당신의 주인은 DNA가 아니다 (반양장) - 마음과 환경이 몸과 운명을 바꾼다
브루스 H. 립튼 (지은이),이창희 (옮긴이)두레2014-11-20
원제 : The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter & Miracles
책소개
USA BOOK NEWS가 뽑은 2006 미국 최고의 과학 책. 신생물학을 이끌어가는 세계적인 학자 중의 한 사람인 브루스 립턴 박사. 세포생물학자이자 의학자이기도 한 그는 ‘세포’를 통해 ‘인간’의 삶과 운명을 들여다본다. 그리고 자신을 유전자의 꼭두각시라고 생각하는 사람들, 즉 유전적 결정론에 매달려 유전자의 노예로 살아가는 사람들에게 우리의 생물학적 성질을 지배하는 것은 유전자가 아니라는 과학적인 진실과 충고를 들려준다.
우리의 몸과 운명을 바꾸는 것은 유전자가 아니라 ‘믿음’과 ‘환경’이라는 사실을 일깨워준다. 그리고 우리가 ‘생각을 바꾸어 사고의 과정을 재훈련하기만 하면 몸도 바꿀 수 있다’는 희망의 메시지도 전한다. 이 책은 신생물학을 대표하는 책이다. “우리의 건강을 지배하는 것은 유전자가 아니라 생활방식이라는 사실을 과학적으로 알고 싶다면 이 책은 필독서다”
목차
서문: 세포의 마술
세포의 마술 / 세포의 교훈을 몸으로 살아내기 / 기존의 틀을 깨야 빛이 보인다
1장 배양접시의 교훈: ‘똑똑한’ 세포와 똑똑한 학생들
미니어처 인간으로서의 세포 / 생명의 기원: 더욱 똑똑해지는 세포 / 피비린내 나지 않는 진화 / 세포 이야기
2장 중요한 건 환경이지, 멍청아!
단백질: 생명의 물질 / 단백질이 생명을 창조하는 방법 / 최고의 지위를 차지한 DNA / 인간 게놈 프로젝트 / 세포생물학의 기초 / 후성유전학: 나의 진가를 알려주는 새로운 과학 / 부모가 살면서 겪은 것이 자식의 유전적 성질을 형성한다
3장 ‘세포막’은 마술사
빵, 버터, 올리브, 피멘토 / 막단백질 / 뇌는 어떻게 작동하는가 / 생명의 신비
4장 새로운 물리학: 허공에 굳건히 두 발 디디기
내면의 소리에 귀 기울이기 / 물질의 환상 / 부작용이 아니라 원래의 작용이다! / 의사와 제약업계 / 물리학과 의학: 시간의 문제와 돈의 문제 / 의약품 / 좋은 파동, 나쁜 파동, 에너지의 언어
5장 생물학과 믿음
긍정적 사고가 나쁜 결과를 낳을 때 / 몸에 우선하는 마음 / 감정: 세포의 언어 느끼기 / 마음은 어떻게 몸을 지배하는가 / 위약(僞藥): 신념의 효과 / 노시보: 부정적인 신념의 힘
6장 성장과 보호
국토 방위와 같은 생물학 / 공포로 죽을 수도 있다
7장 생각 있는 부모 노릇: 유전공학자로서의 부모
부모의 프로그래밍: 무의식적 정신의 힘 / 인간의 프로그래밍: 좋은 메커니즘이 나빠지는 경우 / 의식: 마음속의 창조자 226 / 무의식: 외쳐 불러도 답이 없어 / 부모의 눈 속에서 반짝이는 빛: 생각 있는 수정과 생각 있는 임신 / 일찍 시작할수록 유리하다 / 생각 있는 엄마 노릇, 생각 있는 아빠 노릇
에필로그: 영혼과 과학
선택의 시간 / 인간은 우주의 모습에 따라 창조되었다 / 지구착륙선 / 프랙털 진화: 올바른 이론 / 애자생존(愛者生存)
접기
저자 및 역자소개
브루스 H. 립튼 (Lipton, Bruce H., Ph.D.) (지은이)
저자파일
신간알리미 신청
신생물학을 이끌어가는 세계적인 학자. 세포생물학을 전공한 후 위스콘신 대학교 의과대학에서 강의를 했고, 스탠포드 대학에서 줄기세포 연구를 수행했다. USA BOOK NEWS가 뽑은 2006 미국 최고의 과학 책《믿음의 생물학(The Biology of Belief)》의 저자로, 인간의 운명을 바꾸는 것은 유전자가 아니라 ‘믿음’과 ‘환경’이라는 사실을 대중들에게 일깨워왔다. 이런 노력으로 과학계의 공로를 인정받아 2009년 고이 평화상(Goi Peace Award)을 수상했다.
아마존 베스트셀러인 립튼 박사의 최신작 《허니문 이펙트》는 ‘믿음의 생물학’에서의 연구를 바탕으로 연인, 부부관계에 근본적 변화를 가져올 수 있는 방법에 대해 소개한다. 특히 《허니문 이펙트》에서는 박사 자신이 가정불화와 이혼, 그리고 평생의 짝을 만나기까지의 경험담을 통해 고전 물리학의 신봉자이자 회의론자였던 자신에게 일어난 기적 같은 변화를 생생히 증언하고 있다. 평생의 짝 마거릿과 17년째 신혼 같은 결혼생활을 하는 중이며 TV와 라디오의 대담프로, 국제학회 기조연설가로 활발히 활동 중이다.
저서 :《믿음의 생물학(The Biology of Belief)》, 공저《자발적 진화(Spontaneous Evolution)》(2권의 책은 각각 국내에서 “당신의 주인은 DNA가 아니다”와 “자발적 진화”로 번역 출간되었다).
www.brucelipton.com
접기
최근작 : <당신의 주인은 DNA가 아니다 (반양장)>,<허니문 이펙트>,<자발적 진화> … 총 25종 (모두보기)
이창희 (옮긴이)
서울대학교 불문학과를 졸업한 후 파리 소르본 대학교 통역대학원에서 한-영-불 통역학으로 석사학위를 받았다. 2018년 현재 이화여자대학교 통역번역대학원 번역학과 교수로 재직 중이다. 역서로 『엔트로피』, 『21세기의 신과 과학 그리고 인간』, 『진화－시간의 강을 건너온 생명들』, 『지구의 삶과 죽음』, 『말리와 나』, 『단 하루만 더』, 『당신의 주인은 DNA가 아니다』, 『사이언스 이즈 컬처』등이 있다.
최근작 : <다시 별 그리기> … 총 50종 (모두보기)
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출판사 제공 책소개
USA BOOK NEWS가 뽑은 2006 미국 최고의 과학 책,
30만 부 돌파, '뉴욕타임스'와 아마존 화제의 베스트셀러!
세포학자가 들려주는 ‘유전자 결정론’에 대한 과학적이고도 통렬한 비판
신생물학을 이끌어가는 세계적인 학자 중의 한 사람인 브루스 립턴 박사. 세포생물학자이자 의학자이기도 한 그는 ‘세포’를 통해 ‘인간’의 삶과 운명을 들여다본다. 그리고 자신을 유전자의 꼭두각시라고 생각하는 사람들, 즉 유전적 결정론에 매달려 유전자의 노예로 살아가는 사람들에게 우리의 생물학적 성질을 지배하는 것은 유전자가 아니라는 과학적인 진실과 충고를 들려준다. 우리의 몸과 운명을 바꾸는 것은 유전자가 아니라 ‘믿음’과 ‘환경’이라는 사실을 일깨워준다. 그리고 우리가 ‘생각을 바꾸어 사고의 과정을 재훈련하기만 하면 몸도 바꿀 수 있다’는 희망의 메시지도 전한다. 이 책은 신생물학을 대표하는 책이다. “우리의 건강을 지배하는 것은 유전자가 아니라 생활방식이라는 사실을 과학적으로 알고 싶다면 이 책은 필독서다”(M. T. 모터 2세).
‘DNA가 인간의 삶을 통제한다’는 도그마
오랫동안 세포를 연구하면서 립턴 박사는 ‘세포는 유전자에 의해서가 아니라 세포를 둘러싼 물리적 환경 및 에너지 환경에 의해 지배된다’는 사실을 발견했다. DNA는 오히려 긍적적이거나 부정적인 생각으로부터 나오는 에너지와 세포 밖으로부터 들어오는 신호의 지배를 받는다는 사실을 발견했다. ‘인간의 삶도 유전자가 아니라 생명체를 움직이게 하는 환경으로부터 받는 신호에 대한 반응에 의해 결정된다’는 놀라운 사실을 발견했다. 하지만 그는 이런 자신을 ‘바티칸에 들어가 교황이라는 제도가 사기라고 외치는 사제’와 비슷하며 ‘생물학계의 이단아’나 다름없다고 말한다. 그만큼 자신의 주장과 과학적인 진실이 기존의 과학계에서는 받아들여지기 어렵다는 말이다. 그렇다면 이런 DNA 결정론은 어떻게 나온 것일까?
저자는 그 유래를 다윈에게서 찾는다. 다윈은 <종의 기원>에서 ‘유전적’ 인자들이 세대를 통해 전달되면서 후손의 형질을 지배한다(즉, 개체의 삶의 특징을 지배한다)고 ‘추정’했다. 그러자 과학자들은 세포의 구조 안에 있는 생명을 다스리는 유전적 메커니즘을 찾는 데 앞장섰고, 크릭과 왓슨이 마침내 유전자의 기본 구성 물질인 DNA의 이중나선 구조와 기능을 밝혀내면서 절정에 이르렀다. 그리하여 DNA가 유전을 지배하고 생물학적 삶을 통제한다는 생각은 분자생물학의 핵심 도그마가 되고(DNA 우위성), 과학자들은 이를 신봉하게 되었다. 더 나아가 처음에는 DNA가 사람의 신체적 특징만을 결정한다고 여겨졌는데, 점차 유전자가 사람의 감정과 행동까지도 통제한다고 ‘믿기’ 시작했다는 것이다.
유전자가 생명을 지배한다는 생각은 가설일 뿐
하지만 립턴 박사는 유전자가 생명을 지배한다는 과학적 전제에는 큰 결함이 있다고 말한다. 즉 유전자는 스스로 발현되는 것이 아니며 환경 속의 그 무엇인가가 유전자의 활동을 촉진해야 한다는 것이다(다윈도 말년에 자신의 진화론이 환경의 역할을 과소평가했다는 것을 시인했지만, 유전자의 도그마에 눈이 먼 과학자들은 이런 사실을 외면했다고 한다). 세계적인 생물학자인 니주트(H. F. Nijhout) 역시 “유전자가 생명을 지배한다는 생각은 가설일 뿐이라는 사실을 과학자들이 잊고 있는 것”이라고 했다. 그리고 실제 과학적 성과들에 의해 이 가설은 그 입지가 흔들리고 있다. 니주트는 또 “유전자가 무엇인가를 만들어내려면 유전자 자체의 특성으로부터가 아니라 환경으로부터 오는 신호가 그 유전자의 발현을 활성화시켜야 한다”는 것이 진실이라고 강조한다.
세포막에 숨어 있는 생명의 비밀
립턴 박사가 이처럼 ‘유전자 결정론’을 통렬하게 비판하는 과학적 근거는 크게 두 가지이다.
첫 번째는 신호전달의 과학으로, 이 학문은 세포가 환경으로부터 받는 자극에 반응하는 생화학적 경로에 초점을 맞춘 과학이다.
세포에서 유전자의 발현을 바꾸어 세포의 운명을 지배하고, 세포의 운동에 영향을 주고, 세포의 생존을 지배하는 것은 원형질의 작용이다. 곧, 세포의 기능은 세포 안에 있는 단백질 ‘톱니바퀴’의 운동으로부터 직접 나오는데, 이 단백질 모임이 만들어내는 운동이 생명을 유지하는 생리적 기능의 원천이 된다는 것이다. 그런데 단백질은 물리적인 구성요소이고, 이 단백질을 활성화시키려면 ‘환경 신호’가 들어와야 한다. 이 단백질과 환경 신호 사이를 연결해주는 것이 ‘세포막’(저자는 세포막을 ‘마술사 세포막’이라 부름)이다. 특히 세포막 안에 있는 막단백질(수용기-효과기 단백질)이 워낙 중요해서 이들이 작동하는 방식을 연구하는 것이 바로 ‘신호전달’이라는 독립된 분야가 된 것이다.
