Power Up Your Brain

“Intricately linked to the ability of the prefrontal cortex to come fully online are the mitochondria—the powerhouses of your cells and the feminine life force referred to by shamans. Mitochondria are the conductors of the genetic orchestra that regulate how every cell ages, divides, and dies. They wave the baton that helps dictate which genes are switched on and which are switched off in every one of our cells. And they provide the fuel for establishing new neural networks. And all of the mitochondrial DNA in your body is solely inherited from your mother’s lineage. That means that the source of energy that sustains your life is derived exclusively from the women in your family tree—your matrilineage.”

“But we must remember that stress isn’t all bad. In fact, it is essential for human progress, just as necessity is the mother of invention. When we are unable to respond with creativity to a challenging situation, it is because we are caught in a neural rut. Our brain’s wiring won’t permit it. When you go to the gym for strength training, you put stress on your muscles, and at the end of the workout, you leave with a toned body and a feeling of accomplishment. Biological stress on a species, such as that caused by a change in food availability due to long-term drought, is resolved through creative coping and adapting. Without the stress of a changing ecosystem, our apelike ancestors would never have left the savannas of Africa for more fertile areas in Asia and Europe; they would not have started walking on two legs instead of four. In those cases, stress was nature’s way of inviting the wisest and most adaptable to survive.

At our present point in human history, with a changing ecosystem and an increased toxic load from poisons in our food and water, our species is once again faced with the challenge of long-term survival. And the enlightenment required of us may be no less daunting than having to learn to walk upright on two legs.”

“Researchers have discovered that not only can we create new neural networks, but also we can create them to be powerful enough to overcome our instinctive emotional reactions. In an experiment, individuals were asked to do two tasks—one perceptual and one intellectual. The first task was to match the emotion of anger or fear that was apparent in images of faces projected onto a screen—a perceptual task involving images. They were then asked to look at the faces and associate them with the words anger or fear—an intellectual task involving words. When matching the angry or frightened expression, participants experienced increased blood flow to the amygdala, the primary fear center of the brain. In contrast, when the participants assigned the word labels to the image, blood flow to the amygdala diminished while circulation to the right prefrontal cortex increased. Because the prefrontal region is associated with overriding our primitive emotional responses, the researchers concluded that we can develop new neural networks in higher regions of the brain to reduce these responses.”

“The good news is that, with focused attention, as stated earlier, you can change your thoughts, change your activities, and change your behaviors to make a positive improvement in your life. The other good news is that if you don’t reinforce the neural networks currently used for negative thoughts, activities and behaviors, such as for emotional suffering, your brain will stop using those networks and they will fall by the wayside of unwanted past experiences like so much harvest chaff.

Your job, then, is to stop feeding the old circuitry that reinforces your fears and anger and, instead, direct your attention toward new, positive neural connections. Fortunately, you have the capacity to do that.”

“Through neuroplasticity the brain is able to rewire neural pathways, and even establish new neural superhighways.

Neural networks are created by focused, engaged stimulation. It takes more than simple repetition to create neural networks. Professional athletes have long known that practice does not necessarily make perfect, because bad practice simply reinforces a less than ideal pathway in the brain. Likewise, repeating a prayer over and over again without positive focused intention makes enlightenment less likely. If you want an experiment, try brushing your teeth or holding your fork with your nondominant hand and notice how much concentration is required to perform this simple task. Likewise, the practice of joy, kindness, and forgiveness take focused attention to develop, but the more you exercise them, the more easily and naturally they come.”

“A major component in this gift of neurogenesis—and it is a gift to be revered—is a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which, as we read in previous chapters, plays a key role in creating new neurons. And it also protects existing neurons, helping to ensure their survivability while encouraging synapse formation—that is, the connection of one neuron to another—which is vital for thinking, learning, and higher levels of brain function. Studies have in fact demonstrated that BDNF levels are lower in Alzheimer’s patients, which is no surprise, given our current understanding of how BDNF works…

We now have a very firm understanding of the factors that influence our DNA to produce BDNF. Fortunately, these factors are by and large under our direct control. Increasing your production of BDNF and thus increasing neurogenesis while adding protection to your existing brain neurons doesn’t require that you enroll in a research study to determine if some new laboratory-created compound will enhance BDNF production. The gene that turns on BDNF is activated by a variety of factors, including voluntary physical exercise—animals forced to exercise do not demonstrate this change, calorie reduction, intellectual stimulation, curcumin, and the omega-3 fat known as docosahexaenoic acid.

This is a powerful message because all of these factors are within our grasp; they represent choices we can make to turn on the gene for neurogenesis.”

“As we discussed earlier, the fight-or-flight response works through the HPA axis. When there are no perceived external threats, the HPA axis is at rest and all the body’s resources are dedicated to the renewal of its systems and the growth of new cells. When the body perceived a new threat, such as the sudden roar of a lion or the blare of an automobile horn, the HPA axis kicks in and signals the release of cortisol and adrenaline, which constrict blood vessels in the digestive tract and redirect blood flow away from the internal organs to the extremities, preparing us to fight or flee. These hormones also constrict blood vessels in the prefrontal cortex, where our logic and reasoning centers are located, and redirect blood to the old brain, where reflexive, instinctive action originates. As a result, our thinking becomes muddled and we operate like a cornered animal.”

“Likewise, you can exchange your stories of scarcity, bereavement, loss, and suffering for a grander, more noble epic. You can be like Siddhartha, the young prince who left an easy but unfulfilled life in the palace to discover enlightenment and become the Buddha.

But, to change your story and rewire your brain, you have to quiet your HPA axis so that you can get out of fight-or-flight paralysis, stop responding to people and situations with anger and violence, and cease running away or hiding.

The sages of old knew that for a person to heal from trauma, that person had to discover a new personal mythology in which he or she ceased being the victim of a terrible childhood, a failed marriage, an illness, or of history itself. The shamans knew that person would need to paint a grand canvas and depict him- or herself as a heroic traveler and explorer.

When we understand that the stories of our lives both shape our neurology and are the product of neural networks, we can choose to change our stories in order to change our brains.”