Different religious and spiritual traditions describe joy as a core attribute of God or the Divine Source. In Hinduism, the Upanishads define Brahman or God with the words, Sat-Chit-Ananda, which means Truth, Consciousness and Joy. Ananada, which is joy not dependent on external conditions, is contrasted with “sukha” which is happiness based on favorable conditions. In Christian theology, joy is an attribute of God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit and joy is a Divine gift.
I have read many books on joy but never come across a book which conceptualizes joy through the biopsychosocial-spiritual model, until I read Dr. Earl Henslin’s book, This is your Brain on Joy. Thus, I am very excited to present my interview with Dr. Henslin on his book. The interview is rich and informative as Dr. Henslin shares his wisdom in the intersectionality of neuroscience, psychology and Christianity. He collaborates with Dr. Daniel Amen in brain imaging work, and he shares his knowledge in this area. In the book, Dr. Henslin discussed five areas of the brain which impact mood: 1) the prefrontal cortex, 2)cingulate gyrus, 3) basal ganglia, 4) limbic system and 5) temporal lobes. During the interview, he added a sixth part of the brain involved in mood, which is the cerebellum.
Dr. Henslin has also written about Apostle Paul’s secrets to joy which is not dependent to external conditions. Very similar to the idea of Ananda. I am very grateful to Dr. Henslin for sharing his knowledge and wisdom. He is very humorous and humble in his discussions. A Big thank you to Dr. Henslin. Hope readers enjoy the interview.
LINK FOR INTERVIEW WITH DR. HENSLIN
Contact information for Dr. Henslin: info@drhenslin.com.
NOTE: THIS IS NOT A THERAPY SITE AND NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. PLEASE REACH OUT TO PROFESSIONAL MENTAL HEALTH AND MEDICAL PROVIDERS, AS NEEDED.