content. There is a chapter on parenting, and the effect that parents' beliefs and messages have on children (b...more

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12/31/08

Justine rated it:

(review of isbn 0975991477)

Read in January, 2009

In terms of epigenetics vs. genetics, Bruce Lipton leans much more towards genetics although he contradicts himself when he tries to apply his theory about biology to societies.

I loved his illustration of how cell membranes work -- using two pieces of bread, a large chunk of butter and olives! He makes it all intuitive.

He proves that the real brains of the cell is not the nucleus, as I was taught in 7th grade, but it is actually the membrane. The nucleus is more like the...more

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05/01/09

Charlotte Luongo rated it:

(review of isbn 0975991477)

bookshelves: biology, psychology

Read in May, 2009

This book was downright painful to read, especially knowing that so many other readers gave it four stars or higher. What were you guys thinking? The book is more of a self-promotional device for the obviously narcissistic, delusional author than it is an instructional, dialogue-provoking piece of science literature. Despite calling himself a biologist, it is obvious the author doesn't grasp basic concepts such as the difference between natural selection and the theory of evolution. Furthermore,...more

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12/15/08

fbuser1065973474 rated it:

Read in December, 2008

I'm giving this book a 4-star rating because I'm just starting to read it. I love the way Dr. Lipton writes. He's very descriptive and quite a wordcrafter! The book is about cells and how they are actually complex, even "intelligent" beings, capable of far more than we realize. His premise seems to illustrate the power of our thoughts over every cell in our bodies and how we are whatever we wish to become. I was really excited when I first broke into a study of quantum physics. I'm equ...more

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05/06/09

Joey rated it:

(review of isbn 0975991477)

bookshelves: health-and-well-being

I want to shove this book in Ritchie Shoemaker's face, but then again I think he helped a lot of us with dreaded genes realize we have to work a lot harder to regain our health. And no that's not a bad thing.

This is one of those books that I would shamelessly recommend to any of my med school friends to nudge a healthy dose of skepticism into lifetimes that will be largely involved with genetic engineering, aka the future of the medical-pharmaceutical complex (When is someone gon...more I want to shove this book in Ritchie Shoemaker's face, but then again I think he helped a lot of us with dreaded genes realize we have to work a lot harder to regain our health. And no that's not a bad thing.

This is one of those books that I would shamelessly recommend to any of my med school friends to nudge a healthy dose of skepticism into lifetimes that will be largely involved with genetic engineering, aka the future of the medical-pharmaceutical complex (When is someone gonna make Fog of Medicine?--granted doesn't have the same ring as Fog of War.) As Dr. Lipton called it, we're in the midst of a "cosmic joke" or in plainer terms, a universal paradox. Even the brightest of scientists and doctors are buying into the idea that we are our genes, and that our lot is written at conception.

Dr. Lipton used to be a med school professor and researcher at U of Wisconsin and Stanford for 20 years. When he found out that the destiny of cells wasn't shaped so much by genes as it was by the environment within the petri dish cultures he was incubating, he resigned his job and went on a mission to flesh out the "new biology," or a biology which is shaped by perception, all the way from the microcosm of the nucleus and cell to the macro conscious & subconscious mind. This meshes well with terrain-based infectious theories of Bechamp, Rife, Enderlein etc. By the time I was 2/3 through, I had one more solid piece of evidence to back up my belief that my "dreaded" HLA-DR genome was in any shape or form a terminal sentence on my well-being. Change the signals, change your genetic expression. Every genetic code has 30,000 different possible expressions, and we're busy trying to splice into the blueprint rather than trying to effect positive expression? One of my favorite Lipton analogies: the nucleus that contains the gene is just the gonad. The skin of the cell, or the cellular membrane, is the real brain.

Haha Mr. Nucleus. You're only balls deep.

