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An essential feature of religious experience across many cultures is the intuitive feeling of God's presence. More than any rituals or doctrines, it is this experience that anchors religious faith, yet it has been largely ignored in the scientific literature on religion.Starting with a vivid narrative account of the life-threatening hike that triggered his own mystical experience, biologist John Wathey takes the reader on a scientific journey to find the sources of religious feeling and the illusion of God's presence. His book delves into the biological origins of this compelling feeling, attributing it to innate neural circuitry that evolved to promote the mother-child bond. Dr. Wathey, a veteran neuroscientist, argues that evolution has programmed the infant brain to expect the presence of a loving being who responds to the child's needs. As the infant grows into adulthood, this innate feeling is eventually transferred to the realm of religion, where it is reactivated through the symbols, imagery, and rituals of worship. The author interprets our various conceptions of God in biological terms as illusory supernormal stimuli that fill an emotional and cognitive vacuum left over from infancy. These insights shed new light on some of the most vexing puzzles of religion, like the popular belief in a god who is judgmental and punishing, yet also unconditionally loving; the extraordinary tenacity of faith; the greater religiosity of women relative to men; religious obsessions with sex; the mysterious compulsion to pray; the seemingly irrepressible feminine attributes of God, even in traditionally patriarchal religions; and the strange allure of cults. Finally, Dr. Wathey considers the hypothesis that religion evolved to foster reproductive success, arguing that, in an age of potentially ruinous overpopulation, magical thinking has become a luxury we can no longer afford, one that distracts us from urgent threats to our planet.Deeply researched yet elegantly written in a jargon-free and accessible style, this book presents a compelling interpretation of the evolutionary origins of spirituality and religion.

With an increasing number of referrals to treat balance impairment, gait disorders, and dizziness, A Clinician's Guide to Balance and Dizziness: Evaluation and Treatment by Dr. Charles M. Plishka looks to address these issues and provides tests, measures, and interventions that are matched to research studies when available, for evidence-based practice. It begins with a review of the anatomy and physiology of the systems used to balance. With a basic understanding of how we balance, the signs and symptoms of patients will be understood with much greater ease.A Clinician's Guide to Balance and Dizziness enables the reader to perform a complete and thorough evaluation and helps to provide treatment options for identified deficits that place the patient at risk for falls. Along with numerous diagrams and photos, this text comes with access to a web site containing video clips that demonstrate key evaluation and treatment techniques. The result will be a better evaluation, treatment plan, and outcome.Topics and Features Include: How do we balance? Tests to evaluate the balance-impaired patient Tests and interventions for conditions such as Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), Vestibular Loss, and the central and peripheral causes of dizziness Therapy treatments “How to” instructions throughout Companion web site with video clips demonstrating evaluation and treatments A Clinician's Guide to Balance and Dizziness: Evaluation and Treatment is an easy-to-use reference perfect for professionals who assess and treat balance impairments and dizziness. While it is an instructional text for physical therapy students and clinicians, it is also a great reference for established physicians, vestibular and balance therapy specialists, occupational therapists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, audiologists, and athletic trainers.

Practical Management of Complex Cancer Pain gives advice on advanced pain management techniques for cancer pains. Emphasis is placed on the suitability and selection of patients for different invasive and complex procedures based on the patient's history. Case histories provide compressive insight into the complexities of holistic management, with pain being only one of the factors that distress patients and families. The book also covers cancer pain management for patients in a community setting including, the collaboration between pain and palliative medicine. This practical guide to the management and treatment of complex cancer pain is essential reading for all oncologists, pain, and palliative care specialists.