1. What inspired you to write this book?
Here I have spent much of my career exploring
how we can support mental health, resilience, and well-being, particularly as
we navigate the challenges of aging, trauma, stress, loss, and major life
transitions. Over time, I became increasingly interested in the ways spiritual
practices, meditation, yoga. Tai Chi, gratitude and compassion practices, and a
sense of connection can complement our mental health interventions. I
have spent 20 years doing research with mind-body practices that provided neuroscientific
insights into how these practices may influence the brain, regulate our
emotions, have a holistic health benefit, and help us build resilience to
life's challenges. I have used gained insights in my clinical practice and
wanted to share this with the increasingly stressful world.
In the book, I wanted to explore the meeting
point between scientific inquiry and the deeper questions that make us human.
What does it mean to live with greater awareness? How can we cultivate inner
peace in a world that often feels overwhelming? And how might we move beyond
simply surviving to living with greater purpose and connection? Living from the
Soul grew out of this desire to bring these questions into conversation with
science and contemplative wisdom. My hope is to encourage readers to approach their
inner lives with curiosity, openness, and a deeper appreciation for the human
capacity to heal and grow.
2. What exactly is it about and who is it
written for?
At its heart, “Living from the Soul” explores
the relationship between neuroscience, spirituality, and psychological
well-being. It invites readers to consider how practices such as meditation,
mindfulness, yoga, Tai Chi, art, music, connection with nature, and other
mind-body modalities may help us develop greater emotional balance, resilience,
and a stronger sense of meaning. The book is about bridging two worlds that are
sometimes treated as separate: the scientific study of the brain and the deeply
personal experience of spiritual life. Rather than asking readers to choose
between science and spirituality, it encourages a thoughtful dialogue between
them.
I envisioned the book as a practical collection
of tools for anyone going through stressful experience, or being curious about
the mind, the brain, and the human spirit, or for those who are going through
spiritual awakenings and do not have sufficient tools to handle changes in
their bodies and minds. It may appeal to people interested in psychology,
psychiatry, meditation, healthy aging, personal growth, or the science of
happiness. It may also resonate with readers who have experienced a significant
life transition and are asking themselves what truly matters or want to learn
how to cope with life's challenges. You do not need to follow a particular
religion or have an established spiritual practice to engage with these ideas.
The invitation is simply to become more curious about your own experience and
to explore what helps you live with greater awareness, compassion, and purpose.
3. What do you hope readers will get out of
reading your book?
My greatest hope is that readers will discover
that they have more capacity for inner transformation than they may realize. We
often spend so much of our lives responding to external demands, meeting
expectations, and managing stress that we lose touch with our deeper values and
inner guidance. I hope this book helps readers pause and begin listening to
themselves more deeply. Through the integration of neuroscience, psychological
understanding, and spiritual practices, I want to offer practical ways to cultivate
self-awareness, regulate difficult emotions, trauma, develop compassion, and
find greater meaning in everyday life.
I also hope readers will recognize that
spiritual growth is not about becoming perfect or escaping the difficulties of
being human. It is about learning to meet those difficulties with greater
wisdom, curiosity, and kindness. I provide easy tools of mind-body therapies
that have scientific evidence of being effective. I write about my own
experiences and my clinical cases to make this information more accessible and
relatable. Some of the content covers the topics of how to deal with our
accelerating times of technology and AI, and introduction of the psychedelic
drugs that may alter and expand the notion of human spirit, when we question
our human nature and everything we learned about our world has been challenged.
Coming back to our souls that make us unique
human can sustain our ability to self-regulate and adapt but also to develop a
Self-Guidance system through cultivation of our intuition and our relationships
with all aspects of our Self. Ultimately, I would love readers to come away
with a renewed sense of possibility: that healing and growth can continue
throughout life, that we can learn from our suffering, and that a deeper
connection with ourselves and others can enrich our experience of being alive.
4. How did you decide on your book’s title and
cover design?
The title “Living from the Soul: The
Neuroscience of Spiritual Awakening,” brings together the two central
dimensions of the book: our inner spiritual experience and our scientific
understanding of the brain. For me, living from the soul suggests moving beyond
habitual reactions and external expectations toward a more authentic way of
being. It means developing a deeper relationship with our authentic values,
intuition, compassion, and sense of purpose. The subtitle is equally important
because it signals that the book approaches these questions through the lens of
neuroscience and integrative psychiatry, rather than spirituality alone.