이런 신호전달의 과학을 통해 알 수 있게 된 것은 ‘세포의 활동은 유전 정보를 통해서가 아니라 주변 환경과의 상호작용을 통해 주로 결정된다’는 것이다. 따라서 어떤 유기체의 운명과 행동은 그 유기체가 환경을 어떻게 인식하는가에 달려 있다는 것이다.
생명의 진정한 비밀은 이처럼 세포막의 단순한 생물학적 메커니즘 속에 숨어 있다. 이는 곧 세포의 뇌에 해당하는 부분을 핵(核)으로 보는 것은 잘못된 것이며, 진정한 뇌에 해당하는 것은 세포막이라는 놀라운 사실을 알려준다. 저자는 이 때문에 핵중심 생물학자에서 세포막중심 생물학자로 거듭나게 된다.
문제는 환경이야, 멍청아!
두 번째는 후성유전학적 관점이다. 이는 환경으로부터 받는 신호가 어떻게 전자의 활동을 선택하고 변화시키고 조절하는가를 연구하는 학문이다.
후성유전학을 통해 과학자들은 유전자를 통해 전달되는 DNA 청사진이 태어날 때 고정되어 버리는 것이 아니라는 사실을 발견했다. 영양 공급, 스트레스, 감정 등 환경적 영향이 기본적인 청사진을 바꾸지 않고도 유전자를 변화시킬 수 있다는 뜻이다. 또한 이러한 변화가 후손들에게 전달된다는 사실도 아울러 발견했다. 결국 이런 연구 결과는 ‘DNA의 우위성’이 아니라 ‘환경의 우위성’이 옳다는 사실을 증명해준다.
여기에 비정상적인 ‘아구티’ 유전자를 가진 어미 쥐들에게 각기 다른 먹이를 준 결과 먹이의 성분에 따라 전혀 다른 새끼가 태어난 결과도 립턴 박사의 주장을 뒷받침해준다. 그동안 외면했던 (환경적 영향 때문에 획득한 성질이 후손에게 전달된다고 믿은) 라마르크를 다시 거론하는 과학자들이 늘어나는 점도 후성유전학적 증거들이 얻어낸 결과이다.
우리의 몸과 마음, 생활을 지배하는 건 ‘믿음’
립턴 박사는 이 연구를 통해 우리 모두가 만족스럽고 건강한 삶, 평화와 행복과 사랑이 넘치는 삶을 살아가려면 무엇보다 이런 유전자 결정론을 벗어나야 한다고 강조한다. 우리의 마음가짐에 따라 건강하고 행복한 삶이 얼마든지 가능하다고 주장한다. 이러한 삶은 유전자의 노예로 있는 한 불가능하다. 믿음이 몸과 마음, 생활을 지배할 때 가능하다.
하지만 17세기에 데카르트가 ‘마음과 몸을 분리’하는 사고를 정립한 후, 뉴턴 물리학의 관념에 지배당한 의학계 또한 이를 받아들였고, 이는 지금까지도 이어지고 있다. 문제는 이들의 환원주의적 사고가 질병을 다루는 의학 시스템에까지 확장된 것이다. 질병의 원인도 한 줄로 늘어선 요소 중 하나로부터 나오는 것으로 판단해서, 망가진 부품만 교체하면 건강이 회복된다고 믿는 것이다. 이들은 뉴턴 물리학에 매달린 나머지 ‘물질은 에너지로 만들어졌고, 모든 것은 상대적’이라는 양자 세계를 보지 못하거나 무시하며, 에너지가 건강과 질병에서 수행하는 역할을 도외시해버린다. 또한 세포의 생물학적 정보망이 광범위하게 상호 연결되어 있다는 사실을 간과해버린다.
립턴 박사는 이러한 잘못을 고치려면 의학도 양자물리학적 시각에서 접근해야 한다고 주장한다. 이 시각에서 보면 우주는 상호 의존하는 에너지 장의 모임이며, 이 장들은 그물 같은 상호작용으로 서로 얽혀 있다. 이를 통해 우리는 물리적 신체가 어떻게 비물리적인 마음에 의해 영향을 받는지 알 수 있다. 그리고 마침내 몸과 마음이 다시 결합할 수 있게 된다. 저자는 이러한 과학(‘신념’이 인간의 행동과 유전자의 활동, 그리고 결국 삶의 방향에 어떻게 영향을 미치는가를 밝혀주는 과학)을 의학계와 과학계가 적극 활용해야 한다고 강조한다. 마음의 힘을 활용하는 편이 약을 활용하는 것보다 훨씬 더욱 효과적이다. 에너지 신호는 화학적 신호보다 훨씬 더 빠르고 효율적이기 때문이다.
저자는 데카르트 시대 이후 과학의 세계와 영혼의 세계가 갈라져서, 영혼과 멀어진 과학이 자신의 의무를 바꾸었다고 말한다. 즉, 인간이 자연의 질서와 조화를 이루면서 살 수 있도록 자연의 질서를 이해하려 노력하지 않고, 자연을 통제하고 지배하려고만 하게 되었다는 것이다. 결국 이런 과학은 인류 문명을 대멸망의 길로 몰아갈 것이다. 이러한 비극을 막는 길은, 저자가 세포의 삶에서 관찰했듯, 인간이 건강한 세포 공동체의 생활방식을 따르며, ‘개체’를 강조하는 다윈의 이론을 뛰어넘어 ‘공동체’의 협력을 강조하는 방향으로 나아가는 것이다.
‘행복, 사랑, 건강이 넘치는 삶’으로 이끌어주는 지침서
우리의 삶을 지배하는 것은 유전자가 아니라 믿음이라는 사실을 깨달았다. 그런데 사람의 믿음은 카메라의 필터와 같다. 어떤 필터를 장착하느냐에 따라 세상은 달라 보인다. 그리고 인간의 몸은 이러한 믿음에 적응해간다. 따라서 올바른 삶을 살아가기 위해서는 우리가 마음을 ‘건강하게 사는’ 쪽으로 잡는 방법을 배우는 것이 중요하다. 이때 꼭 필요한 것이 우리 안에 있는 생명력을 최대한 활용하는 일이다. 그러기 위해서는 우리 삶에서 스트레스 요인을 없애야 할 뿐만 아니라 성장 과정을 촉진하는 유쾌하고 사랑에 넘치며 만족스러운 삶을 적극적으로 추구해야만 한다.
부모가 아이를 키우는 일도 마찬가지이다. 부모 역할의 핵심은 아이를 건강하고 총명하며 창의적이고 기쁨에 넘치는 아이로 키우는 것이다. 하지만 우리는 그동안 유전적 결정론에 치우쳐 신념이 우리의 삶에 영향을 미친다는 사실, 나아가 우리의 행동과 태도가 우리 자녀의 삶을 결정짓는다는 사실에 무지했다. 물론 유전자는 중요하다. 그러나 이 유전자가 빛을 보려면 사랑의 형태를 갖춘 양육과 환경이 제공하는 풍요로운 기회를 아이들에게 만들어주어야 한다. 사람은 스스로의 유전자 속에 ‘갇혀’ 있는 존재가 아님을 거듭 깨닫고, ‘사랑’이라는 최고의 성장촉진제로 아이들을 키운다면 우리와 우리가 속해 있는 사회는 더욱 활기에 넘칠 것이다.
책의 내용 요약
1장에서는 ‘똑똑한’ 세포들에 대해 설명하고, 이들이 왜, 그리고 어떻게 우리 자신의 몸과 마음에 대해 그토록 많은 것을 가르쳐줄 수 있는지를 이야기한다. 2장에서는 유전자가 생명을 지배하는 것이 아니라는 과학적 증거를 제시한다. 특히 환경(즉 자연)이 어떻게 유전자 코드를 변화시키지 않고도 세포의 행동에 영향을 미치는가를 파헤치는 새로운 생물학 분야인 후성유전학의 놀라운 발견을 소개한다.
3장에서는 세포의 ‘피부’에 해당하는 세포막을 다룬다. 대개 세포막보다는 DNA가 들어 있는 세포의 핵에 대해 훨씬 많이 듣는다. 그러나 저자는 세포막이야말로 세포 활동의 진정한 뇌에 해당한다는 사실을 첨단 과학과 연구 결과를 통해 보여준다. 4장에서는 양자물리학의 경이로운 발견을 다루는데, 이러한 발견은 질병을 이해하고 치료하는 데 깊은 의미를 갖는다. 그러나 기존의 의학계는 양자물리학을 연구하지도 의학 교육에 포함시키지도 않으며, 그 결과는 참담하다.
5장에서는 책의 제목에 대해 알려준다. 긍정적인 생각은 사람의 행동과 유전자에 깊은 영향을 미치지만 이는 이러한 사고가 무의식적 프로그램과 조화를 이룰 때에만 가능하다. 부정적 사고도 물론 똑같이 강력한 영향을 미친다. 긍정적인 믿음과 부정적인 믿음이 우리의 생물학적 과정을 어떻게 지배하는가를 알면, 이러한 지식을 이용하여 건강과 행복에 넘치는 삶을 창조할 수 있다. 6장에서는 세포와 인간이 왜 성장해야 하며 두려움이 이러한 성장을 어떻게 차단하는가를 다룬다.
7장은 “깨어 있는” 자녀양육을 다룬다. 부모로서 우리는 자식들의 생각을 입력하는 데 있어 우리의 역할을 인식해야 하며, 이러한 믿음이 자식들의 삶에 어떠한 영향을 끼치는지도 알아야 한다. 부모든 아니든 모든 독자에게 7장은 중요하다. 왜냐하면 지금 부모가 아닌 사람도 자신의 부모의 자식이므로 이러한 프로그래밍과 그 영향력을 이해하면 스스로에 대해 많은 것을 깨달을 수 있다.
에필로그에서는 새로운 생물학에 대해 깨달은 후 저자가 어떻게 영혼과 과학이라는 두 가지 영역을 통합하는 것이 중요한가를 깨달았는지를 돌아본다. 이 둘의 통합이야말로 저자가 회의론적 과학자의 너울을 벗어버린 시점이다. 접기
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생명체의 행동은 생각에 의해서도 통제할 수 있다. 새창으로 보기 구매
아는 분의 막내 아들이 어릴적에 놀다 다쳐서 뇌수술을 하고 생명을 겨우 건졌다고 했다. 그때 의사는 오른손을 못 쓸 것이고 많은 부분에서 정상적이지는 못 할 것라고 했단다. 그분은 아이가 생명을 되찾은 것에 감사하고 그이상 아무런 기대도 하지 않았었다고 했다. 그러나 아이는 정상적으로 자라났고 그건 바로 기적이라고 했다. 수술하던 당시 병원에서 만났던 한 수녀님의 정성된 기도덕분이라 생각하며 현재도 그수녀님을 찾아뵙고 있다고 말했었다.
책을 읽고 나니 그런 기적이라면 언제든지 일어날 수 있는 일이라는 생각이 든다. 앞으로 의학은 데카르트적 사고에서 벗어나 양자물리학적 입장에 입각해 더 많은 연구를 해서 기적이라 말해지는 현상들에 대한 설명뿐 아니라 진짜 사이비 의학을 가려낼 수 있는 기반이 쌓이길 희망해본다.
저자 브루스 H. 립턴은 위스콘신 대학교 의대에서 강의하고 스탠퍼드대 의대에서 연구를 수행한 세포생물학 전공 과학자다. 세포를 연구하며 세포의 삶은 그 세포의 유전자가 아니라 세포의 물리적 환경 및 에너지 환경에 의해 지배된다는 사실을 깨닫고 우리 삶도 마찬가지임을 연구했다.
이 책은 크게 세가지 내용으로 이루어져 있다고 생각한다. 현재 생물학과 의학계의 지배적인 생각인 유전자 결정론과 일명 대증요법이라 일컫는 서양의학적 치료법에 대한 비판과 근거를 제시하고 있다. 두번째는 인체의 신호 체계에 있어 생화학적인 면만 고려할 것이 아니라 에너지적 측면도 고려해야 하며 의식만이 아니라 인간을 지배하는 무의식적 측면을 고려해야 한다고 말한다. 마지막으로 지구는 전체가 살아있는 하나의 시스템이라고 생각할 수 있으며 그것을 바탕으로 우리가 삶의 시각을 바꾸고 서로 협동하고 사랑하는 공동체로 나아갈 것을 주장하고 있다.
