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FREE MOLECULES OF EMOTION: WHY YOU FEEL THE WAY YOU FEEL PDF Candace Pert,Deepak Chopra | 368 pages | 01 Mar 1999 | SIMON & SCHUSTER | 9780671033972 | English | New York, United States [PDF] molecules of emotion Download Free Molecules of Emotion Candace B. Pert Scribner. Candace Pert is a brilliant molecular biologist who was a key figure in the discovery of the endorphin molecule, the body's natural form of morphine. She is now widely regarded as the mother of a new field of science known as psychoneuroimmunology SmithsonianJune Her research into brain biochemistry at the National Institute of Mental Health contributed to a radically new understanding of mind and body. Now Pert Molecules of Emotion: Why You Feel the Way You Feel her peers are rejoining what Descartes put asunder, by looking deeply into the molecular level of life. In Molecules of EmotionPert offers a clear and often riveting account of her research on the frontier of a new kind of science. She also writes as an insider caught up in the politics of science, offering a rare glimpse of the ruthless competition for prizes and money that sometimes obscures the pursuit of truth. And, throwing aside the caution that is customary among scientists, she applies the new facts of psychoneuroimmunology to everyday life, discussing everything from drugs and disease to dreams and the molecular biology of hugs. There are enough new facts, metaphors and speculations in this book to astonish and sometimes raise the hackles of many readers, just as Pert's research has often been met with initial disbelief. The field of psychoneuroimmunology, although based on exacting research, has had a hard birth. Its core idea is that the surfaces of cells are lined with many specific "receptors" to which only specific molecules can attach themselves. These molecules, in turn, are messengers through which the body and mind, as well as our neurons, glands and immune cells, are all constantly sharing information. The work of Pert and her colleagues showed that a variety of proteins known as peptides including endorphins were among the body's key "information substances" - and each of them could affect our mind, our emotions, our immune system, our digestion and other bodily functions simultaneously. For scientists and doctors trained to focus on one system in isolation from the others - a neuroscientist doesn't study white blood cells, for example - this came as a shock. Their first reaction was to defend their turf, and also to deny the new evidence. When Jesse Roth, clinical director at the National Institutes of Health, discovered in the s that insulin which was supposed to be produced only in the pancreas was also made in the brain, as well as in one-celled organisms outside the human body, his papers were at first rejected by every reputable scientific journal. A reviewer sent back the comment: "This is preposterous, you must not be washing your test tubes well enough. When his work was confirmed, the leading journal Nature warned scientists to beware of "radical psychoimmunologists" who would use Blalock's work to suggest that body and mind were in communication. Thereafter, Pert and her colleagues proudly called themselves radical psychoimmunologists. Pert's own career has often been as controversial as the new science she's helped to create, and she writes of this with candor. She discovered endorphins as a graduate student, according to her account, only by secretly pursuing an experiment her professor had ordered her to drop. When he was later given the prestigious Lasker Award for work she had contributed to mightily, Pert was left out of the prize. She refused to keep quiet about it. The ensuing scandal made her something of a pariah to the establishment. More recently, Pert Molecules of Emotion: Why You Feel the Way You Feel her husband, immunologist Michael Ruff, have devoted years of research to a potentially nontoxic cure for AIDS based on psychoneuroimmunology. They synthesized a peptide that would mimic the part of the virus that attaches to cell receptors Molecules of Emotion: Why You Feel the Way You Feel thus block the virus from entering a cell, instead of using toxic conventional drugs to destroy it. But their work has been dismissed, like other early advances in psychoneuroimmunology. It has only lately begun to gain interest and Molecules of Emotion: Why You Feel the Way You Feel some backing among mainstream AIDS researchers. At its best, Molecules of Emotion is a lucid explanation of new research on the way peptides work to connect all aspects of body and mind in a network of shared information. To cite only a single example, Pert explains: "For decades, most people thought of the brain and its extension the central nervous system as an electrical communication system. In fact, she writes, "the brain is a bag of hormones. The central theme of Pert's book is that the peptides that flood