This chapter introduces the transformative power of music through the inspiring story of Michael, a young man with epilepsy and mutism who experienced remarkable progress through music therapy. It highlights the growing body of research on music’s therapeutic effects, while acknowledging the challenges of studying music’s impact in a rigorous scientific manner. The author emphasizes the importance of integrating music therapy into healthcare, advocating for policy changes to increase access for those in need. This chapter sets the stage for exploring the multifaceted ways music can enhance our health and well-being, drawing on insights from neuroscience, psychology, medicine, and musicology. It invites readers on a journey to discover the extraordinary potential of music to heal, inspire, and transform lives.

This chapter introduces the methods used in cognitive neuroscience to study language processing in the human brain. It begins by explaining the basics of neural signaling (such as the action potential) and then delves into various brain imaging techniques. Structural imaging methods like MRI and diffusion tensor imaging are covered, which reveal the brain’s anatomy. The chapter then explores functional imaging approaches that measure brain activity, including EEG, MEG, and fMRI. Each method’s spatial and temporal resolution are discussed. The text also touches on non-invasive brain stimulation techniques like TMS and tES. Throughout, the chapter emphasizes the importance of converging evidence from multiple methods to draw robust conclusions about brain function. Methodological considerations such as the need for proper statistical comparisons are highlighted. The chapter concludes with a discussion of how neurodegenerative diseases have informed our understanding of language in the brain. Overall, this comprehensive overview equips readers with the foundational knowledge needed to critically evaluate neuroscience research on language processing.

This chapter introduces the idea of language as a means to communicate ideas to other people. The speech chain – following the path of language from the mind of the speaker through to an acoustic signal, eventually interpreted by the mind of the listener – is introduced as an organizational framework. Of special note, all of the stages between talker and listener can influence the effectiveness of communication. The chapter provides a summary of central challenges associated with spoken language, including categorical perception, time-constrained understanding, flexibility, and multimodal integration. It then introduces several “big picture” themes from the book: stability versus flexibility, the importance of context, bottom-up versus top-down processing, hierarchical organization, the role of task demands, and neuroanatomical considerations related to localization and lateralization.

This chapter engages with the misconception that one must control or master emotional experience. Emotions cannot be controlled or contained, and by doing so the individual creates inner disturbance and havoc. The author discusses the processes of channeling emotions in growth-promoting practices. Meditation, mindfulness, and creative expression are discussed to provide readers with a multicultural perspective on emotional management. This chapter also discusses the differences and consequences of adaptive and maladaptive emotion regulation habits.

Emotions cannot exist in isolation, and therefore the quality and depth of relationships one has with the world are integral to social and emotional intelligences. The growth-promoting relationship is a unique connection between two beings, where there is an intention from one or both beings to realize a deeper value for, greater expression of, and purposeful use of inner resources, directions, and meanings. The intent seeks to promote growth of the relationship and/or the other being, which can only be done through the unique and special relationship that blossoms from an encounter. This chapter focuses on building culturally diverse relationships through cultural humility and empathy.

This chapter continues the task of considering what, beyond law as it is often imagined, accounts for judicial decision-making. It explores work investigating the influence of motivated reasoning on judges’ behavior, including that which emphasizes the influence of judges’ desire to satisfy the expectations of groups such as their professional peers. It examines the celebrity culture that has arisen around many Supreme Court justices as providing an avenue for the influence of motivated cognition. It also explores other research into the influence of psychological phenomena, such as heuristics and biases, on judges’ decision-making and finally considers the significance of our tendency to notice bias more readily in others than in ourselves.

Chapter 8, Surrounded with trouble (June 5 - June 10). The BIS board decides to grant a second credit to the BIS, but only after a prolonged discussion and it is made conditional on the placement of the Austrian government loan. There is increasing concern about the schilling as capital flows out of the country and the government issues take increasing priority, without being placed. At the same time, Germany’s reparations issues become ever more present as the German Chancellor Brüning meets with Prime Minister MacDonals at Chequers. Shortly before, Brüning published a statement saying that the burden on the German people has reached its limit. The international creditors too become increasingly nervous about the Austrian situation.

In the 1980s and 90s in psychology, many cross-cultural comparisons were made concerning individualism and collectivism with questionnaires and experiments. The largest number of them compared “collectivistic” Japanese with “individualistic” Americans. This chapter reviewed 48 such empirical comparisons and found that Japanese were no different from Americans in the degree of collectivism. Both questionnaire studies and experimental studies showed essentially the same pattern of results. Many researchers who believed in “Japanese collectivism” suspected flaws in those empirical studies. However, none of the suspected flaws was consistent with empirical evidence. For example, although it was suspected that “Japanese collectivism” was not supported because college students provided data as participants, the studies with non-student adults did not support this common view either. It is thus unquestionable that as a whole the empirical studies disproved the reality of “Japanese collectivism.”