Mindsight

The New Science of Personal Transformation

By: Daniel J. Siegel M.D.

From a pioneer in the field of mental health comes a groundbreaking book on the healing power of "mindsight," the potent skill that allows you to make positive changes in your brain–and in your life.

Foreword by Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence

• Is there a memory that torments you, or an irrational fear you can't shake?
• Do you sometimes become unreasonably angry or upset and find it hard to calm down?
• Do you ever wonder why you can't stop behaving the way you do, no matter how hard you try?
• Are you and your child (or parent, partner, or boss) locked in a seemingly inevitable pattern of conflict?

What if you could escape traps like these and live a fuller, richer, happier life? This isn't mere speculation but the result of twenty-five years of careful hands-on clinical work by Daniel J. Siegel, M.D.

A Harvard-trained physician, Dr. Siegel is one of the revolutionary global innovators in the integration of brain science into the practice of psychotherapy. Using case histories from his practice, he shows how, by following the proper steps, nearly everyone can learn how to focus their attention on the internal world of the mind in a way that will literally change the wiring and architecture of their brain.

Through his synthesis of a broad range of scientific research with applications to everyday life, Dr. Siegel has developed novel approaches that have helped hundreds of patients. And now he has written the first book that will help all of us understand the potential we have to create our own lives. Showing us mindsight in action, Dr. Siegel describes

• a sixteen-year-old boy with bipolar disorder who uses meditation and other techniques instead of drugs to calm the emotional storms that made him suicidal
• a woman paralyzed by anxiety, who uses mindsight to discover, in an unconscious memory of a childhood accident, the source of her dread
• a physician–the author himself–who pays attention to his intuition, which he experiences as a "vague, uneasy feeling in my belly, a gnawing restlessness in my heart and my gut," and tracks down a patient who could have gone deaf because of an inaccurately written prescription for an ear infection
• a twelve-year-old girl with OCD who learns a meditation that is "like watching myself from outside myself" and, using a form of internal dialogue, is able to stop the compulsive behaviors that have been tormenting her

These and many other extraordinary stories illustrate how mindsight can help us master our emotions, heal our relationships, and reach our fullest potential.

©2009 Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. (P)2025 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Integrating ancient contemplative practice with contemporary neuroscience and psychotherapy, Dan Siegel removes the veil on the mysteries of the interface between mind, brain and relationships with novel and profound descriptions of how we become who we are, what makes things go wrong and how all of us can achieve optimal well being by using our capacity for attention to change the very structure and function of our brains. Weaving the narrative of his own life, his intellectual and clinical journey and the experiences of his clients through his explanation of deep clinical theory and sophisticated practice, he has written a book that reads like a mystery novel."—Harville Hendrix, Ph. D., author of Getting The Love You Want: A Guide for Couples

"Mindsight is a rare book. Rooted in groundbreaking scientific research and searching professional practice, it is also a deeply compassionate and human account of what it is to be human. Mindsight has powerful lessons for doctors, parents and educators, and for all of us who are trying to make sense of how we make sense of things."—Sir Ken Robinson, author of The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything

"This exciting book reveals the secrets of the mind that we have sought in Eastern and Western thought for 2000 years. How do we see the mind and learn to tame it for a happier and healthier life? Filled with engaging stories, Mindsight uses cutting edge science and deep humanity to address the questions that we all have about the mystery in our skull." –Natalie Goldberg, author of Old Friend from Far Away and Writing Down the Bones