Thoughts Without a Thinker - by Mark Epstein (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Blending Buddhism and psychotherapy, acclaimed psychiatrist Mark Epstein shows how to radically transform your emotional life.

"One of the most sophisticated integrations of the therapeutic and spiritual disciplines." --New York Times

Today, the benefits of meditation practices like mindfulness and deep breathing are widely recognized by mainstream therapists. But what does Buddhist insight actually look like, how does it intersect with classic Western psychotherapy, and what can a synthesis of both traditions offer you?

In this landmark book, acclaimed psychotherapist Mark Epstein lays out the path to meditation-inspired healing. At the heart of Epstein's exploration is the concept of the "self," which Buddhism exposes as an illusory construct that breeds emotional suffering. With great clarity and insight, Epstein demonstrates how Buddhism and psychotherapy can be used in powerful tandem to loosen our attachment to the self and thereby free ourselves to experience real joy.

Now updated with a new preface, Thoughts without a Thinker offers a revolutionary and enduring road map to a healthy emotional life.

Review Quotes

"A groundbreaking work.... The book will take its place among the classics of the literature of meditation."--Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Mindfulness for Beginners

"A highly personal, thoughtful, illuminating synthesis.... Patients, psychologists, and mediators...will find much spiritual nourishment."--Publishers Weekly

"A marvelous book that is at once scholarly and fresh, informative and personal."--Stephen A. Mitchell, author of Can Love Last?

"A most lucid and expert account of the wedding of psychotherapy and meditation. An Eastern-Western psychology that truly speaks from the inside of both worlds."--Jack Kornfield, author of The Wise Heart

"Eloquent yet down-to-earth, this gem offers an exhilarating and expansive perspective on the therapeutic process."--Booklist

"Epstein tries bravely and earnestly to make such matters of the mind and heart as clear as possible."--Robert Coles, New England Journal of Medicine

"Epstein's solid book offers another example of contemporary efforts to revitalize psychotherapy."--Spirituality and Practice

"I loved Thoughts Without a Thinker. Mark Epstein has given us a brilliant account of how an ancient science of mind, based on a rich meditative tradition, can complement therapy and lead to new dimensions of wisdom and wholeness."--Joan Borysenko, author of Minding the Body, Mending the Mind

"Mark Epstein's book is inspired by its lucidity.... After Thoughts Without a Thinker, psychotherapy without a Buddhist perspective looks like a diminished thing."--Adam Phillips, author of Missing Out

"One of the most sophisticated integrations of the therapeutic and spiritual disciplines."--Daniel Goleman, New York Times

About the Author

Mark Epstein, MD, is a psychiatrist in private practice and the author of a number of books about the interface of Buddhism and psychotherapy, including The Zen of Therapy, Advice Not Given, and Going to Pieces without Falling Apart. He received his undergraduate and medical degrees from Harvard University. He lives and works in the Hudson Valley and New York City.