Biology, Beliefs and Your Body Carol Smith MSc Audiology Diploma in Life Coaching
Aim To explain the healing capacity of the body and how the mind can assist or sabotage the process, depending on whether thoughts are positive or negative. This information should be used in conjunction with conventional medicine.
Content The biological facts of how the body responds to our thoughts. Offer a new way of thinking about tinnitus/pain to assist the body to reach optimal healing. Step by step summary at the end.
Source of Information Evolve Your Brain. The Science of Changing your Mind. By Dr Joe Dispenza. In depth look at how the brain and the mind works. How your mind can heal your body. By Dr David Hamilton. Looks at the placebo effect and stem cell regeneration. The Biology of Belief. By Dr Bruce Lipton. Looks at how every cell in the body responds to the chemicals produced by our thoughts.
What happens when you think? Consciously observe a situation. Think about it, make a judgement. Brain releases neuropeptides(chemicals) into the body to correspond with the thought. You feel the emotional effects of the neuropeptides. Then you think about the emotional feeling as well as the situation which reinforces the feeling. The neuropeptides are directly related to your thoughts. Positive thoughts = good feelings. Negative thoughts = bad feelings.
Good Feelings Good thoughts encourage good feelings which produce beta endorphins which produce even better feelings. Endorphins also modulate our attitude to pain so can tolerate pain more easily. Need beta endorphin to begin neurogenesis - making new cells for healing and repair from neural stem cells. Endorphins deliver messages to the DNA in the stems cells to tell them what the body needs for healing.
Additional Research 2012, Stem cell regeneration research at University of Sheffield. Destroyed the hearing of gerbils and then injected stem cells into the cochlea. 18 animals regained 46% of hearing. On going research to help human hair cell regeneration.
Optimal conditions to produce stem cells. Healthy diet and lifestyle as need good nutrition to feed your cells. Exercise will increase production of beta endorphins which will help mood, pain relief as well as assisting the healing process. Stimulating environment. Need to be feeling enthusiastic, positive, fascinated, excited etc.
Effect of negative feelings about pain or tinnitus. Negative thoughts encourage bad feelings which produce even worse thoughts and feelings. This encourages stress neuropeptides to be produced. Adrenaline and cortisol take priority as body thinks its on red alert. Beta endorphins and healing genes get switched off while you are stressed. Your body believes what you are thinking.
Belief and the Placebo Effect How the Mind can Heal the Body. Dr David Hamilton. The reason why the placebo effect works is because of the belief in the treatment and/or doctor. This triggers positive emotions which triggers natural painkillers which increase tolerance to discomfort and the healing process begins on its own. The brain doesn t know the difference between real and imagined, so if you believe you are healing you will.
Biology of Belief Dr Bruce Lipton Bruce Lipton s work has shown that every single cell in our body reacts to its environment. The environment is the neurochemical which the cell receives. This is the chemical produced from your thoughts. Epigenetics a new science. The ability to control our biology by our beliefs. Think greater than you feel. Tell yourself a better story but you have to believe it.
Evolve Your Brain Dr Joe Dispenza Become aware of negative thoughts and change them. Mindfulness. The mind is just a function of the brain in the way that digestion is a function of the stomach. By becoming consciously aware, you can take charge. He describes the frontal lobe as being the Chief Executive of the brain which enables you to take control of your mind. It gives us the ability to choose what we pay attention to and shift awareness.
How to switch on the frontal lobe. It s activated when relaxed, in meditation and when concentrating on something new in the present moment. The primitive brain is activated when stressed and lost in the mind worrying about past or future. To switch off the primitive brain, first become aware you have got caught in a negative cycle. Focus on your breathing or just observe the negative feeling (jaw tension, knot in stomach etc.) and just observe the feeling without adding a negative commentary to it. Switch off the supply of negative thoughts and allow the feeling to be present. When you stop feeding the thoughts, the feeling goes.
When frontal lobe is engaged From the quiet state you can now intend to take control of your thoughts and start to introduce some better feeling thoughts. Takes practise, so don t give up. Be patient with yourself as the worry of trying to rush, switches the primitive brain back on. Neuroplasticity good news is the brain is very flexible so if you practise, all the energy that made you feel stressed/upset can be redirected to make you feel good just by changing your thoughts.
How can I think a positive thought about pain or tinnitus? This is a big question. Difficult to like something we find unpleasant. But can switch our focus of attention to something positive when tinnitus or pain present. Going to use any previous stress we have suffered and recycle it into a positive feeling.
Primary stress leads to secondary stress Quotation from the BTA website For some people, tinnitus acts as their barometer of stress, often worsening when there are difficult things going on in their life. Of course, the worsening of tinnitus when we are already feeling stressed can add another burden, and lead to a vicious circle as each influences each other.
Stress and Disease. 55% of illness is due to stress. Dr. Hilary Jones discussion on stress and mindfulness. (23/4/13, Lorraine, ITV 8.30am) Suppressed negative emotion is linked with disease. As the stress response grows, symptoms express themselves in the body. Dr David Hamilton.
Suppressed negative emotions. You were trying to be strong/brave. Stiff Upper Lip. 15-20% of people are classed as highly sensitive. Process information in more detail. Feel pleasure and pain in more depth. But they are also compassionate and aware of others feelings. You didn t want to upset someone by showing your emotions. This could mean you are thoughtful. It wasn t appropriate to show your emotions at the time. This could mean you are considerate. You are so busy looking after other people that you don t have time to deal with your own emotions. You care about others. Maybe some of this tinnitus/pain is because you ve been thoughtful, considerate, brave, strong, caring etc.
Believe the tinnitus is leaving. What if you believed the tinnitus was the suppressed emotion just trying to leave your body? Then you would believe The stress in my body is leaving me and I m going to be OK. That would make you feel good, which would trigger your beta endorphins, which would trigger the healing process.
Step by Step Summary. 1. First, become aware of negative stressful thoughts. 2. Quieten the mind to engage the frontal lobe in your brain and begin the mindfulness process. Feel the stress without negative mind chatter. 3. Acceptance. Very important. Can t switch on the healing genes while there is an internal battle going on. Just for today, I accept the tinnitus/pain/stress etc. I allow it to be present. 4. Acceptance switches off the stress hormones and clears the resistance to healing. 5. When calm, change your beliefs to positive ones, e.g. believe you have suppressed some stressed for a good reason and the tinnitus is now leaving because you have activated the healing process.
Summary continued 6. Focus on what you can do and enjoy it, rather than what you can t do. 7. Doing something you enjoy, switches on the beta endorphins which assists neurogenesis/stem cell production, healing etc. 8. Doing something new, engages the frontal lobe and keeps the mind busy and focused. It also assists in neurogenesis by being interested and stimulated in something rather than worrying. 9. Healthy nutrition and lifestyle to give your cells the best environment possible to heal.
Thanks for listening. Any Questions?