our bodies are, in fact, the molecules of emotion. Emotions, largely ignored within the traditional confines of science and medicine, are actually the key to understanding psychoimmunology's emerging picture of how body and mind affect each other. For example, it's through the emotion-modulating peptides that an embarrassing thought can cause blood vessels to dilate and Molecules of Emotion: Why You Feel the Way You Feel a face beet red. In the same way, the molecules of emotion can mobilize immune cells to destroy an incipient tumor. Techniques like meditation or visualization may also act as forces to set those molecules in action. Pert's mission, as she describes it, is to bridge the gap that exists between the laboratory and the layman. In the process, I virtually cross into another dimension, where the leading edge of biomolecular medicine becomes accessible to anyone who wants to hear it. Much of what Pert has to say is solidly grounded in new research, but she's on shakier ground in her occasional embrace of pop psychology and mysticism. Now a research professor at Georgetown University, she is as apt to speak at a conference of New Age gurus as at a gathering of molecular biologists. She is trying to open a dialogue between the mind of science and the body of beliefs many people are turning to for alternative healing. Whether these efforts represent critical lapses or welcome leaps of faith must be left to the perspective of each reader. Paul Trachtman, who resides in New Mexico, is a regular contributor to Smithsonian. His most recent article, in the May issue, was a profile of the legendary horse trainer Buck Brannaman. Continue or Give a Gift. Privacy Terms of Use Sign up. SmartNews History. History Archaeology. World History. Science Age of Humans. Future of Space Exploration. Human Behavior. Our Planet. Earth Optimism Summit. Ingenuity Ingenuity Awards. The Innovative Spirit. Travel Virtual Travel. Travel With Us. Featured: Travel to Alaska. At the Smithsonian Visit. New Research. Curators' Corner. Ask Smithsonian. Vote Now! Photo of the Day. Video Ingenuity Awards. Smithsonian Channel. Video Contest. Games Daily Sudoku. Universal Crossword. Daily Word Search. Mah Jong Quest. Subscribe Top Menu Current Issue. Like this article? Comment on this Story. Last Name. First Name. Address 1. Address 2. Enter your email address. Molecules of Emotion: The Science Behind Mind-Body Medicine by Candace B. Pert May For additional resources on relevant Alternative and Complementary Resources, see our Resource Guides on:. Although I am a scientist and not a clinician, I am of the strong opinion that complementary therapies can not only help with chronic degenerative diseases like cancer, arthritis, heart disease and autoimmune disorders but also with other health problems, such as asthma, premenstrual syndrome, headaches, sinusitis and gastrointestinal disorders, for which conventional medicine can offer only incomplete or no help. Complementary therapies can also enrich our lives so we can live them more fully and joyfully. Following is a list of resources related to bodymind medicine to help you find further information about therapies or locate a practitioner in your area. For this section, I am most fortunate - and very grateful - Molecules of Emotion: Why You Feel the Way You Feel have had the collaboration of Jacqueline C. Wootton, M. The therapies, treatments and approaches represented by the following organizations are those which I think are most relevant for impacting on the molecules of emotion, some of which I've touched on in the book. The information was correct as of May 20, and is kept updated on this site. Jackie has organized the list according to categories relevant to the theme of the book. She would point out that this categorization is not definitive nor complete; several therapies could be grouped differently. Some sections, such as cancer care and meditation, have been expanded to include treatment centers or training facilities. We offer you this information in the spirit of promoting personal responsibility for health. Inclusion in this list does not constitute our endorsement. You will find that some of these organizations give conflicting recommendations, so you would be wise to research a range of different viewpoints and recommendations in order to reach your own health and wellness decisions. Bodymind medicine is based on the recognition of the relationship between mind and body, the body's innate healing potential, and the partnership of patient and healer in restoring the body to health. Bodymind medicine encompasses a great many modalities, some of which are listed below:. BodyMind Contents:. Center for Mind-Body Medicine www. Information about the work of Joan Borysenko. Dean Ornish's medical research institute; research program for heart disease patients. Information and practitioner list provided on web site.

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