Despite its woo-woo title, this book isn't for those seeking self-help insight. It is really a hard-data biological explanation of why new-age concepts such as the law of attraction and energetic psychology (EFT, MFT, Psych K) deserve to be way more popular than they already are. (less)

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02/21/09

Mary rated it:

(review of isbn 0975991477)

Read in February, 2009

Cells adapt to their environment, thus genetics are a framework and like all the books I seem to be reading these days- the power of the mind rules supreme. Anything is possible with a tamed mind. I liked how this came from a biologists proof what yogis, native americans and the like know already-tame the mind and possibilities are endless, set your intention on what you like and that is where you shall go. Putting this into action is so hard for me right now but I feel blessed that my sister ...more

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06/05/09

Tomlinton rated it:

(review of isbn 0975991477)

bookshelves: kindle

Read in June, 2009

The author's excitement
over figuring out that the cell membrane
is the actual brain of the cell
and the nucleus
merely the gonads
is catching
but he fades
when he tries to explain
how quantum physics
explains our interconnectedness
and how it relates to epigenetics
which is how environment
affects our behavior
at all levels down to the cell
Not that he's the only one
Again this book is an extended essay
that would...more

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03/20/09

Joy added it (review of isbn 0975991477)

Read in January, 2008

This book opens up a scientific understanding of what mystics and the self help industry have been trying to communicate to us for years. What we belive becomes our reality, what we belief creates a biological chain of events the fulfills our beliefs in the form or behaviors and experiences. Dr. Lipton integrates science into the conversation...this is a must read for our times!

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07/22/08

Lynn rated it:

(review of isbn 0975991477)

Read in July, 2008

The hardest part about this book is getting through the introduction. And by this I mean that the introduction is super-cheesy. It has that "understand your biology; change your life!" flare to it. However, if you read on and get to the meat of the book, it's incredibly fascinating.

Bruce Lipton was a researcher and teacher at both the University of Wisconsin Medical College and Stanford University. Through his research he realized how outdated the current biological mo...more

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04/02/09

fbuser745122639 rated it:

Read in March, 2009

recommends it for: those that enjoy science/spirituality

This author has some good ideas about biology, and how we can control it with thoughts. It touches on how quantum physics and cellular biology meet...very interesting however the last couple of chapters are very weak. He comes to some conclusions that are not exactly where I would have gone with this info.

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02/21/09

Janet rated it:

(review of isbn 0975991477)

bookshelves: business-change, children, life

Read in January, 2009

We have a choice about our beliefs, and by being aware of what shaped us, we can choose to become something different. Powerful book, although the author's need to take credit for "discovering" this concept that many others write about, and do research on can get in the way a little bit of the content.

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04/24/09

Marc rated it:

(review of isbn 1591795230)

I love books that delve into current and cutting edge science and bring it full circle to a world view that offers hope and understanding in the midst of old-world superstition on the one hand and cold, clinical and, as it turns out, often wrong-headed scientific reductionism.

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04/13/08

Angela rated it:

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bookshelves: read---non-fiction

Read in April, 2009

This is awesome! I've been learning and working the Law of Attraction for the last few years and have seen marked results. But there have been times that I've wondered, "where's my stuff" some of the other things I've been trying to manifest. After reading this book, I not only understand how LOA works, but am now able to break through the barriers of the few things I've had a difficult time attracting. Seems too good to be true, from inside the box we've all been trained to think in, ...more

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12/01/08

Michelle rated it:

(review of isbn 0975991477)

Read in January, 2008

Bruce Lipton is amazing! This book is really inspiring and concrete at the same time. I have pulled several things out of it to write a column and it has also helped with life perspectives. Read it!!

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01/12/09

Chrissy marked it as to-read (review of isbn 0975991477)

bookshelves: to-read

This stuff is facinating. It dips into evolution and spirituality. Check out this Google video: http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=br...

Cell membranes for the win!

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12/03/07

Mike rated it:

(review of isbn 0975991477)

bookshelves: metaphysics

Read in December, 2007

recommends it for: People interested in the power of belief in healing & transcending genetics

This book shows the authors belief that genetics have to share the stage with environment and supports his case very nicely, including a quote from Darwin himself. Reading this I learned some interesting aspects of cell biology, and there are interesting examples of the placebo effect and the power of belief to influence health and genetic expression. The role of the subconscious is included, so it's not just a shallow, 'do affirmations to change' advice book. Also the states of the parents from...more

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