Willpower Shapes Our Brain

The Mind and the Brain : Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force by Jeffrey M. Schwartz, Sharon Begley

I was reading this book today which discusses how people with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder can actually change the strength of their synaptic connections, thus changing their thought patterns, by replacing their unhealthy OCD thoughts with more helpful thoughts. For example, they might replace the thought of washing their hands yet again with thinking about gardening. Studied repetition of this practice eventually weakens the unhealthy thought patterns and they may disappear altogether. The author, a cognitive psychologist, attributes his insights into this area to the Buddhist/Yogic practice of "mindfulness;" a constant, fixed attention.

Really, the author's idea isn't anything new. It's a new application for ancient practices. Science, on a regular basis, seems to learn something "new" that's been around for thousands of years, but I digress.

Religions of all sorts practice forms of "thought stopping." I recall descriptions of the practice among various cults in a book on cult mind control. Cult members might be taught to recite certain sayings or prayers, or sing chants or spiritual songs whenever they feel doubtful or sacreligious thoughts creeping in.

Nevertheless, the author really grabbed my attention when he noted that the brain actually rewires itself in response to an act of will. By their own volition his patients decide what they will attend to, and by repeatedly exercising their will in this area, they change the physical structure of their brains.

Sounds a bit strange, perhaps, but it shouldn't. People change the structure of their bodies all the time by an act of will. You watch them doing it every time you go to a gym or a restaurant. It should come as no surprise that the brain responds in a similar fashion to the rest of our bodies.

Modern psychiatry and biology assert that many human behaviors and misbehaviors can be attributed to brain chemistry. "Behind every twisted thought, there's a twisted molecule," I believe the saying goes. But then we get into a chicken and egg conundrum. Did the molecule twist the thought or did the thought twist the molecule?

If you can trace homicidal, suicidal, homosexual, etc. etc. behaviors to chemical imbalances, some would imply that these behaviors relieve the sufferer from responsibility. Some would say that, especially as adults, our behavior is no longer open to change. We are who we are and there's nothing to be done since we are behaving as we are wired. This research says different.

"As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he."

"Your mind is colored by the thoughts it feeds upon, for the mind is dyed by ideas and imaginings." --Marcus Aurelius

Still, willpower doesn't seem that easy to come by sometimes. I certainly know in my own life that unhelpful thoughts can be very difficult to shake, but it seems that continued trying is what's needed. Just like building bigger muscles. It takes consistent, focused effort.

"Set your mind on things above, not on things below."

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."