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This is the book about meditation for those who want the real talk first, and the folklore, philosophy and grand tour later.

Brainwaves were discovered in the 1920s. Up until then, we have relied on descriptions of language to explain changes in state of the mind. Then a little less than a century ago, we began to see the electrical waves of the brain, and it was inevitable that the slow mapping of this miracle of nature would lead us here, to discussing neuroplasticity, or how one might be able to change the physcial structure of the brain. It has been claimed for all written history that it was possible, but only since the EEG have we had a tool to begin measuring these changes as clearly as one writes down the notes to a musical score.

Aha! Now I have a go-to book that I am comfortable recommending to anyone, from any background, about what meditation really is... and what we really know about it on a biological level, using brain imaging technology (which is surprisingly little, but a lot more than even two decades ago). I grew up in a big city and was exposed to a few cultural varieties of lifestyle that included various forms of this practice. I have struggled through life having a clear conversation with those unfamiliar, and have spent some energy trying to express it in simple and clear ways that demystify it, and expose some of the real changes to the way the mind works over prolonged periods of time. Not long ago, I was active on quora in the meditation section, the only area I felt I could answer a little bit from an experienced side... and found the same thing I have often found. People who want to know it through theory before trying it as an action. People who are trying to argue with it, without trying it, because they were told it was a no-no. People from one tradition condemning those of another. Conflicts between teachers, and generally people grasping for big definitions without taking the small steps of physically trying it. I haven't been much of a 'nightstand buddhist' in life, which is more common approach for those who are completely new to even the cultural contexts... people read book after book on the subject. The book Altered Traits is not about promoting any given tradition, not at all. It's about what the brain does when it uses different practices, over different lengths of time. And whether traditional or scientific, it is this, what happens to body and mind, that the rest of the lore and knowledge is built upon.

Anyway, I think the fact that this book says what I've really wanted to say far better than I could, and sparing me the effort now is grand. I think this may be therapeutic in the same way we could use for a number of topics in life these days... instead of hearsay, or having an opinion, or repeating what your tradition says about it... find out what research has been done, on what topics, how well it was done, and how that relates to the physical body. That's what we all have in common. All our bodies are human bodies. Go to the science, find out how it works, how it can be done better, and where the frontier of knowledge is. A refreshing break from opinions, from what you heard or were taught, but at the same time, providing additional insight into the reality and difficulty of research, that opinion nevertheless shapes our questions, and guides what we look for (and what we miss) even in science. Demystifying the delusion that all science is one system of believe or similar bizarre concepts... after all, it is an ethic, that is either well performed, or provides questionable results. Just like there are scientists that work for Big Tobacco and are paid to swear smoking is ideal for olympic athletes... there are all kinds of claims about meditation that will not gain the international recognition of good practice without some actual honest research. It will resolve paradox, allow a spiritual life grounded in useful tools, and permit arguments based on belief to be dissolved in the open light of inquiry.

It is sometimes taught that all paths are one when it comes to meditation, but both traditional knowledge and the research show that different practices have different results, and the amount of time in one's life that has been collected up has really significant, brain changing results, especially in the long term... in particular changes in pain response, expansion of awareness, reduction of anxiety, and loving kindness. It is the best focus on what has been researched I have seen, and really adds a crucial element to the competitive 'spiritual marketplace' that no one sincerely interested in the topic can afford to be unaware of.

Beautifully written, clear and concerned with fairness throughout, and a reminder that we can all change for the better, without any particularly special tools, simply by taking the time for self care. Meditation has done so much for my quality of life, even the endurance of hardships, and it's hard to imagine life without it. So this book is fascinating, for shedding some light on the physical reasons why.