Switch on Your Brain: The Key to Peak Happiness, Thinking, and Health (10 page)

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

An interesting body of research shows how a certain type of

protein, called a “prion protein,” operates a bit like a Dr. Je-

kyll and Mr. Hyde—the story often used as a metaphor of the

good man who hides an evil side. When a prion protein folds

over itself, it plays a crucial role in neurodegenerative diseases

that lead to dreadful syndromes such as the mad cow disease.

But scientists have now found that the prion protein abounds

73

_Leaf_SwitchOnBrain_LS_mw.indd 73

5/16/13 1:33 PM

HOW TO SWITCH ON YOUR BRAIN

in synapses—the contact point where signals are passed from

one nerve cell to the next. Prions help create long-term, self-

sustaining memories. They are also important in neuroplas-

ticity, which is the change and rewiring that happens in our

brain when we think and learn; and finally, they are involved in

neurogenesis.3 The point here is that this protein does amazing

things in the brain in response to good signals and goes crazy

in response to negative signals. A chaotic mind filled with

uncaptured rogue thoughts of anxiety, worry, and any and all

manner of fear-related emotions sends out the wrong signal.

Another Example of a Vicious Cycle

Stress is the key to understanding the association between

depression and heart disease. Research shows that 40 to 60

percent of heart disease patients suffer clinical depression and

30 to 50 percent of patients who suffer clinical depression are

at risk for heart disease.4

Not catching and stopping those thoughts leads to nega-

tive, toxic thoughts being wired into the brain; this can lead

to depressive thoughts, which causes the body to go into stage

two of stress. In response, the immune system produces pro-

teins called
cytokines
, including one called
Interleukin-6
, as a

positive, inflammatory response to protect the brain and body

against stress. If the stress is not controlled, the depression

increases and the person moves into stress stage 3; over time

the inflammation also increases and can lead to arterioscle-

rosis (hardening of the arteries) and cardiovascular disease.

All this is from not catching those negative, toxic thoughts.

And this is just one disease process; there are a multitude

of other manifestations of not stopping this cycle. Recent

research has shown that teaching strategies to handle and

74

_Leaf_SwitchOnBrain_LS_mw.indd 74

5/16/13 1:33 PM

Catch Those Thoughts

control stress (the body’s reaction to toxic thinking) could

make individuals who are vulnerable to schizophrenia and

other neuropsychiatric disorders less vulnerable.5

It Only Takes Five to Sixteen Minutes a Day

Research has shown that five to sixteen minutes a day of focused,

meditative capturing of thoughts shifts frontal brain states that

are more likely to engage with the world.6 Research also showed

that those same five to sixteen minutes of intense, deep think-

ing activity increased the chances of a happier outlook on life.

God has blessed us with powerful and sound minds (2 Tim.

2:17). When we direct our attention by capturing our thoughts,

we provide a target for our mental faculties. Then God will

give you a project and your balance will be restored. If you

don’t let God give you a thinking project, the Enemy will surely

step in to try to catch your thoughts and destroy your balance.

God has designed the frontal lobe of our brains precisely

to do this: handle his thought projects. This perspective is

highlighted in the Message version of 2 Corinthians 10:5:

“We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped phi-

losophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of

God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse

into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are

ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction

and building lives of obedience into maturity.”

Our Normal Is Perfection

Because we are made in God’s image (Gen. 1:26) and have

the “mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16), our normal state is one

of perfection.

75

_Leaf_SwitchOnBrain_LS_mw.indd 75

5/16/13 1:33 PM

HOW TO SWITCH ON YOUR BRAIN

Science now is able to demonstrate that we are “wired for

love,” and fear, which incorporates anything toxic, is therefore

not our norm. This means our natural fashioned-after-God

inclination is one of optimism and good, healthy thinking.

We therefore have a God-given freedom to choose right or

wrong—but it comes with conditions attached: “I have set

before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore

choose life, that both you and your descendants may live”

(Deut. 30:19). This is clearly evidenced in the brain—when

bad choices are made, or those negative thoughts are not

captured, the neural wiring becomes distorted, which results

in disruption of normal function.

God designed humans to observe our own thoughts, catch

those that are bad, and get rid of them. The importance of

capturing those thoughts cannot be underestimated because

research shows that the vast majority of mental and physical

illness comes from our thought life rather than the environ-

ment and genes.7

An undisciplined mind is filled with a continuous stream of

worries, fears, and distorted perceptions that trigger degenera-

tive processes in the mind and body. We cannot afford not to

bring all thoughts into captivity to Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 10:5).

1. The design of the brain allows us to capture and dis-

cipline chaotic thoughts.

2. Catching our thoughts is
necessary
because it calms

our spirits so we can tune in and listen to God.

3. When we are mindful of catching our thoughts in this

way, we change our connection with God from unin-

volved and independent to involved and dependent.

76

_Leaf_SwitchOnBrain_LS_mw.indd 76

5/16/13 1:33 PM

Catch Those Thoughts

4. Research dating back to the 1970s shows that being

introspectively aware of our thoughts in a disciplined

way rather than letting them chaotically run rampant

can bring about impressive changes in how we feel and

think.

