Sunday, March 3, 2013

Book review: Molecules of Emotion



It has been a great experience reading Molecules of Emotion  by Candace B. Pert, Ph.D.

In July 2012 while attending a meditation session in Toronto, the teacher of the evening mentioned a passage in the book. I had a copy of the book!  It was evening of synchronicity in the air I truly believe.

I have been a avid reader of many books in the personal development arena for many years and have written on the subject also.

Reading this book was an experience in understanding. Candance Pert's journey of learning about her professional career, her life and the struggles she faced along the way.

Her determination to research the "opiate receptor" and make it a challenge to figure it out, as illustrate in the passage below.

" I decided that night I would as Sol to let me switch projects and leave the choline re-uptake assay behind and begin a research for the opiate receptor. I knew he believed that finding the opiate receptor was a  near-impossibility, and I figured it wasn't likely to be something he'd even think o f assigning to a PH.D. candidate. But I didn't care. His skepticism only added to the glamour, enhanced  the appeal, And, beside, it would be an original project-not hand-me-down based on someone elses research, something he know I found tedious. I remember feeling inspired and thinking, for my somewhat limited perspective at the time, that  if I succeeded, then I just might become famous- as a graduate student who had actually done an exciting and original piece of work for her doctoral dissertation.

She went on to make some ground breaking scientific achievements witch led to the betrayal of her mentor Sol.

" I hung up again, and tried to see things from Sol's point of view, but I could not put my rage to rest. The idea that I would be sitting in the audience while he and the others were honored for the work that I had played such an important part  in seemed blatantly unfair. Was I really expected to stand down for my part in what had turned out to  be a tremendous discovery, on that in a few short years since it occurred had been reshaping the entire field of neurosciences? No. I resolved this was not something I could watch happen, But what could I do?

She continued her journey in trying to understand her mentor betrayal and how the rest of the science community would not help her. That was until she made some new connections which gave her support and encourage to continue.

She entered the world of meditation she open her mind to the synchronicity and being able to see connections between events and people happening in her life

 The thought's of her dying father in his hospital bed not being able to survive push her further and father in realizing what she was doing was the right way an the only way to succeed!

Her personal life had faced my struggles from leaving her husband Agu and moving on and meeting a new life partner which brought her more happiness and excitement than she had ever imagined. Traveling the world and see new sight and feeling connected and inspired in her personal and professional journey.

"Molecules of Emotion is book that unravel and give you the opportunity to learn and understand about science but also the people and decisions they make along the way and how it impacts the world as we know it" Jim Pagiamtzis

You find Candace Pert on Twitter and LinkedIn


Candace Pert
@candacepert


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