Book Review: The Biology of Belief 10th Anniversary Edition

The biology of belief has been one of those books that cut a mark in human consciousness. Many similar books has been written before and after this book. What makes it unique is that who is writing is an academical research cell biologist.

The part of the book I enjoyed most is the first part where Dr Lipton describes how he came about to his discoveries and how those discoveries had an impact on his life. (One could argue that it could have been the other way round, that his life created the milieu for the events and the aha moments to happen and be registered by his mind, but anyway)

It was refreshing and at the same time fascinating to my scientific mind, to have Dr Lipton describe in terms of atoms, molecules, DNA and receptor proteins in cell membranes, how the environment changes the outcome of the response in the cells.

He eventually builds it up to encompass the idea that we are not a single identity but a community of 50 trillion cells that have found it beneficial to live together. 

From there he takes it up to the next step. The cell does not know the difference between being in a community of cells or being in a Petri dish. The cell will always respond to the environment in which it lives.

This book, 10 years ago, heralded the advent of epigenetics, that is the study of how it is the milieu in which the cells grow that determines if they die or live, if they reproduce or remain dormant, if they specialise in muscle tissues or brain tissues. Dr Lipton calls it the New Biology.

This then brings in the third phase of the book that emotions govern our bodies and its real implications.

So who creates the environment for the cells in the body? The blood. And what’s in the blood? Hormones, that are secreted according to commands coming from the brain. And who controls the brain? Emotions. 

That emotions have an effect on our bodies is something that now, 10 years later, many know or at least have heard about. How many truly believe it as a true biological fact that is another matter. How many medical doctors have really downloaded this fact in their daily practice is a sad story to tell.

We are still conditioned by the belief that we are victims of our genes and that the medical establishment will have a pill to make us feel better. 

The medical establishment is still held under the belief that genes rule the cells, even if there are more than ample studies showing otherwise and Dr Lipton diligently mentions some of them.

We all know that hard core believes are very difficult to change especially if those believes keep many under the control of a few and that those few make buckets of money out of it.

I would recommend this book to all but especially to all science students and a must for medical students. Perhaps one day will see Quantum Healing as mainstream medicine.

(I was given a copy to Review)