The Genie in Your Genes: Epigenetic Medicine and the New Biology of Intention (Paperback)

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Key Phrases: basic recipe, epigenetic medicine, heart coherence, Larry Dossey, New York Times, Third Stage (more...)

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Product Description

Voted Best Health Book, USA Booknews National Awards.
Your genes don't control your health or happiness outcomes; in fact many of the choices you make turn genes on or off. Author Dawson Church applies the insights of the new field of Epigenetics (epi=above, i.e. control above the level of the gene) to healing. Citing 417 scientific studies, he shows how consciousness - in the form of beliefs, altruism, optimism, meditation, emotions, and energy psychology methods like EFT - can trigger the expression of DNA strands. He focuses on a class of genes called Immediate Early Genes or IEGs. These genes turn on within a few seconds of a stimulus. They can be triggered by thoughts or emotions ("I loved that unexpected gift of roses Bill gave me" or "I'm so mad about what Uncle John said at the Christmas party") as well as spiritual experiences, and acts of kindness. Many IEGs are regulatory genes turn on other genes that affect specific aspects of our immune system, such as the production of white blood cells that destroy attacking bacteria and viruses. Epigenetics thus influences our health every day.

He coins the new term "Epigenetic Medicine" to describe healing techniques with epigenetic effects. He also summarizes the science behind the infant fields of Energy Psychology and Energy Medicine, both of which offer promising epigenetic medical therapies, and describes examples of the powerful personal breakthroughs being achieved by therapists, doctors, athletes, and entrepreneurs practicing these techniques. The Genie in Your Genes shows that there is a sound theoretical framework, based on credible experiments, for understanding these astonishing results, and predicts that the insights of Epigenetic Medicine will dramatically advance the fields of both medicine and psychology in the coming decade.

Best of all, The Genie in Your Genes demonstrates that, by taking control of our consciousness and using it to influence our genetic expression, we can sometimes bypass years of therapy, as well as harmful drugs and invasive surgeries, to, in effect, do continuous genetic engineering on our own bodies. This can produce both immediate relief from long-standing anxieties and neuroses, as well as "miraculous" healing of pain, autoimmune diseases, and other symptoms.

Among a new crop of books that chart the way to a positive health future, The Genie in Your Genes stands out as a scientifically rigorous yet inspiring indicator of a future medicine that links soul to body and mind.

About the Author

Dawson Church, Ph.D., is the founder of Soul Medicine Institute, has conducted numerous studies in the field of energy medicine, and lectures widely at psychology, medicine, and anti-aging conferences. He set up a network of therapists, the Iraq Vets Stress Project, to make energy psychology available to returning veterans, and through EFT Power Training, instructs sports teams, businesses, and medical offices in the implementation of breakthrough therapies. His other books include Soul Medicine and the forthcoming Your Happy Genes

Product Details

• Paperback: 395 pages
• Publisher: Elite Books; 2nd edition (April 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1604150114
• ISBN-13: 978-1604150117
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #32,430 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

156 of 159 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Research based and motivating, June 4, 2007

By	S. J. Bockett (Wellington New Zealand) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Genie in Your Genes: Epigenetic Medicine and the New Biology of Intention (Hardcover)

First of all, if you are a newcomer to Dawson Church's writing, you need to know that his facts are unimpeachable - they were stringently peer-reviewed before publication. What is more, when Church makes categorical statements, he provides research to corroborate them.

To quote Church (p212) "We usually look for miracles when we are in extreme peril. In a universe where the miraculous is available to us every day, where discontinuous positive change is always an option, and in which science has given us the understanding that genetic changes occur within seconds of changes in consciousness, it is high time we began looking for miracles as a first resort, not as a last resort." This is a staggering claim. But what is even more incredible is Church's backing up this statement with examples of up-to-date research.

The author explains epigentic (DNA based) healing, then gives the everyday applications. It is mind-blowing to learn that a group of people could "unwind" (activate) a sample of DNA using only their thinking. More amazing is the fact that they could do this at a distance - half a mile away. The implications are thought-provoking to say the least.

Dawson Church goes on to discuss "consciousness as medicine" and what he refers to as "routine miracles." And this discussion is simple, practical, and as always, impeccably referenced to research. Finally he describes the relevant use of energy psychology (specifically EFT) providing how-to notes in the appendices.

