God is great–for your mental, physical, and spiritual health. That’s the finding of this startling, authoritative, and controversial book by the bestselling authors of Born to Believe.

Based on new evidence culled from their brain-scan studies on memory patients and meditators, their Web-based survey of people’s religious and spiritual experiences, and their analyses of adult drawings of God, neuroscientist Andrew Newberg, therapist Mark Robert Waldman, and their research team have concluded that active and positive spiritual belief changes the human brain for the better. What’s more, actual faith isn’t always necessary: atheists who meditate on positive imagery can obtain similar neurological benefits. Written in an accessible style–with illustrations highlighting how spiritual experiences affect the mind– How God Changes Your Brain offers the following breakthrough discoveries:

• Not only do prayer and spiritual practice reduce stress and anxiety, but just twelve minutes of meditation per day may slow down the aging process.

• Contemplating a loving God rather than a punitive God reduces anxiety, depression, and stress and increases feelings of security, compassion, and love.

• Fundamentalism, in and of itself, is benign and can be personally beneficial, but the anger and prejudice generated by extreme beliefs can permanently damage your brain.

• Intense prayer and meditation permanently change numerous structures and functions in the brain–altering your values and the way you perceive reality.

How God Changes Your Brain is both a revelatory work of modern science and a practical guide for readers to enhance their physical and emotional health and to avoid mental decline. Newberg and Waldman explain the eight best ways to “exercise” your brain and guide readers through specific routines derived from a wide variety of Eastern and Western spiritual practices that improve personal awareness and empathy. They explain why yawning heightens consciousness and relaxation, and they teach “Compassionate Communication,” a new mediation technique that builds intimacy with family and friends in less than fifteen minutes of practice.

Unique in its conclusions and innovative in its methods, How God Changes Your Brain is a first-of-a-kind book about faith that is as credible as it is inspiring.

●安德魯•紐伯格（Andrew Newberg），醫學博士，美國賓夕法尼亞大學靈性與心智中心主任，神經神學創始者，同時也是賓夕法尼亞大學放射學係副教授，主持該係心理與宗教研究。《早安美國》、《夜綫》、探索頻道、英國廣播公司、美國國傢公共電颱與國傢地理頻道均曾製作其作品專題。著作包括《超覺玄秘體驗》（Why God Won't Go Away）、《為什麼你信我不信》（Why We Believe What We Believe）與《生而有信》（Born to Believe）等。

●馬剋•瓦德門（Mark Robert Waldman），賓夕法尼亞大學靈性與心智中心副研究員、治療師，與安德魯•紐伯格閤著《生而有信》（Born to Believe），同時也是《超個人評論》（Transpersonal Review) 的創刊編輯。就有關宗教、神經科學與靈性的課題進行演講, 並從事多個宗教和世俗團體的研究，足跡遍及全美，多達數十傢報章雜誌及電颱聯播節目曾製作其作品專題。