5. Purposefully catching your thoughts can control the

brain’s sensory processing, the brain’s rewiring, the

neurotransmitters, the genetic expression, and cellular

activity in a positive or negative direction. You choose.

6. A chaotic mind filled with uncaptured rogue thoughts

of anxiety, worry, and all manner of fear-related emo-

tions sends out the wrong signal right down to the level

of the DNA.

7. Research has shown that five to sixteen minutes a day of

focused, meditative capturing of thoughts shifts fron-

tal brain states so that they are more likely to engage

with the world and increases the chances of a happier

outlook on life.

8. We are wired for love and then learn fear.

77

_Leaf_SwitchOnBrain_LS_mw.indd 77

5/16/13 1:33 PM

_Leaf_SwitchOnBrain_LS_mw.indd 78

5/16/13 1:33 PM

5

Entering into Directed Rest

Main Scripture: Be still, and know that I am God.

Psalm 46:10

Linked Science Concept: When we direct our rest by

introspection, self-reflection, and prayer; when we

catch our thoughts; when we memorize and quote

Scripture; and when we develop our mind intellectu-

ally, we enhance the default mode network (DMN)

that improves brain function and mental, physical,

and spiritual health.

God’s order is clearly reflected in the organization

of the brain. God has designed the brain to work

in a series of coordinated networks. The scientific

expression for this is
integrative functional organization
,

which basically means that all parts of the brain are con-

nected, work together, and impact each other.

God has also designed the brain in such a way that the

intrinsic activity in the nonconscious part of our minds is

where most of the
mind-action
takes place, and it is always

79

_Leaf_SwitchOnBrain_LS_mw.indd 79

5/16/13 1:33 PM

HOW TO SWITCH ON YOUR BRAIN

dominant, twenty-four hours a day. It is where we are think-

ing, choosing, building, and sorting thoughts. Simply put, it

is the constant, high-energy activity that is always going on

in the nonconscious mind, even when we are resting. What

we consciously think and what we say and do is all driven by

the information and activity in the nonconscious mind. So

the nonconscious mind has the roots of all our words and ac-

tions, and we choose with our minds what these roots will be.

This organizational structure of the brain and body is

described in Ephesians 4:16: “He makes the whole body fit

together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it

helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy

and growing and full of love” (NLT).

The constant, high-intrinsic activity in the brain that influ-

ences our words and actions can be seen in the Scriptures:

“As he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7).

What research shows is that when we go into a directed

rest—a focused, introspective state—we enhance and increase

the effectiveness of the activity in the nonconscious. Research

shows that there is a greater increase in gamma waves, which

are involved in attention, memory building, and learning, and

more activity linked to positive emotions like happiness when

we move into this directed rest state. PET scans and EEG

recordings show portions of the brain bulk up that produce

happiness and peace.1 This is wisdom from Psalm 46:10: “Be

still, and know that I am God.”

The Organized Networks in the Brain

Let’s take a closer look at these coordinated and organized

networks in our brains that work together in a busy, integrated,

80

_Leaf_SwitchOnBrain_LS_mw.indd 80

5/16/13 1:33 PM

Entering into Directed Rest

and balanced way, helping our brains maintain a high level of

activity 24/7. These networks form the brain’s inner life with

the default mode network (DMN) dominating and becoming

especially active when the mind is introspective and thinking

deeply in a directed rest or idling state.

The DMN acts much like the conductor of an orchestra

giving timing signals and coordinating activity among the

different brain networks and regions and getting the brain

ready to react on a conscious level. For example, the DMN

coordinates the activity in

• networks that become active during a mental task;

• networks that are active during memory formation and

when we pay attention;

• the salience network, which helps determine what we

pay attention to; and

• the sensory-motor network, which integrates the brain’s

control of body movements with sensory feedback.

When your mind is busy with intrinsic activity (which is

basically directed rest) such as introspection and thinking

things through, letting your mind wander, sleeping, deep

thinking, even under anesthetic, there is a constant chatter

between the networks of the brain in the nonconscious mind.

The energy consumed by this constantly active messaging and

thought building in the nonconscious level of our mind is

about twenty times more than when we are conscious. When

we move into an alert conscious state, the energy consumption

in the brain increases by 5 percent. In fact, 60 to 80 percent

of all energy used by the brain occurs in circuits inside the

brain that are unrelated to any external signal. This is all

predominant DMN activity.2

81

_Leaf_SwitchOnBrain_LS_mw.indd 81

5/16/13 1:33 PM

HOW TO SWITCH ON YOUR BRAIN

Flexibility

An important property of these brain networks is called
anti-

correlation
, which means we switch back and forth between

the various networks.3 For example, when we have flexible

and creative thinking, we are able to shift between thoughts

and capture and control thoughts. This is good and is what

we want.

We need this flexibility as we go through life. We can-

not control the events and circumstances of life, but we can

control our
reactions
to those events and circumstances.

Controlling our reactions requires flexibility in our think-

ing, and God has given us that with our multiple, different

networks. God has designed our brain to work for us and

not to control us.

Switch Off to Switch On

What I find fascinating is that when we shift into the default

mode network (DMN), we don’t switch off to rest. Quite the

contrary, we
switch off to switch on
to a mode of thinking