Beyond the Relaxation Response

"I found this book to be very helpful in assisting me to deal with the after effects of a stroke and seizures."
~ Written on 2008-01-25

"I had read the first book on the relaxation response, but it just didn't "do it" for me. It taught me the basics but I already knew the basics. If you don't know the basics you really should read it first.
This book was awesome. I have so deepened my meditation. He encourages you to tap into your own belief system and that made such a tremendous difference in my meditation experience.
I would recommend this book to anyone wanted to learn the art of meditation.
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~ Written on 2007-05-06

"Quite simply Herbert Benson, through the Relaxation Response and Beyond the Relaxation Response, put meditation on the map for the medical profession and for interested laymen who weren't adepts of some guru, yogi, maharishi or other spiritual master. This he did by providing an easy to follow, non-religious based program for eliciting a meditative state AND by validating the results through science. Yes, the book is a little dated now. But, if the content seems familliar, it's beacause there are so many imitators.

If you liked these books, you may also benefit from John Kabbat-Zinn's "Full Catastrophe Living" ."
~ Written on 2006-12-02

"I have read natural, alternative, holistic books for many years now, most I have recently purchased through Amazon. I rely on the reviews of others to a great extent so when I received this book and was beyond disappointed with its contents I felt annoyed enough to respond with a review of my own to prevent anyone else from this waste of time and money. I am studying to be a relaxation therapist and taking spiritual counseling courses at the same time and both this book and its predecessor, The Relaxation Response, were included on the book list for these courses, so I was really expecting them to provide new, exciting, helpful information, maybe expecting them to make some heretofore unmade connections for me? The two elements I guess worth pulling out of this book are 1) It provides a relaxation method, however, even this is not new nor particularly advanced? and 2) It introduces the addition of one's belief as being an element which intensifies the method?....well...duh...The only way that I even allow for these points is sheer kindness and not real honesty about the value found in the book as there is none! Granted the publishing of this book is a little dated but even for 1984 this information was really lame and old. I cannot fathom why these books are still being added to reading list which include books that far surpass the information found here? No personal offense to Dr. Benson but the book reads like sitting in the company of one who has been isolated for a long period of time and in desperate need of company so they bore their guests to tears and won't be quiet. It goes on and on and on with no real substance at all...."
~ Written on 2006-01-18

"A good, simple read that's also entertaining. The book discusses the possible effects of adding faith to the relaxation response. It would appear that the original 'relaxation response', while good, has an even more profound impact if coupled with a persons personal belief system.

In brief: a good, useful book with easily accessible information."
~ Written on 2004-12-20