"Anatomy of the Soul" by Dr. Curt Thompson

The mind is a mysterious thing. Scientists are continuing to discover new things about the brain each day. In the book Anatomy of the Soul, psychologist Curt Thompson seeks to explain the connection between our thought patterns and our perceived relationships with God and others.

It was certainly and interesting read. It took me a while to get through, mainly because I wanted to make sure I was understanding his points. I definitely took away a few helpful points from the book. I learned that there is great benefit in sharing our stories, most importantly for someone to “feel” what we are feeling. I also learned that the brain often fires in patterns that are reinforced, and that we have the ability to in effect “renew” our minds by altering the way we choose to dwell and react to our own thoughts and memories. For example, if we dwell on the negative and continue to focus on the hurtful, painful memories of our lives our brains will learn that that is important to us, and will therefore make those memories the easiest to recall. I also learned that the way I react to my child will affect the way his neural pathways develop – essentially wiring him for the rest of his life . .. no pressure there. The good news is that even if I do screw up (which I inevitably will) it is possible through counsel and practice to help get the mind back on track.

There were several self-guided activities scattered throughout the book to help the reader personally apply the principles of the book. While, I’m not sure that I agree with all that Thompson said (then again I’m not an expert in neuroscience), I did feel there was enough beneficial material in the book to make reading it worthwhile.

I hope to go back and read it again when I have more time to really concentrate on everything that was said. I believe that God created the mind for purpose of knowing Him and knowing those that He has created. It is a powerful tool, that we do not totally understand yet. I’m thankful that God has made it possible to know Him through the “renewing of our mind.”