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Molecules Of Emotion: The Science Behind Mind-Body Medicine
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 philo
...morePaperback, 368 pages
Published
May 11th 2010
by Simon & Schuster
(first published 1997)
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So the point of the book is great. It's to highlight the web of signalling peptides and other hormones as the essential communications in our body. The universality of receptors for everything is startling; when you release endorphins or epinephrine or insulin it has systemic effects. So she argues that those releases and reuptakes of hormones is what constitues emotions, and that the whole body should be included as the seat of the mind. On all this I agree.
5 stars for the idea (you...more
5 stars for the idea (you...more
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Please note that regardless of what it may say in the heading, the author of the book is not Deepak Chopra but Candace Pert!
This is an extremely readable book, though containing much scientific material. It is graced by a foreword by Deepak Chopra.
The author, who is a neuroscientist, describes her pioneering research with neuropeptides and receptors, demonstrating on a concrete biological level how our emotions affect our body/health. The body and mind are one - bodymind.
...more
This is an extremely readable book, though containing much scientific material. It is graced by a foreword by Deepak Chopra.
The author, who is a neuroscientist, describes her pioneering research with neuropeptides and receptors, demonstrating on a concrete biological level how our emotions affect our body/health. The body and mind are one - bodymind.
...more
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This is not normally a book I would pick up, but it was required reading for a class I'm taking. It was an interesting look at how our bodies and minds are connected and that we need to take care of the whole person instead of just the body or just the mind.
I admit that sometimes this book caused me to feel a little drowsy. Candace Pert did a fairly good job of explaining the technical terms she used, but I still found it stretched my attention span.
The last part of t...more
I admit that sometimes this book caused me to feel a little drowsy. Candace Pert did a fairly good job of explaining the technical terms she used, but I still found it stretched my attention span.
The last part of t...more
The title of this book is misleading. This book is not about the molecules of emotion or explaining why you feel the way you feel. It is the outlet for author, scientist, and conference speaker Candace Pert chose to share her personal and professional history, toot her own horn so to speak, and educate the average person on the new paradigm in scientific research that promotes a holistic approach concerning mind, body, and soul. The way Pert makes it sound, she is spearheading the new paradigm m...more
Carol Manglos
rated it
Recommends it for:
medical students, holistic practioners
Recommended to Carol by:
a course I'm taking on Brain Chemistry
The oft-implied "mind-body" connection finds a pinnacle in this volume. Candace Pert started off her career with a bang, being the first scientist to isolate what we now commonly call pain receptors in the human body. This book basically walks you through her experience into her own personal, somewhat pseudo-scientific study of a direct link between human emotions and biological function. This is required reading for a course I'm taking, not something I pick up on preference, but I th...more
This is a really interesting story of the struggle that women go through in the scientific community. But really, you're not a superhero. And your writing is imprecise. And you contradict yourself. I read the whole thing, but was really frustrated along the way.
Pert, of 'What The Bleep Do We Know' fame, discusses her scientific discoveries (including the locating and verification of the opiate receptor) in the context of her life. The life part is interesting but gets in the way sometimes of the science, leaving me with a lot of questions about her ideas that stem from both her experiences and her science. I can't argue with the suggestions for living at the end, but I wanted more depth on the actual molecules and how they interact in the body to influ...more
I had to read this for one of my classes. It was a fascinating read. If you are interested in why alternative medicine works, you will enjoy this book.
In this book, Pert shows how the mind and the body are not separate as they have been thought to be in science for so long. Pert uses her own life story to illustrate her scientific findings and gives recommendations for how her findings can affect the lives of her readers.
At the end of her book, Pert gives recommendatio...more
In this book, Pert shows how the mind and the body are not separate as they have been thought to be in science for so long. Pert uses her own life story to illustrate her scientific findings and gives recommendations for how her findings can affect the lives of her readers.
At the end of her book, Pert gives recommendatio...more
Fascinating account of role emotions play in our health and well-being by a molecular biologist who says "God is a neuropeptide" and she offers an insightful primer on how cells communicate chemically in our bodies.
She talks about how emotions transform the body, either maintaining health or undermining it, how memory is affected by the mood we are in, and how intentional visualization can increase blood flow and speed healing. Basically, she says that emotional health is im...more
She talks about how emotions transform the body, either maintaining health or undermining it, how memory is affected by the mood we are in, and how intentional visualization can increase blood flow and speed healing. Basically, she says that emotional health is im...more
Excellent account of the politics and egos and one-upmanship involved in big science, in this case molecular biology. Author is a scientist deeply involved in the discovery of the peptides that influence emotions a couple decades ago. She tells the story of the hard work and good luck necessary to find these elusive molecules, the challenge of being a woman in a field dominated by alpha males, and her own personal journey from a hard core materialist to exploring the connections between the mind...more
Teresa B
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
alternative/complementary health seekers
Recommended to Teresa by:
Natalie Darling
I decided to review this book as I go through it so my impressions are fresh. Why? Because as I began I found myself over-analyzing my own response to the writing. So be warned, this will be the longest Goodreads review I have ever done by the time I am through with it.
The author began by introducing herself and all her credentials. It crossed over the line from autobiography to bragging, making me question why she needed to spend so many pages telling me of her brilliance. Makes...more
The author began by introducing herself and all her credentials. It crossed over the line from autobiography to bragging, making me question why she needed to spend so many pages telling me of her brilliance. Makes...more
Candance Pert was on the research team that discovered how neuropeptides function in the body. Neuropeptides are the receptors that join the brain, glands, and immune system in a network of communication between brain and body. This explains how we really do feel emotion in our gut and heart. Our emotions impact our immune system. It explained to me why essential oils actually do heal. I have quotes from the book on my website, www.myvibranthealth.net, under the Health Related Info menu.