This is a book that needs to be read more than once. For one thing, it is jam-packed with information. First-time read, it inspires. After that, the book becomes a first-class reference manual for "You, the ultimate epigenetic engineer" as Church puts it.

I don't usually use superlatives in my reviews, but this book deserves them. It can prove life-changing for those who take it seriously.

83 of 85 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Complex subject - clear understanding, May 22, 2007

By	Reader Views "www.readerviews.com" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Genie in Your Genes: Epigenetic Medicine and the New Biology of Intention (Hardcover)

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (4/07)

The first thought that came to mind after reading "The Genie in Your Genes," was the word "Inspiring." It seems like so much that I read today says that our genes determine everything. If this were true, it can be seen as a guarantee for cancer for people who have cancer in their families. It is refreshing to learn that in spite of my genes, I can still play a role in determining the outcome of my health.

"The Genie in Your Genes," discusses a variety of ways in which we can use our special link between mind and body to maintain our health. It reminds us of the importance of maintaining our emotional health so that we can stay physically healthy. If stress and negative thoughts can have an effect on our health, then it makes sense that positive, "...tools of our consciousness-including our beliefs, prayers, thoughts, intentions, and faith - often correlate much more strongly with our health, longevity, and happiness then our genes do."

I really like this idea, because it puts me in the driver's seat of determining my health. By using the techniques recommended from energy medicine and Energy Psychology, certain chronic health conditions, autoimmune conditions, and psychological traumas can be reversed. It is important to note that the author was very clear about certain health crises needing immediate medical attention. He does not recommend that you try to positively think your way out of appendicitis!

Having a healthy lifestyle by doing things like exercising, eating fresh fruits and vegetables, abstaining from smoking and excess alcohol are also factors that can prolong our lives. Church discusses, to great length, the idea of healing coming from outside the control of the gene. This is referred to as epigenetics. He says that, "...invisible factors of consciousness and intention - such as our beliefs, feelings, prayers, and attitudes - play an important role in the epigenetic control of genes."

"The Genie in Your Genes," is not a fast read. It is a book that covers a complex subject, yet it is written in a way that makes the topic clear to understand. It is well researched, well referenced and at the end is an appendix that gives you further information on how to find a practitioner and some exercises that you can do on your own. Church does not leave you hanging with the feeling that while this is a great topic, you will have no idea how to proceed. He tells you.

I think that this book should be read by practitioners of medicine, alternative therapists, science students and people who have psychological stress or chronic health problems believed to be caused by genetic defaults. "The Genie in Your Genes" will open your eyes and give you hope that you can control your life.

56 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting topic, flawed delivery., November 1, 2007

By	Robert P. Beveridge "xterminal" (Cleveland, OH) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Genie in Your Genes: Epigenetic Medicine and the New Biology of Intention (Hardcover)

Dawson Church, The Genie in Your Genes: Epigenetics and the New Biology of Intention (Energy Psychology Press, 2007)

I really wanted to like Dawson Church's The Genie in Your Genes. Church has some very interesting ideas here, though he sometimes goes off the deep end with them (probably the book's biggest flaw, but then it's perhaps better to err on the side of overreaching with a book like this); his problem is the way in which he relates them.

The Genie in Your Genes is an attempt to take ancient modalities of health care and make them new, as a growing body of scientific research is validating things that Asian health care practitioners have known for thousands of years. This certainly isn't the first time such a thing has been tried (the books of Norman Cousins, especially Head First, are an excellent example of the subgenre), but Church backs up his assertions with papers and studies that previous authors working in the field didn't previously have. He also focuses more on the electromagnetic "aura", for lack of a better term, than any other author I've read on the subject, and links electromagnetism to the Chinese idea of qi (or chi, as most know it these days). Interesting stuff, and well worth looking into.

However, the information is not delivered in a compelling way at all. The book doesn't read like a textbook, really, but there are a number of times where it put me in such a mind. And as much as I hate to say it, who wants to read a textbook for pleasure (or information-gathering, for that matter)? It's almost like an information dump, with all thought given to the information and none to how to best convey it.

Still, this is not to say that this isn't a book worth reading, especially for those with chronic health problems that haven't been helped by traditional medicine. Church envisages a world where traditional medicine is a final recourse, rather than a first recourse, for the sick, and I'm certainly not going to argue that he's not onto something with this idea. I just wish he'd put it all better. ** ½