Tomorrow the church remembers Pentecost. We remember the Holy Spirit being sent to be our Comforter. I've been enjoying the readings in the daily Office as they have focused on the Holy Spirit. You see, I've been thinking about the Holy Spirit quite a lot any way. More specifically, I've been wondering about how the Spirit may interface with our brain. I know that sounds weird but stay with me.
Over the last several weeks, I've been learning about the brain. You see, I have a lot of interest in how our brain works and what kinds of things affect our moods, our feelings, etc. From what I understand, when a person is born the brain is the most undeveloped organ in the body. Early in life, both "nature" and "nurture" impact how our brain becomes "wired". Daniel Siegel in his book entitled The Developing Mind writes this about brain development:
The activation of neural pathways directly influences the way connections are made within the brain. Though experience shapes the activity of the brain and the strength of neuronal connections throughout life, experience early in life may be especially crucial in organizing the way the basic structures of the brain develop. For example, traumatic experiences at the beginning of life may have more profound effects on the "deeper" structures of the brain, which respond later to stress. Thus we see that abused children have elevated baseline and reactive stress hormone levels. More common, everyday experiences also shape brain structure. The brain's development is an "experience-dependent" process, in which experience activates certain pathways in the brain, strengthening existing connections and creating new ones. (page 11).
As I understand it, as one engages in life, those experiences can shape the very structure of our brains. That's the reason that someone who struggles with anxiety can't just "turn it off." No, the brain itself, the connections of the neural pathways have been wired in such a way that anxiety has become a normal part of how an anxious person's brain works. The good news is that the brain has "plasticity" and can change. The most change occurs early in life when our brains are most able to change but that plasticity doesn't end when one reaches adulthood.
So, if that's true, that means our experience of the Church, (through the community of believers, through the Eucharist, through the preaching of the Word, through the hearing of Scripture, etc.), could all somehow, coupled with the work of the Spirit, actually bring changes to our brain. That's a bit strange to think about.
I'm sure I'm greatly oversimplifying things but this entire subject fascinates me. It also gives me hope that as time goes on, my brain too can change in such a way that my anxiety and depression won't be such big deals in my life. Will I ever have a time I won't still struggle some in these areas? I have no way of knowing that. All I know is that I am slowly changing and things are getting better. I may not understand how it all works but I do know who is responsible for it. God is with me and His presence sustains me and holds my life together.
The Spirit of the Lord has filled the whole world, alleluia.
-- He sustains all creation and knows every word that is spoken, alleluia.
Recent Comments