Neuroplasticity & Spiritual Formation

Jeffrey M. Schwartz

• The state of our brain can essentially always, to at least some degree, be viewed as an impediment to our spiritual growth until we change how the brain functions.
• The pursuit of spiritual growth through grace and the Holy Spirit is what changes our brain in ways that make it less and less of an impediment.
• As we come closer to the imitation of Christ through God’s grace, the dynamic and powerful lower animal drives (sin nature) lose their control over how our mind works.
• “…it’s how we direct our attention that changes the brain.”
• There is significant experimental evidence that directing your attention towards spiritual growth changes your brain in ways that are conducive to spiritual growth.
• If you do not direct your attention in ways that are conducive to spiritual growth, your brain will become increasingly controlled by these animal brain mechanisms and will become more and more unruly—more and more prone to bombarding your consciousness with cravings, desires, motivations, ideas, and visceral feelings that are driven by carnal cravings and greedy desires.
• The power is in the focus: It’s having our attention focused in constructive ways that causes the brain to change in a manner that becomes more and more helpful to us.
• If one doesn’t train one’s brain adaptively in this way, what gets wired in is essentially disconnection (automated bad habits).

Hebb’s Law:  “cells that fire together wire together.”

• When a person practices anything repetitively, as those cells start to wire together, there are also changes in the way the brain processes the information such that the mechanism for performing the action gets wired into what we call the habit center of the brain.
• When you practice things again and again and wire the brain such that many of the physical mechanisms go into the habit center, what that means is that those mechanisms no longer need or even utilize conscious attention to operate.

Quantum Zeno Effect:  the brain becomes whatever you regularly focus your attention on.  Your attention becomes increasingly dense.  When you’re paying closer attention, the Quantum Zeno Effect allows us to say that the brain becomes stabilized by paying closer attention (not necessarily “headlight concentrated” attention but in a broader sense). Focusing more observations per unit of time

 The brain is largely a powerful & passive mechanism. The mind is active, making choices and decisions about how one focuses one’s attention.”

What we experience, how we respond emotionally to it, and what we think about it is in fact very strongly influenced by how the brain works.

 The default state of a person who is not living a reflective life and is not pursuing spiritual goals is one in which sensory emotional cognitive processes will, to a significant degree, be almost totally determined by animal brain mechanisms.

• The paths to living as something other than an automaton call in to play mindful awareness, living a reflective life, and pursuing spiritual goals. In the Christian context, that means attending to the Holy Spirit within you and trying to live with Christ as your Lord.

William James:  “volitional effort is effort of attention.” This, I (Schwartz) believe, is one of the most important statements in the history of psychology.”

• Volitional is the choice or decision that is done of one’s own will.

“the brain puts out the call; the mind decides whether to listen.”

The brain is constantly, incessantly putting out a call. “Look at this. Look at that. Listen to that. Hey, wow. Look at that.”

The mind has to make decisions about whether to listen, and what to listen to.

• Your wise advocate (Holy Spirit) is the aspect of your attentive mind that knows what you are thinking and can perceive deceptive brain messages. “Deceptive brain messages” are what we call all these constant distractions and the unending negative flows of information that take us away from our goals, sent into our awareness by our brains.
• The wise advocate can see these deceptive brain messages for what they are and where they come from. The wise advocate understands how you feel physically, emotionally, and is aware of how destructive and unhealthy your pattern of automatic responses has been for you. The wise advocate wants what’s best for you. The Holy Spirit loves and cares for you and encourages you to value your true self and make decisions according to His ways which are perfect!
• Our true self - is the self that we form through our pursuit of inner dialogue with the Holy Spirit.

Søren Kierkegaard – Philosopher:  Kierkegaard said that living according to your true self means seeing yourself for who you really are based on your sincere striving to embody the values and achieve the goals you truly believe in. It includes approaching yourself, your true emotions, and needs from a loving, caring, nurturing perspective that is consistent with how your loving inner guide—your wise advocate—sees you.  Now, read this through the lense of abiding in God.

Kierkegaard defines the true self as the state of the self when, in willing to be itself, it rests transparently in the power (God) that established it.

“Faith is the key because faith is that the self becomes increasingly grounded transparently in God.”

• “When we use spiritual growth to change our brain through self-directed neuroplasticity, as guided by the Holy Spirit
• What we want to do with self‑directed neuroplasticity is to consciously pursue wholesome goals - getting oneself into the habit of consulting the Holy Spirit.
• faith—which is the self being grounded transparently in God—is integral in forming a true self, which happens in consultation, in dialogue with the Holy Spirit, the wise advocate.
• We’re trying to be transparent in the sense that we’re becoming aware of and transforming our brain as it is—all those negative, deceptive brain messages, those animal drives, those things I’ve described as so deeply related to our sin nature, those distractions, and yes, even those desires that Satan can use to deceive us, to distract us, to push us away from a Christ‑like life (which is, of course, Satan’s intention). He uses those negative aspects of our brain messages and tempts us to follow them. Rather than merely not following the negative messages, or focusing away from the negative messages, we become more transparent to ourselves in perceiving God’s plan for us.

What happens to the brain during depression / anxiety?

Depression causes a loss of gray matter volume (GMV).  Gray matter contains most of the brain’s neurons (nerve cells).  Cortisol (stress hormone) is released during depression and this inhibits growth of brain cells. 

Shrinkage:  The hippocampus, thalamus, frontal and prefrontal cortex undergoes shrinkage during depression due to the release of cortisol.  Brain circuits are affected by this process. 

Inflammation:  This kills neurons and can reduce plasticity (ability to change).  The amygdala actually enlarges with high cortisol levels.  This increases activity and throws emotions off balance.  It may cause sleep issues, mood swings, development of bipolar disorder and other hormone related issues.  This can also lead to over-reactions to stimuli and negative moods / mindset.