This book is informative and interesting at times, but the author is super obnoxious. She's obviously egotistical and a narcissist. Also a lot of her sentences end in exclamation points, which is annoying. The entire first two chapters are "blah blah blah, I met this nobel laureate blah blah I worked under this scientist blah blah blah." She even described herself as the darling of the department she was working in as a grad student. For a book that is supposed to be about molecul...more
(recommended by Karin)
This is sort of an autobiography by a brilliant woman who did her PhD research at John’s Hopkins, then went on to work at the National Institute of Mental Health, before settling for a teaching and research position at George Washington Univ. She shows the scientific link between emotion and health.
Click here for the full article on: Health and Nutrition
This is sort of an autobiography by a brilliant woman who did her PhD research at John’s Hopkins, then went on to work at the National Institute of Mental Health, before settling for a teaching and research position at George Washington Univ. She shows the scientific link between emotion and health.
Click here for the full article on: Health and Nutrition
I thought this book was going to be about the author's struggle through a personal illness. Instead it was about her journey as a scientist in the field of medicine. Very interesting stuff about the mind body. It opens up the conversation about wholeness and healing, about the mysteries of the human body and also about the unwillingness of many in tue field to think outside the box. A wild journey.
I loved this book! What an eye-opening experience!
Candace Pert, PhD discovered the opiate receptor back in the 70's. Her discovery led to the making of SSRI drugs and all kinds of mood-altering substances that she warms against. Her book describes how your body is your subconscious mind, your health is a product of how you think about yourself. Taking many of the drugs on the market today alter the bodies chemistry, but that in a way that can be sustained. Pert give advice on ...more
Candace Pert, PhD discovered the opiate receptor back in the 70's. Her discovery led to the making of SSRI drugs and all kinds of mood-altering substances that she warms against. Her book describes how your body is your subconscious mind, your health is a product of how you think about yourself. Taking many of the drugs on the market today alter the bodies chemistry, but that in a way that can be sustained. Pert give advice on ...more
Moriah Day
added it
If you liked WHAT THE BLEEP DO WE KNOW, this is an in depth exploration of the psysiology of emotions and how they work through the highways of the immune, endocrine and nervous system. very interesting to hear a woman scientist recount her journey from grad school to major hardcore left brian scientific research toher present holistic place of understanding.
One of the first books I read introducing ideas about links between our neurological, immunological, and other linked systems. Readable, with work. Also a parallel story of the tribulations of a woman in science-lots of rejection, due not only to sexism (mostly that), but also because her ideas were out of the mainstream.
I had no idea when I read this book that Candace Pert was in "what the bleep do we know".
However, I do believe that treating the whole rather than the parts, but knowing how the parts complete the whole is how science should be. Alternative therapies are based on this and I feel like it was a win-win for that field.
However, I do believe that treating the whole rather than the parts, but knowing how the parts complete the whole is how science should be. Alternative therapies are based on this and I feel like it was a win-win for that field.
After seeing the film "What the #$*! Do We know!?" I wanted to learn more about how " ... the chemicals inside our bodies form a dynamic information network... How our emotions, our minds and our bodies communicate in a way that could give us the powers to change the way we see the world and ourselves.
This book is an exciting (personal) science autobiography of the woman who discovered the opiate receptors in the 70ies and headed a famous NIH-lab for almost 15 years. Lately she seems to be more into god and spirituality, which is honestly a little appalling for me...but still interesting book
Book club choice for next month. The first part was all about women in science (chapters 1-7). The author says at one point that she has let her anger over the situation go, but with 7 chapters (at least) on the subject... I don't think so. I tried to finish the rest, but only got to page 195. It keep putting me to sleep.
As science-y as it may be, I loved this book. Fascinating overview of the mind's effects on all aspects of your health. Reads a bit like a novel at times, as the author recounts her personal scientific discoveries.
This is more autobiographical than I was hoping, but it is an interesting historical look at the plight of women in science and the ways in which the politics of science impedes the progress of knowledge. Also very interesting and readable science as far as the descriptions of peptides and neurotransmitters, but less science than I was hoping for I'm afraid!
Wolfie
added it
Dr. Pert makes things scientific easy to understand! We have such a wonderful bodymind and Dr. Pert makes a person want to treat it better then we do. Keep up the awesome research and writing Dr. Pert!
Written by a molecular scientist, Pert provides evidence on how our emotions have chemical properties, and how, conversely, our physiognomy can be affected by our emotions.
Scientifically, this book is FASCINATING - it discusses the research behind mind/body connection, and I learned a lot!
Though I finished the book with much admiration and respect for Dr. Pert's knowledge, experience and wholistic approach, I got a little tired of the (over-)emphasis she placed on her accomplishments and how they have been overlooked by a (mostly male-dominated) scientific community. If you read this book, expect to get to the main topic somewhere around chapter 6 or...more
Though I finished the book with much admiration and respect for Dr. Pert's knowledge, experience and wholistic approach, I got a little tired of the (over-)emphasis she placed on her accomplishments and how they have been overlooked by a (mostly male-dominated) scientific community. If you read this book, expect to get to the main topic somewhere around chapter 6 or...more
I learned two things. 1) The courage and brilliance of our women scientists. 2) To listen to the music of my body as it does it's intricate dance of life.
A spiritual autobiography. A work narrative. A scientific description of how magic works. One of the most amazing books I've read. Ever.
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