Mystically Wired

In Mystically Wired, author Ken Wilson explores the inner workings of the most mysterious of all organs: the human brain.  This book explains how we can calm down the busyness that defines most of our lives and thought processes and experience more peace and stillness before God, which results in more of Him and in His presence.  
Mystically Wired is divided into two sections.  In the first, the author presents relevant scientific findings that spiritual practices, such as prayer, can have a true calming effect on the brain's activities.  The second delves into practices people can integrate into their daily lives and routines to calm their minds so that they can be more fulfilled and peaceful in prayer.
In the first section, Wilson introduces the premise that our brains "are adapted or designed to reach beyond the limits of the ingrown self to connect with the wonder of life beyond the self, including the life of God" (p.3)  He also goes over the fact that many of us have trouble connecting, like when we call someone but the line is full of static.  Also many of us like to control our prayers, i.e., to do what we think our family or church family would find acceptable, not what we feel the Lord or Spirit nudging us to do.
The second half goes over simple ways to connect more fully to the wonder of life beyond the self.  There are several of these.  Among them are holding those we love in our memory before God, the source of love.  Another is, during moments of excessive worry or stress selecting a word, phrase, text or image as our focal point-a name for God or a visual or other sensory image from a psalm.  Another is praying at fixed intervals of the day, perhaps using liturgies from the Catholic or Episcopalian traditions, and celebrating seasonal holidays such as Pentecost and Christmas as well.  Wilson also suggests getting out of our urban environment and going to nature to pray.  
There is much to be found and applied in this book, but the main thought really is: We can learn how to pray, and Jesus can teach us.  That is truly what this book is all about, and it encourages us to take a small step of some sort into that direction as we follow the Lord.