The Body Has a Mind of Its Own
How Body Maps in Your Brain Help You do (Almost) Everything Better
By Sandra Blakeslee and Matthew Blakeslee
Review by Angela Hutchinson
Spirit-Works.net
Author and mother-son team, Sandra and Matthew Blakeslee, offer their expertise on the magnificent brain and how amazingly far our evolutionary development has brought us. As science writers, their work is intended for those with an interest in neuroscience. If this describes you, then you will be fascinated with The Body Has a Mind of Its Own.
The authors describe how our bodies are built with intelligence and guides. “Every point on your body, each internal organ and every point in space out to the end of your fingertips, is mapped inside your brain. You ability to sense, move, and act in the physical world arises from a rich network of flexible body maps distributed throughout your brain—maps that grow, shrink, and morph to suit your needs.” There is a balance and reciprocal relationship between our body maps and motor maps. It is truly, as the authors write, a”body mandala”, integrating every aspect that helps us problem solve, move, and continue life as we know it. It is a rich network of intrapersonal connections that we are oblivious to on a daily basis.
The book addresses how one views the body. Body image has much to do with how we function or perhaps dysfunction. “Beliefs are ultimately as tangible as the cells in your brain, because that is where beliefs are created, stored, and, with new information, updated or reconsolidated.” Body image can dictate whether we should lose weight, gain weight, and can lead to questions of physical and mental health.
The authors touch on certain dysfunctions such as anorexia, body dysmorphic disorder, and bulimia. They question if these disorders are rooted to body mapping and integration disorders rather than psychological issues we primarily attend to. The information they provide is convincing and compels you to remain open minded.
It is truly fascinating what the brain can accomplish. “Anytime you learn something new, any time your brain deems an experience worthy of remembering over the long term, new connections sprout between cells and previously existing connections are strengthened. The process is called plasticity.” This is what helps us to excel, to become Olympic athletes, to compose a symphony; it is what makes our extraordinary accomplishments possible. As we organize our body maps, our brains soar as connections emerge and strengthen.
The authors walk a scientific line regarding the metaphysical, not completely disregarding possibilities, but they do generally appear to attribute physiological rationale to phenomena such as auras and energy fields. “The scientific method has never been able to confirm that chi flows or other mystical vital energies are real and present in the mind and body. Yet the experiences of these things are so palpable for so many people that is would be a cop out to dismiss them out of hand as “nothing more than wishful thinking….The brain’s touch, movement, and peripersonal space maps go far in explaining many key elements of these beliefs and experiences.”
These are but a few of the fascinating findings you will discover. The Body Has a Mind of Its Own is thought provoking and extends vast possibilities of our bodies and minds to the reader. Written in a scientific tone, the authors have managed to maintain a general "lay" understanding of its concepts. The information is well written, well researched, and presented in an impressively organized format. I feel the book offers a wealth of information and expertise regarding the magnificent brain and the paths created. This writing team has produced a book that will produce epiphanies, conversations, and hopefully a plethora of questions.