생물학의 전제인 유전자 결정론은 근본적으로 결함을 가지고 있다. 왓슨과 크릭이 DNA의 이중나선구조와 기능을 밝혀낸 이후 DNA가 생물학적 삶을 통제한다는 메커니즘은 분자생물학의 핵심 도그마가 되었고 나중에는 유전자가 사람들의 감정과 행동까지도 통제한다고 믿게 되었다. 그러나 유전자는 스스로 발현되지 않으며 환경 속의 그 무엇인가가 유전자의 활동을 촉발해야 한다.
세포막이야 말로 세포 활동의 진정한 뇌에 해당한다는 사실을 첨단과학은 계속해서 보여주고 있다. 1990년 H.F. 니주트는 유전자가 생명을 지배한다는 주장은 하도 오랫동안 자주 반복되어서 과학자들은 이 주장이 진실이 아니라 가설이라는 사실을 잊어버렸다라고 했다. 유전자가 생명체를 지배한다는 생각은 최근의 과학적 연구에 의해 지속적으로 입지가 흔들리고 있다.
세포 소기관 시스템이 사용하는 생화학적 메커니즘은 인간의 기관계가 사용하는 시스템과 근본적으로 같다. 세포들은 생존에 도움이 되는 환경을 구별하여 찾아나설 수 있으며 학습할 능력이 있고 기억은 딸세포에게 전달된다.
단세포 생명체는 생존해야 한다는 필연성 때문에 공동체 규모가 커지는 쪽으로 진화했고 구조화된 환경을 만들어 냈다. 라마르크는 진화론의 진정한 창시자이며 진화는 유기체와 주변 환경 사이의 협력적 상호작용에 바탕을 두고 있으며 이러한 상호작용을 통해 생존에 필요한 적응을 하고 이를 후손에 전달한다.
최근 유전체학의 발달로 여러 생물 종 사이에서 진행되는 협력의 메커니즘이 많이 밝혀졌고 유전자 전이를 통하여 유전 정보를 교환하고 다른 개체가 학습한 경험을 습득할 수 있어 진화의 속도가 빨라진다.
1980년대 유전적 결정론이 득세를 하고 인간 게놈 프로젝트로 인체 내의 모든 유전자를 찾아내는 일이 진행되었다. 결과는 과학계를 충격에 빠뜨렸다. 인간게놈에는 25000개의 유전자 밖에 들어있지 않았다. 몸의 세포 수가 천여개에 불과한 꼬마 선충의 게놈이 24000개, 초파리도 15000개였고 설치류는 인간과 비슷했다. 유전학자인 볼티모어는 엄청나게 복잡한 인간의 성질이 유전자의 수가 믾다는데 기인하는 것이 아님이 분명다고 했다.
유전자는 스스로 행동을 직접 지배하지 않고, 세포 혹은 기관의 삶의 프로그램을 미리 짤 수도 없다. 세포의 생존은 끊임없이 변하는 환경에 역동적으로 적응하는 능력에 달려있기 때문이다.
다세포 생물은 과거의 과학자들이 생각했던 것보다 훨씬 더 적은 수의 유전자로 살아갈 수 있다. 대부분의 생물학적 기능 이상은 세포 분자 및 이온 차원에서 시작된다. 그래서 양자 물리학과 뉴턴 물리학을 모두 아우르는 생물학이 필요하며 재래식 방법에 매달리는 서양 의학자들은 생명현상을 일으키는 진정한 힘인 분자 메커니즘을 이해하지 못한다. 마음의 에너지인 생각은 물리적인 뇌가 신체의 생리를 어떻게 조절하는가에 대해 직접 영향을 미친다.
인간은 능동적으로 환경 신호에 어떻게 반응할 지 선텍할 수 있다. 무의식에 따르는 프로그램된 행동을 압도하는 의식적 마음의 능력이야말로 자유의지의 바탕이다. 그러나 무의식 속에 프로그램된 잘못된 정보는 인간을 부적절하고 스스로를 얽매는 행동을 반복하도록 한다.
인간의 의식이 꿈꾸는 바를 실현하는데 가장 큰 걸림돌은 무의식에 프로그램된 것들이다. 무의식에 설정한 한계는 인간의 행동에 영향을 끼칠 뿐만 아니라 그 사람의 생리적 과정 및 건강을 결정짓는 데도 주된 역할을 한다.
단세포 출현 이후 환경적 변화에 대응하기 위해 진화가 시작되었고 이타적 다세포 공동체를 형성했다. 진화의 사다리 꼭대기 아니면 그 근처에 있는 인간은 인구가 증가함에 따라 발생하는 압력에 밀려 진화의 사다리를 한 칸 더 올라야 하는 시점이다.
새로운 깨달음 속에 적자생존의 투쟁이 아니라 지구의 모든 사람과 사물이 서로를 복돋우는 방식으로 살아야 한다는 사실을 깨닫는 것이 가장 중요하다. 애자생존이야말로 건강한 개인 생활 뿐만 아니라 건강한 지구를 만드는 유일한 윤리관임을 사람들이 깨닫도록 하여 인류 문명을 진보시키는 일에 종사하는 사람들의 여러가지 활동을 한데 묶어야 한다.
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The Biology of Belief 10th Anniversary Edition: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter & Miracles Paperback – October 11, 2016
by Bruce H. Lipton (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars 3,470 ratings
This 10th-anniversary edition of Bruce Lipton’s best-selling book
The Biology of Belief has been updated to bolster the book’s central premise with the latest scientific discoveries—and there have been a lot in the last decade.
The Biology of Belief is a groundbreaking work in the field of new biology. Former medical school professor and research scientist Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D., presents his experiments, and those of other leading-edge scientists, which examine in great detail the mechanisms by which cells receive and process information.
The implications of this research radically change our understanding of life, showing that genes and DNA do not control our biology; instead, DNA is controlled by signals from outside the cell, including the energetic messages emanating from our positive and negative thoughts.
This profoundly hopeful synthesis of the latest and best research in cell biology and quantum physics has been hailed as a major breakthrough, showing that our bodies can be changed as we retrain our thinking.
Editorial Reviews
Review
“I read The Biology of Belief when it first came out. It was a pioneering book and gave a much needed scientific framework for the mind/body/spirit connection. Bruce’s insights and research created the basis of the epigenetic revolution that is now laying the foundation for a consciousness-based understanding of biology. We are all indebted to him.”
— Deepak Chopra, M.D., F.A.C.P., co-author with Rudolph Tanzi of Super Genes: Unlock the Astonishing Power of Your DNA for Optimum Health and Well-Being
“Bruce Lipton’s book is the definitive summary of the new biology and all it implies. It is magnificent, profound beyond words, and a delight to read. It synthesizes an encyclopedia of critical new information into a brilliant yet simple package. These pages contain a genuine revolution in thought and understanding, one so radical that it can change the world.”
— Joseph Chilton Pearce, Ph.D., author of Magical Child and Evolution’s End
“Bruce Lipton’s delightfully written The Biology of Belief is a much-needed antidote to the ‘bottom-up’ materialism of today’s society. The idea that DNA encodes all of life’s development is being successfully employed in genetic engineering. At the same time, the shortfall of this approach is becoming evident. The Biology of Belief is a review of a quarter-century of pioneering results in Epigenetics, heralded by The Wall Street Science Journal in mid-2004 as an important new field. Its personal style makes it eminently readable and enjoyable.”
— Karl H. Pribram, M.D., Ph.D., (Hon. Multi), professor emeritus, Stanford University
“Dr. Lipton is a genius. His breakthrough discoveries give us tools for regaining the sovereignty over our lives. I recommend this book to anyone who is ready and willing to take full responsibility for themselves and the destiny of our planet.”
— LeVar Burton, actor and director
“Bruce Lipton offers new insights and understanding into the interface between biological organisms, the environment—and the influence of thought, perception, and subconscious awareness—on the expression of one’s body healing potential. Well-referenced explanations and examples make this book a refreshing ‘must read’ for the student of the biological, social, and health care sciences. Yet the clarity of the author’s presentation makes it an enjoyable read for a general audience.”
— Carl Cleveland III, D.C., President, Cleveland Chiropractic College
“Dr. Lipton’s revolutionary research has uncovered the missing connections between biology, psychology, and spirituality. If you want to understand the deepest mysteries of life, this is one of the most important books you will ever read.”
—Dennis Perman, D.C., co-founder, The Master’s Circle
“In this paradigm-busting book, Bruce Lipton delivers a TKO to Old Biology. With a left to Darwinian dogma and a right to allopathic medicine, he breaks out of the physicalist box into enlightenment on the mind/body (belief/biology) system. Must read, much fun.”
— Ralph Abraham, Ph.D., professor of mathematics, University of California; author of Chaos, Gaia, Eros
“Powerful! Elegant! Simple! In a style that is as accessible as it is meaningful, Dr. Bruce Lipton offers nothing less than the long-sought–after ‘missing link’ between life and consciousness. In doing so, he answers the oldest questions and solves the deepest mysteries of our past. I have no doubt that The Biology of Belief will become a cornerstone for the science of the new millennium.”
— Gregg Braden, best-selling author of The God Code and The Divine Matrix
“I finished reading this book with the same sense of profound respect I have when I am with Bruce Lipton—that I have been touched by a revolutionary sense of the truth. He is both a scientist and a philosopher; a scientist in that he provides us with tools toalter cultural consciousness and a philosopher because he challenges our beliefs about the very nature of our perceived reality. He is helping us create our own futures.”
— Guy F. Riekeman, D.C., President, Life University and College of Chiropractic
“The Biology of Belief is a milestone for evolving humanity. Dr. Bruce Lipton has provided, through his amazing research and in this inspiring book, a new, more awakened science of human growth and transformation. Instead of being limited by the genetic or biological constraints that humanity has been programmed to live by, humanity now has before it a way of unleashing its true spiritual potential with the help of simply transformed beliefs guided by ‘the gentle and loving hand of God.’ A definite must read for those dedicated to the mind/body movement and to the true essence of healing.”
— Dr. John F. Demartini, best-selling author of Count Your Blessings and The Breakthrough Experience
“In a world of chaos, Dr. Lipton brings clarity to mankind. His work is thought-provoking, insightful, and will hopefully lead people to ask better quality questions in their lives and to make better decisions.One of the most exciting books I have read, this is a must read.”
— Brian Kelly, D.C., President, New Zealand College of Chiropractic; President, Australian Spinal Research Foundation
“Finally, a compelling and easy-to-understand explanation of how your emotions regulate your genetic expression! You need to read this book to truly appreciate that you are not a victim of your genes but instead have unlimited capacity to live a life overflowing with peace, happiness, and love.”
— Joseph Mercola, D.O., Founder of mercola.com, the world’s most visited natural-health site
“This book is an absolute must-read if you want to know, from a scientific viewpoint, that your lifestyle is in control of your health rather than your genetics. From a scientific viewpoint, Lipton demonstrates that the mind is more powerful than drugs to regain our health. The information reveals that your health is more your responsibility than just being a victim of your genes. When I started reading this book, I could not stop until it was finished.”
— M. T. Morter, Jr., D.C., founder, Morter Health System; developer of the B.E.S.T. Technique
“This is a courageous and visionary book that provides solid evidence from quantum biology to dispel the myth of genetic determinism—and implicitly, victimhood. Dr. Bruce Lipton brings a solid scientific mind to not only inform but to transform and empower the reader with the realization that our beliefs create every aspect ofour personal reality. A provocative and inspiring read!”
— Lee Pulos, Ph.D., A.B.P.P., professor emeritus, University of British Columbia; author of Miracles and Other Realities and Beyond Hypnosis
“History will record The Biology of Belief as one of the most important writings of our time. Bruce Lipton has delivered the missing link between the understandings of biomedicine of the past and the essentials of energetic healing of the future. His complex insights are expressed in a readily understandable fashion with a style that welcomes the scientist and the nonscientist on an equal footing. For anyone interested in health, the well-being of the species, and the future of human life, The Biology of Belief is a must-read. The implications of the perspectives outlined have the potential to change the world as we know it. Bruce Lipton’s understandings—and his concise expression of them—are sheer genius.”