I wanted the title to communicate both the depth
of the subject and its practical relevance to everyday life. Spiritual
awakening can sound abstract or inaccessible, but it can also begin with
something as simple as becoming more aware of our thoughts, responding
differently to a difficult situation, or recognizing what genuinely matters to
us.
The cover is the reader's first invitation into
that journey. Its role is to convey a sense of exploration and possibility
while bringing together the scientific and spiritual dimensions of the subject.
The title and cover together invite readers to explore a question that has
fascinated humanity for centuries: how can we understand ourselves more deeply
and live more fully using scientific approaches, but also the depth of our
inner awareness. The color scheme of the cover comes from my scientific
publications of fMRI experiments.
5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have
for fellow writers – other than run!?
Writing this book was easy for me, once I
decided that this will be in the format of a workshop, where I would teach
practical applications of science and clinical experiences combined with deeply
esoteric philosophy and experiences to the novices. Not an easy combination to
write about! Also, the tone of the book was intentionally neutral while
presenting all sides of the subject matter without assigning judgement of
either right or wrong.
My advice would be to write about something that
genuinely matters to you. Writing a book requires persistence, patience, and a
willingness to spend a great deal of time with questions that may not have
simple answers. A strong sense of purpose can help sustain you through that
process. I would also encourage writers to remain curious and humble. Research
your subject carefully, listen to perspectives different from your own, and be
willing to revise your assumptions. Especially when writing about science, health,
or spirituality, it is important to distinguish what we know from what we
believe, and to communicate uncertainty honestly.
Another lesson is that clarity is a form of
generosity. You may have spent years mastering a subject, but your reader may
be encountering it for the first time. The challenge is to make complex ideas
understandable without stripping away their depth. Finally, be patient with the
process. You do not need to write a perfect first draft. You need to begin,
return to the page, and keep refining your ideas. On a practical level, I found
that writing a brief blog on the topic before writing a chapter was a good
"warm up" orienting the direction of a longer and a more detailed
book chapter. And remember that writing is not only about what you want to say;
it is also about creating a meaningful connection with the person who will
eventually read your words.
6. What trends in the book world do you see --
and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading?
I observe a growing interest in books that
connect scientific knowledge with practical questions about how to live well.
Readers are increasingly interested in mental health, emotional resilience,
mindfulness, healthy aging, consciousness, and the relationship between
physical and psychological well-being. People are very interested in
self-regulation since the pandemic and the chaotic times on the planet
including climate change; many want to go within to survive.
I also think there is a growing appetite for
books that bridge disciplines. The next big thing in science is going to be the
neuroscience of consciousness, accelerated by the development of AI and
psychedelic drugs. Neuroscience and spirituality, for example, are often
presented as separate subjects, yet many readers want to explore how scientific
research can inform their understanding of meaning, contemplative practices,
and personal transformation. This creates opportunities for authors who can communicate
across traditional boundaries while maintaining intellectual rigor.
Technology is changing the publishing landscape
as well. Audiobooks, digital editions, online communities, and social media
allow authors to reach readers in new ways. Artificial intelligence will also
influence how books are developed, marketed, discovered, and discussed. At the
same time, these changes make authenticity, editorial judgment, and trust even
more important. I believe the future will belong, in part, to books that offer
more than information. Readers can find facts almost instantly, but a thoughtfully
written book can give them context, perspective, and an opportunity to reflect.
It can help them connect ideas to their own lives. My hope is that publishing
will continue to make room for rigorous, interdisciplinary work that combines
evidence with humanity. In a world of constant information and distraction,
books can still offer something precious: the chance to slow down and think
deeply.
7. Were there experiences in your
personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book?
My work as a psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and
researcher has been central to the questions explored in this book. Working
with people experiencing depression, anxiety, stress, trauma, and the
challenges associated with aging has reinforced for me that human well-being
cannot always be understood through a single lens. Clinical psychiatry teaches
us to appreciate the complexity of everyone. Biological processes,
psychological experiences, relationships, culture, personal history and a sense
of meaning can all influence how they experience life and respond to adversity.
My own experience with Kundalini yoga and many
other ancient practices and philosophies like study of yoga and Hinduism,
Buddhism, mystical Christianity and Judaism,and personal awakenings informed
this book as well. My research into integrative approaches to mental health has
also encouraged me to examine how contemplative and mind-body practices may
complement conventional approaches to care. Studying the mechanisms of
contemplative practices and mind-body therapies raises important questions
about emotional regulation, resilience, brain health and function, and the ways
people relate to themselves and the world around them. These professional
experiences have helped shape my interest in bringing neuroscience into
dialogue with spiritual traditions from many walks of life.
