The book The Brain That Heals Itself introduces the reader to neuroplasticity, which is the brain's ability to change its structure and function in response to various stimuli and after different mental experiences.

The author Norman Doidge demonstrates how this remarkable process of neuroplasticity can bring about healing, even in cases that traditional approaches have deemed incurable. In this book, he describes natural, non-invasive methods of influencing the brain, utilizing the energy that exists around us: light, sound, vibration, and movement.

This energy can stimulate the brain's own healing capabilities without causing unwanted side effects. The cases mentioned include patients with incurable chronic pain, severe strokes, brain injuries, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, cerebral palsy, as well as individuals with learning difficulties and autism.

The book covers the stages of healing through neuroplastic processes, as well as non-pharmaceutical ways to reduce the risk of developing dementia.

Contents

Introduction

1. The suffering doctor heals himself, Michael Moskowitz discovers that chronic pain can be addressed

2. A man overcomes the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, How exercise helps prevent degenerative disorders and dementia

3. The stages of neuroplastic therapy, How and why it works

4. Rewiring the brain with light, Using light to awaken dormant neural circuits

5. Moshe Feldenkrais: Physicist, black belt holder, and therapist, Healing severe brain issues through mental awareness of movement

6. A blind person learns to see, Using the Feldenkrais method, Buddhism, and other neuroplastic methods

7. A device that rewires the brain, Inducing neuroresonance to reverse symptoms

8. A sound bridge, The unique connection between music and the brain

APPENDIX 1: A general approach to traumatic brain injuries and brain problems

APPENDIX 2: Network reshaping for traumatic brain injuries

APPENDIX 3: Neurofeedback for attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), epilepsy, anxiety, and traumatic brain injury

Acknowledgments

Notes and references

Name index

Terms index