— Gerard W. Clum, D.C., President, Life Chiropractic College West
About the Author
Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D., cell biologist and lecturer, is an internationally recognized leader in bridging science and spirit. Bruce was on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin’s School of Medicine and later performed groundbreaking stem-cell research at Stanford University. He is the best-selling author of The Biology of Belief, The Honeymoon Effect, and Spontaneous Evolution. In 2009, Bruce received the prestigious Goi Peace Award (Japan) in honor of his scientific contribution to world harmony. Website: www.brucelipton.com
Product details
Publisher : Hay House Inc.; 10th Anniversary ed. edition (October 11, 2016)
Language : English
Paperback : 312 pages
Customer Reviews: 4.7 out of 5 stars 3,470 ratings
Bruce H. Lipton
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Biography
Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. is an internationally recognized authority in bridging science and spirit and a leading voice in new biology. A cell biologist by training, he taught at the University of Wisconsin's School of Medicine, and later performed pioneering studies at Stanford University. Author of The Biology of Belief, he has been a guest speaker on hundreds of TV and radio shows, as well as keynote presenter for national and international conferences. Steve Bhaerman is an author, humorist, and political and cultural commentator, who's been writing and performing enlightening comedy as Swami Beyondananda for over 20 years. A pioneer in alternative education and holistic publications, Steve is active in transpartisan politics and the practical application of Spontaneous Evolution.
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4.7 out of 5 stars
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DP
5.0 out of 5 stars Incredibly informative read
Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2017
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This book has been fundamental in helping me understand difference between the subconscious and conscious brains and how to handle the fight between the two when overcoming bad habits. I feel like I can conquer anything by just having the knowledge of how our brains truly work. Yes we all know that we have a subconscious and a conscious but Bruce does a fantastic job defining the two and provides such clever analogies to how each works. I’m usually too lazy to leave reviews and this is actually the first book review I’ve written. That’s how empowering and inspiring this book was.
313 people found this helpful
M.Biblioswine
5.0 out of 5 stars Reminds me of "The New PsychoCybernetics"
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2017
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This is a good book. It reminds me a lot of Maltz's book "The New PsychoCybernetics ".
In in one way this is a better book than Maltz's, Lipton provides updated resources that contribute to the text that are different from what were in his text from ten years earlier.
Maltz's book was first published in 1960. The editors of the recent editions have added some updated resources, but the texts also continue to refer to articles from the 1950s from popular magazines. Maltz has been dead for some time and so it isn't his fault . I have thought all along that references to the old articles should be replaced with contemporary resources that confirm the claims of the earlier ones. It is an advantage for Lipton to be able to update his own book.
With that said, in some ways I like the PsychoCybernetics books better than this one because they provide exercises for making the changes in programming that Maltz describes. Lipton does a great job of describing the mechanisms of our problems and assures us that physical healing and personal change is possible, but he doesn't go that far into how to change the programming. He does say that simply relying on will power and positive thinking won't usually work. But he doesn't provide well developed alternatives in his book. Instead, he provides a link to resources and to someone else's web page. At that point the book looks like a sales pitch.
"The Biology of Belief" is a worthwhile book for someone interested in ideas complimentary to the works of authors such as Wayne Dyer or Owen Barfield. It is good to have a reputable scientist to present ideas similar to Maltz's in his own words because it shows that the earlier works can still be considered seriously, even if Lipton is something of a lone voice or minority view in the medical establishment.
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V. Vanderbent
4.0 out of 5 stars Must read albeit short on nutritional aspects
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2017
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Must read for the self-developing individual - missing one important aspect of life. Couldn't agree more with other reviewers, this is a great book. Dr. Mercola praises on the back cover "it's easy to read" which is something I can't agree with. The Biology of Belief is not particularly light subject matter as Lipton dives head first into the real workings of the cells that our bodies are made up of. Absolutely fascinating that he's able to link cell operation and function to the spiritual side of life. Wish one aspect of cell nutrition would have gotten more attention: the food we eat and the vitamins and minerals we consume - or don't. For one thing, Vitamin D (a pre-hormone really) doesn't seem to get the credit it deserves as a fundamental building block in cell maintenance. Lipton discusses depression (a good brand of Vitamin D helped me overcome it, nothing else worked), and cholesterol (Prof. Peskin's Parent Essential Oils based on his protocol deserve a mention here because Amazon sells that as well as Peskin's books which outline the research that led to his discovery).
Lipton's mention of the fallacy of statin drugs' effectiveness is by itself worth the price of this book and the time to read it. Completely in line with Prof. Peskin's findings. It's always great to hear that important research is validated from a completely different angle. Lipton does it time and again. I can't wait for him to sit down and write another edition incorporating in more detail findings on trauma by Pete Walker (Complex PTSD), Norman Doidge's research (The Brain That Changes Itself (also here on Amazon.com)) and Dr. Richard Brouse (Build a Better You), for instance.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Read it
Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2016
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Quite literally changed my life. My Parkinson's disease symptoms went from miserable to a mild annoyance. Tenth anniversary edition has valuable information that should not be missed.
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Devlin Healy
5.0 out of 5 stars I also recommend "You are the Placebo" by Dr
Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2016
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This Book. This Book. Everyone needs to read this book. If there is one book you read this year that will help you grow - this is it.
Sorry. You are totally responsible for how you feel, and how you feel determines is you grow or die. You can't do both, and no matter what, your doing one or the other.
This book will help you snap into grow mode.
I also recommend "You are the Placebo" by Dr. Joe Dispenza. Another great book driving the same point home. Both books compliment each other, but I'd recommend reading this one first.
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Ana M Riehle
4.0 out of 5 stars Bruce Lipton is so dag on funny! I spend half the time rereading sentences to ...
Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2017
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Lots of Ah ha! moments in this book. Bruce Lipton is so dag on funny! I spend half the time rereading sentences to understand them and the other half laughing at this guys quirky personality which totally shows in his writing! I love it! He did such a great job explaining things, really breaking them down for our understanding. And although I was a science major and have had years of education in human/cell biology this was still difficult to read at times. There is definitely a lot of science in it. But to be fair I'm only on chapter 3. The chapters are long in this 10 anniversary edition due to some extended, updated material attached to the end of each chapter, but I love this because it really closes the gap between what was known 10 years ago as opposed to today, and a lot can be revealed in 10 years. I'd suggest that in the following 10 years Bruce just write a continuation book or an update book rather than adding to the already long chapters of this one. But it's an awesome book and i can't wait to use what I'm learning in my practice as well as on myself.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Your body can and will do whatever you ask....just believe.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 7, 2018
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I can't put into words(because there are none) to describe how this book has changed and blessed not only my life but also my family's and those closest to me. It's too long of a story to put into a review...... but it came along just when medicine and science and and my external reality told me that certain blessings would not come into my life. This book came along at just the right time for me to move beyond my fear based emotions and my pre programming of life and allow myself and my family to bring into our lives what was once seen and said as impossible and unachievable.... can't thank bruce Lipton and his book enough. Trust me when I say that miracles do happen if you trust and believe that your body already has what it needs to heal itself. Can't recommend this book enough. Big WOW!
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Asio flammeus
2.0 out of 5 stars The human brain may imagine what it pleases, no more, no less.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 16, 2019
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The Biology of Belief: Bruce Lipton 10th Anniversary Edition, 2015.
I should say at the outset that my acquaintance with the book came about via a student who had recommended it to others, though not to me specifically!
There is a good selection of reviews for this book without my having to go into much detail myself as to the book’s content. However, I would suggest that the essence of the message here could have been delivered in far fewer words than those that fill its 277 pages.
Fortunately there is an index (not all large tomes have an index these days); and following the index a page of biographical detail for the author (no date of birth) and then a useful 12 blank pages for “notes”.
At the very front of the book (before all else) there are 4 pages headed “Praise for the Biology of Belief” containing a paragraph or two from mostly “highly qualified” individuals.
The book’s subtitle is: “Releasing the Power of Consciousness, Matter and Miracles”.
I searched the index in vain for the word “miracle” but matter itself gets a good airing, as does “universe”, although the author does not give a definition for his understanding of the word itself. Similarly he appears to have it in for the pharmaceutical industry; thus from page 100: “The trillion-dollar pharmaceutical industry puts its research money into the search for magic bullets in the form of chemicals because pills mean money. If energy healing could be made into tablet form, drug manufacturers would get interested quickly.”
Here we have an unfortunate juxtaposition between “pill” and “tablet” inclining one to hope Lipton understands the important distinction between the two
There is a detailed confessional in the Prologue, pages xiii to xxvii. Apparently Lipton was not happy with the way his life was leading in his early career until “working in an offshore medical college in the Caribbean” he had moment of revelation that released him from “biology’s Central Dogma—the belief that life is controlled by genes—into the minds of medical students.”
And so it would appear to this reviewer that Lipton simply swapped one dogma for another having now become fixated on “quantum theory” a study requiring some expertise in mathematics.
We are told that the author’s expertise is eagerly sought after worldwide resulting in a rigorous travelling programme of lectures: it is to be hoped he avoids the use of the winged canister. (There are some 100,000 civil aircraft airborne across the planet at any given time, all contributing to atmospheric pollution on a grand scale. No, I do not fly myself: travelling through the mind is the art of staying put.)
As an all-round academic I cannot say I am particularly swayed by this rendition of the Lipton philosophy of life.
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N. Minnis
5.0 out of 5 stars A thought-provoking and world view-changing book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 15, 2017
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A brilliant book that changes the way I view disease and even the world in some respects. Lipton demonstrates that since even the most solid matter in the universe is actually made up of vortices of energy and that our experiences of our world are governed by the information that our brains receive from our senses, our mental state has an immense influence over our phyisical state. However I did struggle with some of the scientific concepts he presents, especially in the first half of the book, as I am not a trained cell biologist and there was a lot of complex material. I found it well worth persevering as Lipton presents some thought-provoking insights. I also enjoyed the way that he interweaves the story of his own personal journey and the life changes that set him on his new path. It clearly takes a lot of courage for a conventionally-trained scientist to dare to think differently in this day and age,
60 people found this helpful
Lizzievic
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 21, 2017
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Wow this makes so much sense to me. After feeling weighed down with family DNA and addition issues. Bruce has taught me I am in control I have a choice. My life is not determined by any of these issues. I am now free of the chains and weights I had before. Thank you Bruce ! I have since gone through mind matrix reimprinting to change those beliefs that were no good to me. A truly fantastic path.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Book written by an Amazing Man
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 16, 2018
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Loved this Book. Lots of great Info. I am an Energy Healer so great to confirm some things I knew. This man knows his stuff much respect to him. Read the whole book in 2 days couldn’t put it down
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Jul 18, 2011Jason , etc. rated it did not like it
This probably would've been a much more impressive book if I didn't have a background in molecular and cell biology. I'm not saying that science can't be tied to the power of positive thinking, but his conclusions require enormous leaps in order to tie one to the other. Some of the experimental results he points to are incredibly weak and superficial (DNA-methylation rates), and his attempt to involve quantum theory by including it in a later chapter like an afterthought in order (I guess) to make everything seem deeper and more metaphysical was a ridiculously poor choice. Quantum theory isn't something that anyone should attempt to wrap their hypothesis in just because it sounds convincing. Done wrong, it's actually a shortcut to losing credibility.
And as for epigenetics, there's nothing 'new' about the science. The processes involved in controlling gene expression are ridiculously complicated. Implying that positive thought can alter cell-membrane structure, and through that alteration affect DNA transcription/translation in a way favorable to cell survival or death (depending on the circumstances) has the potential to lead to truly ignorant and insensitive statements, such as, "Well, that person died because they didn't think positively enough".
Again, I'm not saying that there isn't a connection between science and belief. I'm saying that this book fails to make it. (less)
And as for epigenetics, there's nothing 'new' about the science. The processes involved in controlling gene expression are ridiculously complicated. Implying that positive thought can alter cell-membrane structure, and through that alteration affect DNA transcription/translation in a way favorable to cell survival or death (depending on the circumstances) has the potential to lead to truly ignorant and insensitive statements, such as, "Well, that person died because they didn't think positively enough".
