The HUMAN mind influences and changes the human brain, literally! Scientific studies have finally debunked the old theory that the adult brain does not change. In 1913 Santiago Ramon y Cajal (famous for winning the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine) declared in his treatise on the nervous system, “In the adult centers, the nerve paths are something fixed, ended, and immutable.” It took a long time — even after evidence for the plasticity of the brain had been verifiably produced — for some in the scientific world to come around to admitting the fact of the changeableness of the adult brain.
New Facts About the Brain
Here are some of the facts from our new understanding of the brain.
- Our brain continues to change all the way into old age.
- It grows new cells (neurogenesis) from day one to the last day of our lives, giving us the ability to change our brains in a significant way. You can “teach an old dog new tricks”! We can grow new cells and forge new connections between the cells. It’s as simple and astounding as that.
- The old map of the brain that locates motor functions here, sight functions there, etc, is now no longer sacred. The brain can co-opt adjacent areas for emergency use, shrink some, and develop others as it wishes. The brain can change to meet the demands we place on it. Its plasticity is astonishing.
- Outside influences from our experiences in our world can change the physical functions of the brain as needed to adapt to new environments.
- The mind (thoughts) can change the brain and its functions. This is a revolution in brain research. The Bible’s demand that we repent (change your mind to the extent that it changes your life) makes no sense if this is not true. One of the objections to believing in the Bible’s repeated demands to change our minds (and, as a result, our behavior) was the objection that the brain does not change in any significant way. That has now fallen to the advance of knowledge.
What All This Means
Because of the ability to think abstractly, I can plan my life in a virtual world (my mind). I can even take my plan for a test run.
Just like we can create a page on our computer screen and play with it before we print it, so we can create our lives on the screen of our minds before we live them. We can think, reason, feel, dream, and plan in our abstract (virtual) world of our mind. And we can change our plans as often as we like. We can see mistakes in advance and even fail in advance. We can also feel the emotions that accompany our decisions, thus flagging us of what is about to happen to our feelings if we live out our thoughts in real life. What a fantastic gift God has given us to aid our ability to choose freely with a forecast of what our choice may involve.
The mind is filled with a “product” called thought. It is immaterial, yet potent in its power. As we change our thoughts, we change factors and operational chemicals in the brain. We are, of course, using non-scientific words to simply paint a picture that all of us can quickly grasp.
We change our virtual world and, as a result, we change our physical brains when we change our minds.
The changes in our brains make appropriate changes in our bodies.
The Chain Reaction Discussed So Far
Mind – Brain
Simply stated, we create both our inner world in our mind and the physical conditions in our brain by the mental choices we make in our minds. Applying this knowledge will propel us on the path to be the best we can be. It will return us to the importance of mental renewal that the Bible insists upon.
A Scientific Mystery
In an unknown way, our mind (which is immaterial) is linked to the functions of our physical brain. This connection cannot be traced by observations in the physical world because only one end of the connection is physical. We can see the results of the mind on the physical brain, however. All kinds of theories are being proposed as to how the mind and the brain interact, but without any hard data.
Our physical and spiritual worlds meet, interact, and influence each other in the virtual world of the mind. The result is an awareness of ourselves that we call consciousness and possibilities for partnership with our Creator, as well as a place where we can choose to influence our brains.
The Interaction of the Body, Human Spirit, and God’s Spirit
This interface between the physical and the spiritual parts of us is unknown to science. But it is no mystery to faith.
The methods of communication between the two are also largely unknown since science can study the physical part of the equation but not the world of the spirit. Only God our Creator knows how the two worlds, physical and spiritual, really interface.
Don’t worry. Our lack of knowledge doesn’t hamper our ability to be the best that we can be. Just follow the Creator’s instructions.
We must think about the meaning of Romans 12:2 in the light of these scientific insights.
DISCOVER THE TRUTH OF WHO YOU ARE!
Lean into the whole truth. Discover the truth of who YOU are — the “Real You” — and who your children truly are. Discover how to best engage your children in finding the whole truth. INNERKINETICS, Your Blueprint to Excellence and Happiness, is a great resource.
YOUR CHILD IS ALSO UNIQUE
It may surprise you, but your child is most probably a different temperament. They are unique individuals too. So even if they are the same temperament (two letters), they may be a different type (four letters). And the strength of their drives will different from yours as well. Your InnerKinetics (temperament) is not genetically passed on. Therefore, it is exceedingly important to understand your child. I’m a Keeper! is the resource you need to make that journey.