MIND MAGIC: A CONVERSATION WITH DR. JAMES DOTY
Neuroscience meets consciousness
A few years ago I read a book I loved and have recommended to many people, Into the Magic Shop. Being such a fan of the book I interviewed its author, neurosurgeon Dr. James Doty, and over the years have had the good fortune of calling him my friend.
Jim has a new book out now, taking the principles of his first book and expanding them in ways that make their application more practical. It was Jim who first informed me of a greater connection between brain and heart than had previously been understood, making their partnership - not the brain alone - the true intelligence center of the body. That’s so mind blowing to me, and of course it applies to civilization as well as to the body!
The question of course is, how do we make that real in our lives? And Jim’s new book has a lot of answers.
The book is called MIND MAGIC: THE NEUROSCIENCE OF MANIFESTATION AND HOW IT CHANGES EVERYTHING
I hope you enjoy our conversation, and I know you’ll enjoy the book!
I just bought this book today and will start it this evening. I’m so grateful for the age we live in, that ordinary folks can learn how to steer these marvelous minds/bodies that we live in.
Two summers ago in London you told us about Dr. Doty “going vertical” when under the timepress of a child bleeding out on an operating table. During the intermission of your workshop, a fellow Ukraine aid volunteer (who was in Africa) messaged me (in London) for help for 2 young Ukrainian soldiers whose vehicle was running out of fuel as they frantically drove their injured friend toward Kharkhiv hospital with Russian artillery only 4 km behind.
As I starting looking around in all directions, placing in my mind where in the huge country of Ukraine were any people I could send to help refuel or retrieve those boys, I realized I was doing the terrified horizontal search of resources that you’d described Dr. Doty doing during the child’s surgical emergency… and that there wasn’t time for it, with me in London while Maks and the boys were in Kharkhiv trying to get to the hospital.
So I did what you had described from Jim Doty’s situation, calmed down and put every energy into “vertically” revealing the solution to an excruciatingly material emergency. Less than 3 minutes later, I had the answer, had sent a message to someone I’d never met, and that person was already sending multiple vehicles from multiple directions to intercept and aid Maks and the other two soldiers.
Their relief and jubilation as they carried their injured friend into the hospital in Kharkhiv is a moment none of us will ever forget. Thank you for teaching! It matters so much that you know, and Jim Doty knows, that real people are learning these principles and using this instruction to solve both the mundane and the harrowing surprises of life.
So awesome. Thank you for sharing this mans' work, Mr. Doty. The heart has brain cells in it. Which is really amazing to know. I love this field of neuroplasticity and how it can help abused women. No question.