Again, I'm not saying that there isn't a connection between science and belief. I'm saying that this book fails to make it. (less)
Mar 25, 2012David rated it it was ok · review of another edition
Shelves: biology, philosophy, audiobook
I listened to this short audiobook, which contrary to the "unabridged" description, is much much shorter than the book by the same title and author. It starts up with an in-depth look at how perception alters the response of cells. It discusses epigenetics, and how proteins really contain the "secret of life", and not DNA itself. So far, so good.
The author then tries to make a parallel between cellular perception and an organism's sense of perception. He describes ways in which perception and beliefs can alter one's biological functions. For example, stress can impair the immune system. And, the placebo effect has a strong impact on the defense against many diseases. This is true enough, but the book does not explain, at least to my satisfaction, how beliefs can have these effects. We learn the "what" but not the "how". Then, when the book brings in teachings of Jesus, I lost all hope for this book. (less)
The author then tries to make a parallel between cellular perception and an organism's sense of perception. He describes ways in which perception and beliefs can alter one's biological functions. For example, stress can impair the immune system. And, the placebo effect has a strong impact on the defense against many diseases. This is true enough, but the book does not explain, at least to my satisfaction, how beliefs can have these effects. We learn the "what" but not the "how". Then, when the book brings in teachings of Jesus, I lost all hope for this book. (less)
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, but I do believe it's all good and very true! If you're ready for real positive changes, read this book! Also, check out Bruce Lipton's "Biology of Perception" lecture on YouTube, it's a great visual companion to the book! (less)
Nov 06, 2011Jrobertus rated it did not like it
Lipton was once on the faculty at the University of Wisconsin, and then went off to be in a rock band. It appears that loud music and drugs burned out his brain cells. He got a job at a forth rate med school in the Caribbean, but discovered there is more money in writing junk science. This guy is a charlatan, but as H.L. Mencken said, " nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public". In this book, Lipton misrepresents the view of contemporary science and demonstrates that he knows nothing at all about quantum mechanics. He preaches that QM is the key to understanding life and it is being hidden by from the public, largely by the interests of the drug industry. There is certainly lots to criticize about the pharmaceutical industry, and also the medical profession, but arguing from ignorance and superstition is not the way to do it. (less)
Jun 04, 2019Ayse_ rated it liked it
3.5 stars. It was going very logical and as expected from a scientist with a spiritual awakening until I hit the last chapter. The last chapter is like: `and now for something completely different`, thunder and smoke, vavavwoom, and `its a slippery thing that slips down the slope as it slips` kind of explanations. And the so called magical PSYCH-K that he directs you to, is just the plain old tool that is being used in hypnosis/hypnotherapy for a hundred years, so no point in presenting it as if they found the gold at the end of the rainbow. Read without high expectations. (less)
Jul 25, 2012Jonathan Jobe rated it did not like it
As I read this book I established a love-hate relationship with the author. I agree with the author wholeheartedly that the fields of epigenetics and quantum physics can and will significantly change the way we treat illness. His discussion of the placebo effect with respect to antidepressants was fascinating. However, I became annoyed by his many jabs at "the establishment" and his insistence that his "New Science" and "New Biology" would lead to his condemnation like a modern day Galileo. His sudden leap from "the environment has an effect on gene expression" to "mystical energy and the subconscious mind control everything" is alarming and not well explained or reasoned.
Everything falls apart completely with his Addendum. In the Addendum we learn that a lifetime of subconscious programming can be reversed in just MINUTES through the revolutionary practice of PSYCH-K (TM) starting at $350! The author reduces his entire book to an infomercial for an unscientific and unexplained product.
If you choose to read this book, do so with a grain of salt. The author's valid criticism of our drug-focused treatment of illness does not legitimize his mystical beliefs (less)
Everything falls apart completely with his Addendum. In the Addendum we learn that a lifetime of subconscious programming can be reversed in just MINUTES through the revolutionary practice of PSYCH-K (TM) starting at $350! The author reduces his entire book to an infomercial for an unscientific and unexplained product.
If you choose to read this book, do so with a grain of salt. The author's valid criticism of our drug-focused treatment of illness does not legitimize his mystical beliefs (less)
Jul 21, 2011Petra rated it did not like it
I still own this book as it was given to me as a present and I am too embarrassed to hand it over to anyone else and thus admitting it is in my possession in the first place. I thought about reading it again and marking all the falsehoods I found within the pages, so in case I die, nobody will think I endorse the contents in any form or way.
Okay, jokes aside - reading this book left me so frustrated, I do not exactly feel like writing a tame, sweet, scientific-minded review. This frustration was further fueled by reading some reviews and realizing how easily people are drawn in by hollow pseudoscience and some fancy terms that are used in the hopes that the reader doesn't actually know what they mean and believes the authors' version instead. If you look beyond the fog that this book pulls up, there isn't anything truly valuable to find.
Bruce Lipton tries, with a remarkable ability to stretch his imagination to the breaking point, using popular scientific terms like "quantum physics" to make his book sound especially fancy and sciency. Behind the smoke screen is not much more than a vivid, unscientific bit of imagination, bloomy speech that manages to intentionally and unintentionally distort the science behind it, spiritual voodoo and a dire need for self-gratification that, luckily, he finds in the few students he managed to pull into the world of his pseudoscience. Bruce Lipton attacks his own false depictions of modern science, also known as "attacking a straw-man", and purposefully overestimates single aspects of complex science, while misunderstanding or misrepresenting other aspects, such as the placebo effect. Peppered with claims of mysticism and spiritualism, the book is sure to lull anyone in who would like to have their magical beliefs ratified by science without actually knowing much about it.
Surprisingly, this is not the worst book I have ever read, but it comes really close. (less)
Okay, jokes aside - reading this book left me so frustrated, I do not exactly feel like writing a tame, sweet, scientific-minded review. This frustration was further fueled by reading some reviews and realizing how easily people are drawn in by hollow pseudoscience and some fancy terms that are used in the hopes that the reader doesn't actually know what they mean and believes the authors' version instead. If you look beyond the fog that this book pulls up, there isn't anything truly valuable to find.
Bruce Lipton tries, with a remarkable ability to stretch his imagination to the breaking point, using popular scientific terms like "quantum physics" to make his book sound especially fancy and sciency. Behind the smoke screen is not much more than a vivid, unscientific bit of imagination, bloomy speech that manages to intentionally and unintentionally distort the science behind it, spiritual voodoo and a dire need for self-gratification that, luckily, he finds in the few students he managed to pull into the world of his pseudoscience. Bruce Lipton attacks his own false depictions of modern science, also known as "attacking a straw-man", and purposefully overestimates single aspects of complex science, while misunderstanding or misrepresenting other aspects, such as the placebo effect. Peppered with claims of mysticism and spiritualism, the book is sure to lull anyone in who would like to have their magical beliefs ratified by science without actually knowing much about it.
Surprisingly, this is not the worst book I have ever read, but it comes really close. (less)
Oct 31, 2007Christopher rated it liked it
This book was okay. The parts about new biology were interesting, but i just do not feel that the author 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 wrote the book as if to say that his message, that people are largely influenced by their environment and are able to make of it what they wish, is some sort of heresy and paradigm shift.
And yet he is an american! I feel this is the subject of 80% of every american film, book, play etc. this is the driving theme of all of America: You are a product of your environment, and you can become whatever you want if you put your mind to it.
He tried to present the biological basis for this, by showing that cells are not as entirely controlled by dna as had once been thought, which was interesting, and perhaps in the community of cellular biologists is groundbreaking, but when extended by analogy to the terms of every day life, this is a pretty common and well accepted idea, that I don't believe can reasonable be concluded from the cellular biology he presents. (less)
Also, he wrote the book as if to say that his message, that people are largely influenced by their environment and are able to make of it what they wish, is some sort of heresy and paradigm shift.
And yet he is an american! I feel this is the subject of 80% of every american film, book, play etc. this is the driving theme of all of America: You are a product of your environment, and you can become whatever you want if you put your mind to it.
He tried to present the biological basis for this, by showing that cells are not as entirely controlled by dna as had once been thought, which was interesting, and perhaps in the community of cellular biologists is groundbreaking, but when extended by analogy to the terms of every day life, this is a pretty common and well accepted idea, that I don't believe can reasonable be concluded from the cellular biology he presents. (less)
Jun 27, 2012Lee Harmon rated it it was amazing
Lipton is a cell biologist whose “study of cells turned [him] into a spiritual person.” This is a highly readable science book, defining how beliefs control behavior and gene activity, and consequently the unfolding of our lives. It’s a fun learning tool that doesn’t dig too deeply, with an uplifting message.
Belief truly is biological. One interesting topic that Lipton addresses is the placebo effect. It “is quickly glossed over in medical schools so that students can get to the real tools of modern medicine like drugs and surgery. This is a giant mistake. The placebo affect should be a major topic of study in medical school.” Of course, Lipton is a realist; he realizes placebo pills are a threat to the pharmaceutical industry, as well as the scalpel holders, and Lipton is not one to mince words.
It should be pointed out that this is no dry textbook; it borders in places on metaphysical and holistic speculation. But the book is so darn fun. In this light, do not ignore the epilogue; it’s the best part of the book, where Lipton deals with speculative conclusions regarding our “me-ness” and the power of the mind that transformed him into a bubbly, optimistic believer. His “aha” moment was the realization that every protein in our bodies is a physical/electromagnetic complement to something in the environment … that environment being the universe, or to many, God. As we are inextricably intertwined with the divine, survival of the fittest turns out to mean survival of the most loving. (less)
Belief truly is biological. One interesting topic that Lipton addresses is the placebo effect. It “is quickly glossed over in medical schools so that students can get to the real tools of modern medicine like drugs and surgery. This is a giant mistake. The placebo affect should be a major topic of study in medical school.” Of course, Lipton is a realist; he realizes placebo pills are a threat to the pharmaceutical industry, as well as the scalpel holders, and Lipton is not one to mince words.
It should be pointed out that this is no dry textbook; it borders in places on metaphysical and holistic speculation. But the book is so darn fun. In this light, do not ignore the epilogue; it’s the best part of the book, where Lipton deals with speculative conclusions regarding our “me-ness” and the power of the mind that transformed him into a bubbly, optimistic believer. His “aha” moment was the realization that every protein in our bodies is a physical/electromagnetic complement to something in the environment … that environment being the universe, or to many, God. As we are inextricably intertwined with the divine, survival of the fittest turns out to mean survival of the most loving. (less)
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.
(less)
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.
(less)
This book intends to be a nonfiction science book but it isn't. It's pure speculations and inventions of a delusional man. The first three or four chapters are okey, they are about biology science which I don't know much about, so I have to trust him. I have a masters in physics, so I am a technical reader. Since the fifth chapter this guy reveals to me his true face and intentions. This man does not know ANYTHING about quantum mechanics, he does not understand the subject, not even close. It's a shame that this guy has a PHD in any subject, he shows clearly that he doesn't understand even what it is to understand something. I got mad when I read it and hoped that sometime in the future scientists must have a license to write this kind of books. The university should take his PHD degree away after he wrote this, it is really a shame.
It is not only speculative, but most of what he says about quantum physics is wrong, he truly did not understand one word of what he read about quantum physics. If you want to keep your neurons healthy, ignore this book, and if you have it, burn it. Don't read this shit, it's unhealthy.
The fact that this book has an average rating of 4.19 (april 2015), makes me worry about the future of humanity more than the climate change. This Bruce Lipton guy has to go to jail or something for lying in the face of the non-technical people who read him. (less)
It is not only speculative, but most of what he says about quantum physics is wrong, he truly did not understand one word of what he read about quantum physics. If you want to keep your neurons healthy, ignore this book, and if you have it, burn it. Don't read this shit, it's unhealthy.
The fact that this book has an average rating of 4.19 (april 2015), makes me worry about the future of humanity more than the climate change. This Bruce Lipton guy has to go to jail or something for lying in the face of the non-technical people who read him. (less)
I really wanted to like this book. I just listened to it on a long car ride. First of all, the writing was terrible. He must have used the word "interesting " every 3 sentences. I learned very little from this book except some biology about DNA that I hadn't read before.
