Peter Sterling

Simon Laughlin

Two distinguished neuroscientists distil general principles from more than a century of scientific study, "reverse engineering" the brain to understand its design.

Principles of Neural Design

An argument that health is optimal responsiveness and is often best treated at the system level. Medical education centers on the venerable “no-fault” concept of homeostasis, whereby local mechanisms impose constancy by correcting errors, and the brain serves mainly for emergencies. Yet, it turns out that most parameters are not constant; moreover, despite the importance of local mechanisms, the brain is definitely in charge. In this book, the eminent neuroscientist Peter Sterling describes a broader concept: allostasis (coined by Sterling and Joseph Eyer in the 1980s), whereby the brain anticipates needs and efficiently mobilizes supplies to prevent errors. Allostasis evolved early, Sterling explains, to optimize energy efficiency, relying heavily on brain circuits that deliver a brief reward for each positive surprise. Modern life so reduces the opportunities for surprise that we are driven to seek it in consumption: bigger burgers, more opioids, and innumerable activities that involve higher carbon emissions. The consequences include addiction, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and climate change. Sterling concludes that solutions must go beyond the merely technical to restore possibilities for daily small rewards and revivify the capacities for egalitarianism that were hard-wired into our nature. Sterling explains that allostasis offers what is not found in any medical textbook: principled definitions of health and disease: health as the capacity for adaptive variation and disease as shrinkage of that capacity. Sterling argues that since health is optimal responsiveness, many significant conditions are best treated at the system level.

Allostasis and the Evolution of Human Design

What Is Health?

Hearing the Angels Sing is a wonderfully inspiring book. Peter Sterling, in telling his uplifting story of encountering the angels and being shown his destiny as one of God's harpists, encourages readers to open to the deeper dimensions of life for themselves. There is authentic humility in suggesting that if the author seeks and receives such profound guidance from the angels, anyone can do it. In writing so openly and courageously about his life, Peter demonstrates the commitment required to work with angels as well as the rich spiritual rewards of finding one's true path. In a troubled world, reuniting with the angels is becoming a potent way for people to reconnect and reclaim their spiritual essences. Peter's exquisite Harp Magic provides a portal through which the reality of the angels can be felt and experienced. One of the pleasures of reading his book is following the author's trail of synchronicities and angelic guidance through the challenges, distractions, revelations, and obstacles to emerge as a world-class harpist in service to the angels. It is exhilarating and deeply encouraging to learn how intimately and creatively the angels can interact with our lives if we just let them. Hearing the Angels Sing is a must-read for anyone drawn to the angels, and for those who already know what a salve Peter's music is to the souls of the openhearted and the spiritually minded, the book will yet further deepen your enjoyment of Harp Magic. --Timothy Wyllie Author of Dolphins, ETs & Angels, The Return of the Rebel Angels, and coauthor of Ask Your Angels

Peter Sterling

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