They have also reinforced the importance of
approaching people with curiosity and compassion rather than assuming that one
explanation or intervention will work for everyone. The book reflects that
integrative perspective. It invites readers to consider the whole person and to
explore different pathways toward greater awareness, balance, and well-being,
while remaining thoughtful about the evidence and the limitations of what
science can currently explain.
8. How would you describe your writing style?
Which writers or books is your writing similar to?
I would describe the approach of Living from the
Soul as interdisciplinary, explanatory, and reflective. And I am the one
who bridges multiple disciplines and philosophies. My goal is to make complex
ideas from neuroscience and psychiatry accessible to readers while also giving
space to the personal and philosophical questions that emerge when we consider
consciousness, spirituality, and human flourishing. I want readers to encounter
scientific concepts without feeling that they need a technical background to
understand them.
At the same time, I do not want to reduce
spiritual experience to a collection of brain mechanisms. The challenge is to
respect both the scientific questions we can investigate and the profound
personal meaning that spiritual experiences may hold. The book combines
research, clinical perspectives, discussions of contemplative traditions, and
practical exercises. This allows readers to engage with the ideas
intellectually while also considering how they might apply them in their own
lives.
In terms of readership, I imagine the book
appealing to people who enjoy work at the intersection of science and
spirituality, including readers interested in contemplative practice,
integrative mental health, and personal transformation, or just simply want
some advice on how find a way in the increasingly confusing world. It may
resonate with those who appreciate both the research-oriented perspective of
neuroscience and the reflective traditions of spiritual inquiry.
I speak in my own voice and from my own
experience that is quite unique. Also, I am not prescriptive but rather invite
exploration of the questions that readers may have never considered. Rather
than trying to imitate a particular writer, my aim is to bring these
perspectives into conversation and offer readers an approach that is grounded
in scientific curiosity, open to deeper questions, and relevant to everyday
experience.
9. What challenges did you overcome in the
writing of this book?
One of the central challenges was bringing
together disciplines that do not always speak the same language. Neuroscience
relies on observation, experimentation, and evidence, while spirituality often
deals with subjective experience, personal meaning, non-physical events and
questions that are difficult to measure. Connecting these perspectives requires
care, particularly when discussing what research can and cannot establish.
I wanted to make scientific material
understandable without oversimplifying it, while also treating spiritual
experiences with respect. It is important to recognize that research may help
us understand some of the brain processes associated with meditation, prayer,
or contemplative practice, but it does not necessarily answer every
philosophical question about consciousness or the soul.
Another challenge was translating broad concepts
into practical ideas that readers could explore in their own lives. People come
to these questions with different backgrounds, beliefs, health needs, and life
experiences. An approach that feels meaningful to one person may not resonate
with another.
That is why I see the book as an invitation to
explore rather than a prescription for how everyone should live. The practical
exercises and integrative perspectives are intended to help readers discover
what may be useful to them, while recognizing that spiritual growth can be
complex and that some experiences may require additional guidance or
professional support. Ultimately, the challenge was also the opportunity: to
create a conversation between science and spirituality that is intellectually
responsible, compassionate, and hopeful.
10. If people can buy or read one book this week
or month, why should it be yours?
I would invite readers to choose Living from the
Soul if they are curious about how science and spirituality might work together
to help us understand ourselves and live more meaningful lives, also those who
are seeking simple tools to help them find their connection with their soul
that can simplify their existence.
We live in a time when many people are searching
for greater calm, connection, and purpose. We have access to extraordinary
amounts of information, yet it can still be difficult to know how to navigate
uncertainty, manage our emotional reactions, or remain connected to what
matters most.
This book offers a way to explore those
questions through the combined perspectives of neuroscience, psychiatry,
contemplative practice, and spiritual inquiry. It looks at how we might
cultivate greater self-awareness, develop resilience, work with difficult
emotions and trauma, and nurture qualities such as gratitude and compassion,
and achieve wellbeing and flourishing. It also includes practical exercises
that encourage readers to take these ideas beyond the page.
About The Author: Dr. Helen Lavretsky is a Professor of
Psychiatry at UCLA, and a geriatric integrative psychiatrist with a federally
funded research program in geriatric depression and integrative mental health
using mind-body interventions. She is a recipient of multiple research and
professional awards for her work in geriatric mental health and in integrative
medicine. Her work bridges spirituality, neuroscience and mental
health. Her work has been featured in numerous journal publications,
magazines, TV and radio shows and on social media platforms. She is a subject
in the documentary movie “Humankind.” For more information, please see: https://drhelenlavretsky.com/
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and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids,
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