The beginning was interesting(tee hee, there is that word again!) about the history of science and biology, but I had read other books about it in more depth. He was following a thought about the role of DNA in our body's workings and how perception and proteins play a more vital role than we previously thought. I figured he would then logically go to how we can influence our bodies through thoughts and attitudes, but he started rambling about fetuses, upbringing, consciousness, and cognitive therapy. It wasn't presented in a logical way like the beginning was written. It seemed like att the middle of the book a lot of his conclusions were his own without scientific studies to back anything up. When he started to talk about cognitive therapy incorrectly and going to therapy is a waste of time, he lost me.
I have read many books about physics, neuro science and psychology and this is the most poorly presented and written I have encountered. Oh well,but I do think we have power over our bodies, this book wasn't one to convince. (less)
The beginning was interesting(tee hee, there is that word again!) about the history of science and biology, but I had read other books about it in more depth. He was following a thought about the role of DNA in our body's workings and how perception and proteins play a more vital role than we previously thought. I figured he would then logically go to how we can influence our bodies through thoughts and attitudes, but he started rambling about fetuses, upbringing, consciousness, and cognitive therapy. It wasn't presented in a logical way like the beginning was written. It seemed like att the middle of the book a lot of his conclusions were his own without scientific studies to back anything up. When he started to talk about cognitive therapy incorrectly and going to therapy is a waste of time, he lost me.
I have read many books about physics, neuro science and psychology and this is the most poorly presented and written I have encountered. Oh well,but I do think we have power over our bodies, this book wasn't one to convince. (less)
Apr 02, 2013Yasser Mohammad rated it it was ok
Once in a while you have to read something that you think is not worth it to open your mind for new ideas that may turn out to be worth it after all. That is why I started reading this book. I expected some more of the law of attraction stuff.
I am still 33% through the book and it was much better than what I expected. The idea of the cell not being completely controlled by DNA is for me interesting. Nevertheless, it seems that the author jumps too fast sometimes to unwarranted conclusions.
For example, for some reason he seems to imply that energy is not as 'material' as say electrons. This is of course ridiculous because whatever e=mc2 is saying is that both mass and energy are the same thing and even a passing knowledge of relativity shows that the main feature of matter in Descartes's sense (extension) is present in both energy and mass.
The author also mentions quantum mechanics many times but I can see no relation between its concepts and whatever he is talking about.
Nevertheless, I will complete the book and may have something more to say in a couple of days. (less)
I am still 33% through the book and it was much better than what I expected. The idea of the cell not being completely controlled by DNA is for me interesting. Nevertheless, it seems that the author jumps too fast sometimes to unwarranted conclusions.
For example, for some reason he seems to imply that energy is not as 'material' as say electrons. This is of course ridiculous because whatever e=mc2 is saying is that both mass and energy are the same thing and even a passing knowledge of relativity shows that the main feature of matter in Descartes's sense (extension) is present in both energy and mass.
The author also mentions quantum mechanics many times but I can see no relation between its concepts and whatever he is talking about.
Nevertheless, I will complete the book and may have something more to say in a couple of days. (less)
Jun 29, 2007Dennis rated it really liked it
Recommends it for: Doctors, hypnotists, anyone interested in the power of prayer
Shelves: non-fiction
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 for survival among single cells that form multicellular organisms.
Too involved to write much more about it here...just go get yourself a copy! Definitely worth it.
Must Read - 3 (less)
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 for survival among single cells that form multicellular organisms.
Too involved to write much more about it here...just go get yourself a copy! Definitely worth it.
Must Read - 3 (less)
Oct 21, 2010Josh rated it really liked it
The Biology of Belief was written to convey “ground-breaking work in the field of new biology.” The author, Dr. Bruce Lipton, certainly has the educational and professional background to deliver this new information. He taught at two medical schools and performed some of his cell research at Stanford University. However, some readers may be disinterested in reading this book simply because the information ‘should be presented in a medical or peer-reviewed journal if the information is accurate and credible.’ I can appreciate this view, but on the other hand, the medical world may not be prepared to accept the information Dr. Lipton includes in these pages.
Lipton begins his treatment of the subject on the right foot: discussing his background, his research, and how and why he became so interested in cellular research. He also discusses at length his dissatisfaction with the dominant paradigm in his profession. It is widely accepted in the scientific community that DNA pretty much rules the roost, so to speak. It is “biology’s Central Dogma…The dogma is so fundamental to modern biology it is essentially written in stone, the equivalent of science’s Ten Commandments. The dogma, also referred to as ‘The Primacy of DNA,’ is a fixture of every scientific text” (61). This is the paradigm that Lipton argues against.
In order to solidify his point with his readers, later in the book, Lipton has to explain the foundation of his subject, so he discusses at length DNA, cellular proteins, cell biology, and a new field of scientific inquiry called epigenetics. While the average reader may look at this information and think, “that just sounds like reading a science textbook,” in a way, it is. However, Lipton has to talk about it (and does so using language that most readers will easily understand) in order to get to the topic in Chapter 3: the cell membrane. DNA enthusiasts believe that the true “brain” of each individual cell is the nucleus of that cell. The nucleus contains all genetic material, so this makes sense. But Lipton contends that the cell membrane is the actual “brain” of every living cell. This shift in thinking is foundational in Lipton’s premise: that we have the power to actually change our biology simply by believing that we can.
Lipton’s journey towards understanding the new biology next took him into the world of physics—specifically, quantum physics, or quantum mechanics as it is commonly called. Quantum mechanics has been around since the days of Einstein’s famous equation: E = mc2. Lipton avoided this field of study as much as possible when he was a biology student because “…almost all of my peers avoided it like the plague. Quantum physics was shrouded in mystery—we biology majors were convinced that it was very, very ‘weird’ science. We thought only physics majors, masochists, and outright fools would risk five credits on a course whose premise was, ‘Now you see it, now you don’t’” (95).
Quantum mechanics deals with matter at the sub-atomic level. Remember learning about atoms in school? Quiz question: atoms are made up of what? If you answered protons, electrons, and neutrons, you are correct! If not, most people probably didn’t either. It has probably been a while since you even thought of the word “atom.” Do you remember what protons, electrons, and neutrons actually are? If you said positively, negatively, or neutrally charged particles, you were correct again. If not, well, life goes on. The point is this: atoms are simply small bits of energy, and everything in our universe is made up of atoms. So, at the atomic level, human beings, along with everything else, is composed of energy.
Yes, energy. “Einstein revealed that we do not live in a universe with discrete, physical objects separated by dead space. The Universe is one indivisible, dynamic whole in which energy and matter are so deeply entangled it is impossible to consider them as independent elements” (102). Lipton argues that the current medical educational system and profession is “…trained to view the body only as a physical machine that operates in accordance with Newtonian principles…However, because of their Newtonian, materialistic bias, conventional researchers have completely ignored the role that energy plays in health and disease” (102). Because our biology is based on energy at the atomic level, human beings have the power to manipulate their biology for their own good by learning to manipulate that energy. Case in point: the placebo effect.
In order to avoid giving away the rest of the story, I will conclude my review here. While it is true that Lipton’s arguments would be “easier to believe” had his findings and conclusions been published in a medical or scientific journal, he uses recent, documented scientific research to back up his claims and conclusions. Overall, Lipton proved his point and piqued my curiosity. The book is well written and follows a thought process that is easy to follow. Oh, and another thing, you do not need to brush up on physics or cell biology to get through this book.
I would suggest this book to anyone, whether you are a skeptic or a believer in alternative healing methods. In a world that requires major medical innovations, alternative healing methods may be exactly what the doctor ordered. Dr. Bruce Lipton may, by the final page, make you a believer. (less)
Lipton begins his treatment of the subject on the right foot: discussing his background, his research, and how and why he became so interested in cellular research. He also discusses at length his dissatisfaction with the dominant paradigm in his profession. It is widely accepted in the scientific community that DNA pretty much rules the roost, so to speak. It is “biology’s Central Dogma…The dogma is so fundamental to modern biology it is essentially written in stone, the equivalent of science’s Ten Commandments. The dogma, also referred to as ‘The Primacy of DNA,’ is a fixture of every scientific text” (61). This is the paradigm that Lipton argues against.
In order to solidify his point with his readers, later in the book, Lipton has to explain the foundation of his subject, so he discusses at length DNA, cellular proteins, cell biology, and a new field of scientific inquiry called epigenetics. While the average reader may look at this information and think, “that just sounds like reading a science textbook,” in a way, it is. However, Lipton has to talk about it (and does so using language that most readers will easily understand) in order to get to the topic in Chapter 3: the cell membrane. DNA enthusiasts believe that the true “brain” of each individual cell is the nucleus of that cell. The nucleus contains all genetic material, so this makes sense. But Lipton contends that the cell membrane is the actual “brain” of every living cell. This shift in thinking is foundational in Lipton’s premise: that we have the power to actually change our biology simply by believing that we can.
Lipton’s journey towards understanding the new biology next took him into the world of physics—specifically, quantum physics, or quantum mechanics as it is commonly called. Quantum mechanics has been around since the days of Einstein’s famous equation: E = mc2. Lipton avoided this field of study as much as possible when he was a biology student because “…almost all of my peers avoided it like the plague. Quantum physics was shrouded in mystery—we biology majors were convinced that it was very, very ‘weird’ science. We thought only physics majors, masochists, and outright fools would risk five credits on a course whose premise was, ‘Now you see it, now you don’t’” (95).
Quantum mechanics deals with matter at the sub-atomic level. Remember learning about atoms in school? Quiz question: atoms are made up of what? If you answered protons, electrons, and neutrons, you are correct! If not, most people probably didn’t either. It has probably been a while since you even thought of the word “atom.” Do you remember what protons, electrons, and neutrons actually are? If you said positively, negatively, or neutrally charged particles, you were correct again. If not, well, life goes on. The point is this: atoms are simply small bits of energy, and everything in our universe is made up of atoms. So, at the atomic level, human beings, along with everything else, is composed of energy.
Yes, energy. “Einstein revealed that we do not live in a universe with discrete, physical objects separated by dead space. The Universe is one indivisible, dynamic whole in which energy and matter are so deeply entangled it is impossible to consider them as independent elements” (102). Lipton argues that the current medical educational system and profession is “…trained to view the body only as a physical machine that operates in accordance with Newtonian principles…However, because of their Newtonian, materialistic bias, conventional researchers have completely ignored the role that energy plays in health and disease” (102). Because our biology is based on energy at the atomic level, human beings have the power to manipulate their biology for their own good by learning to manipulate that energy. Case in point: the placebo effect.
In order to avoid giving away the rest of the story, I will conclude my review here. While it is true that Lipton’s arguments would be “easier to believe” had his findings and conclusions been published in a medical or scientific journal, he uses recent, documented scientific research to back up his claims and conclusions. Overall, Lipton proved his point and piqued my curiosity. The book is well written and follows a thought process that is easy to follow. Oh, and another thing, you do not need to brush up on physics or cell biology to get through this book.
I would suggest this book to anyone, whether you are a skeptic or a believer in alternative healing methods. In a world that requires major medical innovations, alternative healing methods may be exactly what the doctor ordered. Dr. Bruce Lipton may, by the final page, make you a believer. (less)
Feb 24, 2008Robin rated it really liked it
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 (born and unborn), so I hope I was thinking good thoughts when I was responsible for another life! (less)
Dec 24, 2018RbbieFrah rated it it was amazing
Shelves: mental-toughness, endocrinology-nurology, cancer-cure
Lipton makes the point that our conscious thinking affects the environment in our body in which our cells live. He says the cells of our body have a brain which is the membrane of the cell (not the nucleus ) . The membrane of the cell has thousands of protein strands that act as receptors --much like the nerve endings in our skin --these receptors transmit to the cell knowledge of the cells environment --wither be toxic or nutritious and what sort of hormones are out there (stress hormones(fight flight) , or growth hormones (love , nurturing) .
He makes a very solid scientific case that it is the environment that the cells membrane is exposed to which is affected primarily by our thoughts (NOT the genetics ) that is the main factor in the cells health and evolutionary development . In his lab experiments . He even got identical cells to mutate in to muscle , bone or fat cells depending on the environment in the container that they where being stored.
