Abstract
The thesis of this book is that the brain ("fluctuating physical-chemical state") interacts with the mind ("the interpretive state"). Mind is an emergent phenomenon, a higher level of description. The interaction is complex, and it is just beginning to be understood." "Thought can change brain chemistry, just as a physical event in the brain can change a thought." The author describes the current state of understanding of this interaction in a wide range of areas of our conscious lives, including pain, intelligence, anxiety, addiction, love and healing. Accepting this interaction entails a view of the world that "shows the limits of the genetic imperative on what we turn out to be" and thus, of course, leaves room for both form and freedom, both a givenness of reality and a responsibility to live in a meaningful way.