I definitely agree with the above. It is well documented that loving thoughts and emotions do heal cancer, help plants grow etc etc
He makes the point that we have to rise above negative addictions (like sex, food or drug over indulgence which are merely reflexive activities(knee jerk reactions to stimuli regardless of where it is taking us or the price we are paying for these stimuli and involve no conscious intelligence at all ) If These negative addictions dominate our habit patterns we will develop out rear brain( the reflective brain) at the expense of the development of our fore brain ( conscious intelligence) . The blood flow goes to the part of the brain we use the most and away from that which we use least and that is that part that will develop.
To over come the negative programming of our subconscious mind which is sabotaging our conscious desires to have happy , loving successful lives we need to use and develop our consciousness (mindfulness) so it dominates and over rides the merely reflexive subconscious mind .
The subconscious mind however is much larger that the conscious mind and reprogramming it of all its unhealthy negative sabotaging recordings is not possible unless our conscious reunites with its source which is pure consciousness( aka spirit , energy , the universal higher creative consciousness , God etc ) with the help of this positiveness power which can be contacted only in the part of the brain that is intelligent and conscious can w succeeded in cleansing our subconscious mind of its negative recordings and have fully healthy , happy , loving and successful lives . It is only by trading addiction to teh spirit for sensual addictions that this cleansing can be achieved . By contacting spirit within us and remaining in contact with it all 24 hours we not only gain a healthy body but realize that we are not the body at all but that our home is in spirit -vastly better that this world--to which we no longer have to return ....
Spirit has to become our constant companion in life . It heard within our brain as a sweet undulating euphoric music that sustains us and guides us and is very blissful. The natural sate of man is dependence on and companionship with this spirit by it our consciousness is enhanced and our creative consciousness is helped to achieve a high pure noble things in life and we become assets to our generation and our society .
Therefore invoking and ,in fact romancing this spirit, should be the primary focus of our lives because by it all things are attained . With the ringing radiance of spirit in very atom of our being our success in all things is assured . It is friend , lover , helper , guide and energizer and is well worth leaving the negative addictions for
2 points I differ with Him on are
1) Hypnosis is great tool to help you reprogram your subconscious mind thoughts so that your subconscious mind stops poisoning your cells ( we should never allow any one to hypnotize us as it permanently weakens our will ) rather we should develop the power of our conscious mind by daily meditation as taught by the spiritual teacher of our choice --mine is Baba Gurinder Singh Ji . There eis really no short cut to developing our will power and mental control by meditation and abstinence from animal food, intoxicants(including pot and alcohol ) and sex out of marriage
2) Each cell is a complete miniature reproduction of a human being . While I agree that each cell has its own mind there is only one soul in the body activating and harmonizing all these minds. If we limit our study to teh physical then yes every aspect of a cells behavior does correspond biologically with the entire human organism . ( each cell has organs of reproduction , digestion, filtration, circulation, respiration, regulation , sensation and action --just like a the human being it is part of
except THAT it can not reason consciously or question what it is doing here nor consciously contact
the source of its consciousness via mediation and merge back into its source attaining God consciousness and REALIZING that it is not the body at all but an eternal being of infinite love , light and bliss .
3)There is one more point about which I do not disagree but that I would like to improve upon and clarify.
Bruce gives the impression (perhaps unintentionally) that if the cells of a child (or adult) which are in a stressful environment(mindful of stressful thoughts and blood full of stress hormones) the preferential blood flow will be to the hind (reflexive) brain ( fight flight) and to the limbs (legs to run and arms to fight ) and if the cells of a person are in a loving nurturing environment the preferential blood flow will go the fore( intelligent) brain and the visceral organs ( liver, spleen, pancreas , kidneys etc ) that maintain our health .
This intentionally or unintentionally gives the impression that a person whose mind is full of flight or fight thoughts and whose blood is full of adrenaline time will be stronger of limb and faster of reflex than a person whose mind is full of loving thoughts and whose blood is full of growth and healing hormones. Yet Dr James Loehr showed that it is alternating waves of stress and loving nurturing that make us tougher ( faster , stronger ) So the strongest fastest person will be one who is maintaining a loving attitude in stressful conditions . In other words a person with a stressful external environment who is maintaining a loving inner environment will be the strongest and fastest(see The Toughness Training manual by Dr James E Loehr)
4) So I also to like to add a point that Bruce left out: When we divert the blood flow (nutrients thoughts and hormones ) from the quest for sexual pleasure (which is reflexive) to intelligent pure loving pursuits (like providing food , clothes, shelter to disaster stricken populations) there is a tremendous redirection of the preferential blood flow from the sex organs to the brain , arms and legs . From lust (the reflexive desire to seek pleasure ) we direct out thoughts to love and compassion for our fellow disaster stricken humans .
This redirection of sexual energy to acts of pure love has far greater evolutionary and developmental effect on the cells of our bodies than merely redirecting from the hind brain to the fore brain. Pure love untainted by sex makes a human being stronger and faster than anything else .
As Bruce wrote ( and all psychiatrists will agree ): “the character of our life is based upon how we perceive it.” and how we perceive life is based on the predominating desires in out conscious and subconscious mind .
Therefore I would like to emphasis the supreme importance of stopping dumping pornography into our subconscious mind which will come up to sabotage our attempt to lead a pure , heroic , successful life and go on purifying our subconscious to seek only love in it purest form .
Pure Love untainted by sex makes us stronger faster healthier smarter and happier than anything else . When our conscious mind and subconscious mind want nothing but pure love then we shall attain The Christ like perfection and ability to do any miracle that Bruce speaks of in closing this book. (less)
He makes a very solid scientific case that it is the environment that the cells membrane is exposed to which is affected primarily by our thoughts (NOT the genetics ) that is the main factor in the cells health and evolutionary development . In his lab experiments . He even got identical cells to mutate in to muscle , bone or fat cells depending on the environment in the container that they where being stored.
I definitely agree with the above. It is well documented that loving thoughts and emotions do heal cancer, help plants grow etc etc
He makes the point that we have to rise above negative addictions (like sex, food or drug over indulgence which are merely reflexive activities(knee jerk reactions to stimuli regardless of where it is taking us or the price we are paying for these stimuli and involve no conscious intelligence at all ) If These negative addictions dominate our habit patterns we will develop out rear brain( the reflective brain) at the expense of the development of our fore brain ( conscious intelligence) . The blood flow goes to the part of the brain we use the most and away from that which we use least and that is that part that will develop.
To over come the negative programming of our subconscious mind which is sabotaging our conscious desires to have happy , loving successful lives we need to use and develop our consciousness (mindfulness) so it dominates and over rides the merely reflexive subconscious mind .
The subconscious mind however is much larger that the conscious mind and reprogramming it of all its unhealthy negative sabotaging recordings is not possible unless our conscious reunites with its source which is pure consciousness( aka spirit , energy , the universal higher creative consciousness , God etc ) with the help of this positiveness power which can be contacted only in the part of the brain that is intelligent and conscious can w succeeded in cleansing our subconscious mind of its negative recordings and have fully healthy , happy , loving and successful lives . It is only by trading addiction to teh spirit for sensual addictions that this cleansing can be achieved . By contacting spirit within us and remaining in contact with it all 24 hours we not only gain a healthy body but realize that we are not the body at all but that our home is in spirit -vastly better that this world--to which we no longer have to return ....
Spirit has to become our constant companion in life . It heard within our brain as a sweet undulating euphoric music that sustains us and guides us and is very blissful. The natural sate of man is dependence on and companionship with this spirit by it our consciousness is enhanced and our creative consciousness is helped to achieve a high pure noble things in life and we become assets to our generation and our society .
Therefore invoking and ,in fact romancing this spirit, should be the primary focus of our lives because by it all things are attained . With the ringing radiance of spirit in very atom of our being our success in all things is assured . It is friend , lover , helper , guide and energizer and is well worth leaving the negative addictions for
2 points I differ with Him on are
1) Hypnosis is great tool to help you reprogram your subconscious mind thoughts so that your subconscious mind stops poisoning your cells ( we should never allow any one to hypnotize us as it permanently weakens our will ) rather we should develop the power of our conscious mind by daily meditation as taught by the spiritual teacher of our choice --mine is Baba Gurinder Singh Ji . There eis really no short cut to developing our will power and mental control by meditation and abstinence from animal food, intoxicants(including pot and alcohol ) and sex out of marriage
2) Each cell is a complete miniature reproduction of a human being . While I agree that each cell has its own mind there is only one soul in the body activating and harmonizing all these minds. If we limit our study to teh physical then yes every aspect of a cells behavior does correspond biologically with the entire human organism . ( each cell has organs of reproduction , digestion, filtration, circulation, respiration, regulation , sensation and action --just like a the human being it is part of
except THAT it can not reason consciously or question what it is doing here nor consciously contact
the source of its consciousness via mediation and merge back into its source attaining God consciousness and REALIZING that it is not the body at all but an eternal being of infinite love , light and bliss .
3)There is one more point about which I do not disagree but that I would like to improve upon and clarify.
Bruce gives the impression (perhaps unintentionally) that if the cells of a child (or adult) which are in a stressful environment(mindful of stressful thoughts and blood full of stress hormones) the preferential blood flow will be to the hind (reflexive) brain ( fight flight) and to the limbs (legs to run and arms to fight ) and if the cells of a person are in a loving nurturing environment the preferential blood flow will go the fore( intelligent) brain and the visceral organs ( liver, spleen, pancreas , kidneys etc ) that maintain our health .
This intentionally or unintentionally gives the impression that a person whose mind is full of flight or fight thoughts and whose blood is full of adrenaline time will be stronger of limb and faster of reflex than a person whose mind is full of loving thoughts and whose blood is full of growth and healing hormones. Yet Dr James Loehr showed that it is alternating waves of stress and loving nurturing that make us tougher ( faster , stronger ) So the strongest fastest person will be one who is maintaining a loving attitude in stressful conditions . In other words a person with a stressful external environment who is maintaining a loving inner environment will be the strongest and fastest(see The Toughness Training manual by Dr James E Loehr)
4) So I also to like to add a point that Bruce left out: When we divert the blood flow (nutrients thoughts and hormones ) from the quest for sexual pleasure (which is reflexive) to intelligent pure loving pursuits (like providing food , clothes, shelter to disaster stricken populations) there is a tremendous redirection of the preferential blood flow from the sex organs to the brain , arms and legs . From lust (the reflexive desire to seek pleasure ) we direct out thoughts to love and compassion for our fellow disaster stricken humans .
This redirection of sexual energy to acts of pure love has far greater evolutionary and developmental effect on the cells of our bodies than merely redirecting from the hind brain to the fore brain. Pure love untainted by sex makes a human being stronger and faster than anything else .
As Bruce wrote ( and all psychiatrists will agree ): “the character of our life is based upon how we perceive it.” and how we perceive life is based on the predominating desires in out conscious and subconscious mind .
Therefore I would like to emphasis the supreme importance of stopping dumping pornography into our subconscious mind which will come up to sabotage our attempt to lead a pure , heroic , successful life and go on purifying our subconscious to seek only love in it purest form .
Pure Love untainted by sex makes us stronger faster healthier smarter and happier than anything else . When our conscious mind and subconscious mind want nothing but pure love then we shall attain The Christ like perfection and ability to do any miracle that Bruce speaks of in closing this book. (less)
May 29, 2020Jakub Micko rated it it was ok
It is disappointing and ironic that Lipton is just another "scientist" who refuses to actually debate the gray, and instead does the same thing that he vilifies the scientific community of doing: turning complex multifactorial issues into black and white topics. For the most part, I found this book hard to read, a jumpy amalgamation of his life's woes mixed in with fairly creative scientific models which he then leapfrogs off of to present cherry picked studies and a plethora of anecdotal evidence in order to defend his blaming of the "science boys club" and "pharmaceutical" companies as the causative agents that prevent real progress towards health and happiness.
To be fair, by treating health as a black and white issue, for the readers who do not have degrees or strong foundations in medical science, I'm sure most of these ideas sound exciting, compelling, and even plausible. Unfortunately the type of conspiratorial baiting is effective because now even my critique of Liptons book can be discredited with "oh I must be paid off by a pharmaceutical company to be disagreeing with him."
The reality is that yes of course people would rather take a pill- it's easy and this does not make it inherently bad. Yes it is bad if there is abuse of profits (and there often is), but this is more of a capitalism/economic issue instead of a scientific one, which seems to be a convenient straw man argument that Lipton employs. There are people who work years in order to understand diseases and test out treatments and cures that require the intersection of chemistry/physiology/statistics/bioinformatics, and to discredit them with one alternate study and claims of profiteering seems downright insane. Lipton also ignores the thousands of real Mendelian inherited diseases where a malfunctioning or missing protein is literally the cause of and that a pill with said protein can legitimately cure you. As we research cancers this is sometimes the case, even mutated ones such as the BCR-ABL1 9:22 translocation mutation often found in acute lymphocytic leukemia that a tyrosine kinase inhibitor can allow someone to have much less chemo. The simple truth is that science and the cause and treatment of human disease is infinitely complex and hard. It will be slow progress riddled with mistakes, but progress nonetheless. Ignoring these realities and scientific principles is not an ethically allowable strategy if one wants to help people. Lipton presents some fascinating studies that could have merit- but why give so much weight to a study one team does once and no weight to studies thousands of scientists have done ? That is not how science works- it must be a consensus over time and it is misleading to present arguments in the manner he does.
Some examples that stick out I have particular issues with:
Trying to make the argument that some research and topics are hidden from students. Honestly, I didn't understand this one at all. Maybe this he's simply old and cynical or because he doesn't teach anymore so he doesn't realize the topics like epigenetics/quantum mechanics/environmental-gene effects are regularly focused on in schooling nowadays. I specifically recall learning tons of ways that environmental signals and their corresponding regulatory proteins control DNA expression, and that "junk DNA" is a huge misnomer because it's all basically a sensor for when to activate specific genes. No one is trying to hide these things- there are just so many specialties and research that it can be difficult to learn and understand it all.
Using the example of a sentence in an article about a disbeliever to Koch's germ theory swallowing cholera and surviving as a metaphor for science being too dogmatic (pg 119-120). This one Litpon really had to stretch- In the exact same article it says cholera has been a scourge for hundreds of years. Lipton says they should have figured out how he avoided the disease. If he had done more research he would have learnt Pettenkofer did get violent diarrhea and likely didn't die because he had it as a child thereby having protection- simple critical thinking that real scientists do day to day. And by picking on the quick sentence in the article that one reviewer wrote to ascribe a characteristic to all scientists is ridiculous, another strawman.
Using articles that encourage pharmaceutical medical interventions in children and then showing more recent articles that prove they should't be used in children (page 194). Yes, this is how science works... no one is going to change medical practices based off of a random study.
Having a life changing experience from a chiropractor that used manual muscle testing (page 168). Apparently Lipton also doesn't realize that this is a basic technique taught to and used by most if not all medical professionals to quickly assess musculoskeletal imbalances. This actually weakens his point if anything, because muscle testing is inherently flawed because humans are dominant in one side, and so most professionals just use it as a basic test with much follow up testing. That a chiropractor used just that to lead to some miraculous improvement shows that his training was lacking as well.
Giving readers absolutely false misinformation that babies "automatically swim when placed in water" (page 170). This one is dangerous. Yes, babies exhibit a bradycardic response of holding their breath when submerged, and make repetitive circling motions with hands and feet that may resemble swimming as a reflex, but this is NOT SWIMMING because they are also not physically strong enough to hold up their heads independently, and thus will drown.
I gave 2 stars for the very imaginative ways of describing certain scientific models (the pictures of the butter sandwich are great), and the general attitude of hope. I may disagree with most of it but certain statements such as "Perhaps the most widespread and insidious form of human violence is ideological control. Throughout history, religious movements and governments have repeatedly prodded their constituents into aggression and violence to deal with dissenters and nonbelievers." are well written and overall I think he means well, though I think his argument would be strengthened with less anecdotal evidence, and more of a basic understanding of human nature and how research works. (less)
To be fair, by treating health as a black and white issue, for the readers who do not have degrees or strong foundations in medical science, I'm sure most of these ideas sound exciting, compelling, and even plausible. Unfortunately the type of conspiratorial baiting is effective because now even my critique of Liptons book can be discredited with "oh I must be paid off by a pharmaceutical company to be disagreeing with him."
The reality is that yes of course people would rather take a pill- it's easy and this does not make it inherently bad. Yes it is bad if there is abuse of profits (and there often is), but this is more of a capitalism/economic issue instead of a scientific one, which seems to be a convenient straw man argument that Lipton employs. There are people who work years in order to understand diseases and test out treatments and cures that require the intersection of chemistry/physiology/statistics/bioinformatics, and to discredit them with one alternate study and claims of profiteering seems downright insane. Lipton also ignores the thousands of real Mendelian inherited diseases where a malfunctioning or missing protein is literally the cause of and that a pill with said protein can legitimately cure you. As we research cancers this is sometimes the case, even mutated ones such as the BCR-ABL1 9:22 translocation mutation often found in acute lymphocytic leukemia that a tyrosine kinase inhibitor can allow someone to have much less chemo. The simple truth is that science and the cause and treatment of human disease is infinitely complex and hard. It will be slow progress riddled with mistakes, but progress nonetheless. Ignoring these realities and scientific principles is not an ethically allowable strategy if one wants to help people. Lipton presents some fascinating studies that could have merit- but why give so much weight to a study one team does once and no weight to studies thousands of scientists have done ? That is not how science works- it must be a consensus over time and it is misleading to present arguments in the manner he does.
Some examples that stick out I have particular issues with:
Trying to make the argument that some research and topics are hidden from students. Honestly, I didn't understand this one at all. Maybe this he's simply old and cynical or because he doesn't teach anymore so he doesn't realize the topics like epigenetics/quantum mechanics/environmental-gene effects are regularly focused on in schooling nowadays. I specifically recall learning tons of ways that environmental signals and their corresponding regulatory proteins control DNA expression, and that "junk DNA" is a huge misnomer because it's all basically a sensor for when to activate specific genes. No one is trying to hide these things- there are just so many specialties and research that it can be difficult to learn and understand it all.
Using the example of a sentence in an article about a disbeliever to Koch's germ theory swallowing cholera and surviving as a metaphor for science being too dogmatic (pg 119-120). This one Litpon really had to stretch- In the exact same article it says cholera has been a scourge for hundreds of years. Lipton says they should have figured out how he avoided the disease. If he had done more research he would have learnt Pettenkofer did get violent diarrhea and likely didn't die because he had it as a child thereby having protection- simple critical thinking that real scientists do day to day. And by picking on the quick sentence in the article that one reviewer wrote to ascribe a characteristic to all scientists is ridiculous, another strawman.
Using articles that encourage pharmaceutical medical interventions in children and then showing more recent articles that prove they should't be used in children (page 194). Yes, this is how science works... no one is going to change medical practices based off of a random study.
Having a life changing experience from a chiropractor that used manual muscle testing (page 168). Apparently Lipton also doesn't realize that this is a basic technique taught to and used by most if not all medical professionals to quickly assess musculoskeletal imbalances. This actually weakens his point if anything, because muscle testing is inherently flawed because humans are dominant in one side, and so most professionals just use it as a basic test with much follow up testing. That a chiropractor used just that to lead to some miraculous improvement shows that his training was lacking as well.
Giving readers absolutely false misinformation that babies "automatically swim when placed in water" (page 170). This one is dangerous. Yes, babies exhibit a bradycardic response of holding their breath when submerged, and make repetitive circling motions with hands and feet that may resemble swimming as a reflex, but this is NOT SWIMMING because they are also not physically strong enough to hold up their heads independently, and thus will drown.
I gave 2 stars for the very imaginative ways of describing certain scientific models (the pictures of the butter sandwich are great), and the general attitude of hope. I may disagree with most of it but certain statements such as "Perhaps the most widespread and insidious form of human violence is ideological control. Throughout history, religious movements and governments have repeatedly prodded their constituents into aggression and violence to deal with dissenters and nonbelievers." are well written and overall I think he means well, though I think his argument would be strengthened with less anecdotal evidence, and more of a basic understanding of human nature and how research works. (less)
Aug 16, 2013Jenna rated it it was amazing
A great insightful presentation on the latest modern science on humans consciousness. Something that could be read multiple times to grasp even further. I highly recommend this to anyone, as he does lose me in all the biology, he breaks it down completely and makes it relatable to anyone without a biology background. Uplifting and interesting.
flag4 likes · Like · comment · see review
A great insightful presentation on the latest modern science on humans consciousness. Something that could be read multiple times to grasp even further. I highly recommend this to anyone, as he does lose me in all the biology, he breaks it down completely and makes it relatable to anyone without a biology background. Uplifting and interesting.
flag4 likes · Like · comment · see review
Bruce Lipton
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|
Bruce Lipton | |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 October 1944 Mount Kisco, New York, United States |
| Alma mater | C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University, University of Virginia |
| Awards | Goi Peace Award (2009) USA Book News Best science book (2016) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Epigenetics, Cell Biology |
| Institutions | St. George's University, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine |
Bruce Harold Lipton (born 21 October 1944 at Mount Kisco, New York), is an American developmental biologist notable for his views on epigenetics.
In his book The Biology of Belief, he claims that beliefs control human biology rather than DNA and inheritance.[1] Lipton's contentious claims have not received attention from mainstream science.[2]
Biography[edit source]
Lipton received a B.A. in biology from C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University in 1966 and a PhD in developmental biology from the University of Virginia in 1971.[3] From 1973 to 1982, he taught anatomy at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, before joining St. George's University School of Medicine as a professor of anatomy for three years.[3] Lipton has said that sometime in the 1980s, he rejected atheism and came to believe that the way cells function demonstrates the existence of God.[4][5]
From 1987 to 1992, Lipton was involved in research at Pennsylvania State University and Stanford University Medical Center.[3] Since 1993, he has been teaching in non-tenured positions at primarily alternative and chiropractic colleges and schools.[3]
Lipton has said, "When I first started back in the '70s and my research was coming out, it was the golden age of genes. My research irritated a lot of people. I always thought of them as lemmings running off the cliff of DNA, and I'm standing there on the side with the results from my stem-cell studies thinking, 'Oh my God, you're all going the wrong way.' At some point I realised that they marginalised my work because it didn’t conform to their conventional beliefs and I thought, well, they’re not even being scientists. And I just left the system. I realised the message is more important for the average person than it is to argue in the halls of science".[6]
Lipton has received the 2009 Goi Peace Award.[7]
Reception[edit source]
In 2010, in her opinion column in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, Katherine Ellison wrote that Lipton "remains on the sidelines of conventional discussions of epigenetics", and quoted him saying he was basically ignored by mainstream science.[2]
In Science-Based Medicine, professor David Gorski described Lipton as a "well-known crank" and likened his idea to the law of attraction, also known as "The Secret": "wanting something badly enough makes it so".[8]
Books[edit source]
- The Biology of Belief – Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter & Miracles (2005)
- Spontaneous Evolution: Our Positive Future and a Way to Get There from Here (2010)
- The Honeymoon Effect: The Science of Creating Heaven on Earth (2013)
- The Biology of Belief - 10th Anniversary Edition (2015)
See also[edit source]
References[edit source]
- ^ Olund, Jeanne (2010). "A Review of "The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter, and Miracles"". The Journal of New Paradigm Research. 66 (5): 381–385.
- ^ a b Ellison, Katherine (2010). "New Age or "New Biology"?". Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 8 (2): 112. doi:10.1890/1540-9295-8.2.112.
Lipton remains on the sidelines of conventional discussions of epigenetics. Mainstream science has basically ignored him, he says—something he may in fact have encouraged, with his extraordinarily unrestrained enthusiasm.
- ^ a b c d Lipton, Bruce. "Curriculum Vitae". brucelipton.com.[self-published source]
- ^ Miller, David Ian (14 November 2005). "Finding My Religion: Bruce Lipton, cell biologist and author of "The Biology of Belief," says it's our beliefs, not our DNA, that control our biology". SF Gate. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
- ^ Kohn, Rachael (5 July 2013). "Spiritual Scientists: the researchers finding God in a petri dish". ABC Online. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- ^ "Bruce Lipton and the biology of belief -". WellBeing Magazine. 18 February 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- ^ "Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. to Receive 2009 Goi Peace Award". www.businesswire.com. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ^ Gorski, David (4 February 2013). "Epigenetics: It doesn't mean what quacks think it means". Science-Based Medicine.
