QDNA^® Health

Neuroplasticity | The Mind, Genes & Enlightenment
The Brain’s Amazing Ability To Transform From Thought

By Marina Rose, QDNA^®

The Magnificent Human Experience^™ | Neuroplasticity |

July 01, 2015

“Every day you step into the invisible firestorm of electrical and chemical activity that is the brain’s environment. You act as leader, inventor, teacher, and user of your brain, all at once. Practice self-awareness and as you do, your brain will evolve" -- Super Brain: Unleashing the Explosive Power of Your Mind to Maximize Health, Happiness, and Spiritual Well-Being
             -- By Rudolph E. Tanzi and Deepak Chopra

The human brain is the most astoundingly complex structure in the known universe—more complex than any galaxy--says physicist Sir Roger Penrose.

There are approximately 10 to the power of 60 atoms in the universe. Our brain laughs in the face of that figure. There are approximately 1.1 trillion cells in our brains and each single brain neuron has from 1,000 to 10,000 connections with other neurons, making up to 10 trillion neuron connections possible. On average, our brain passes around information at a speed of approximately 260 mph. The processing capacity is said to be 10 to the power of 1,000,000 different ways it can wire itself up. That’s the number 10 followed by 1 million zeroes, which for anyone not called Stephen Hawking or Rain Main, it’s an infinite number of possibilities.

For centuries, the brain was a mystery. Only in the last few decades have scientists begun to unravel its secrets. It provides instantaneous access to a vast genetic blueprint and possesses enormous biochemical complexity. It is a supercomputer of millions of biological functions. When we think, move, speak, dream and even love - it all happens through the complex neuro-functions of the brain.

The Revolution of The Mind

In recent years, using the latest technology and powerful computers not previously available, ever increasing discoveries about the brain have been made, filling in the gaps that were grey and turning upside many previously held notions. The most revolutionary finding to come in recent years has been the discovery that the human brain can change itself, what neurologists call “Neuroplasticity”, a term that refers to the brain’s ability to actually restructure its physical and genetic characteristics and reorder its functional anatomy from top to bottom, solely through the act of focused thought and training.

Neuroplasticity derives from the root words, neuro for “neuron,” the nerve cells in our brains and nervous systems, and plasticity from the word plastic, a reference to being “changeable, malleable, modifiable.” It’s a term that perfectly describes the brain’s capacity to change, reprogram and recondition itself.

The astonishing discoveries in the field of Neuroplasticity have ushered in a revolutionary paradigm shift in neuroscience, on par with what occurred in quantum physics. After more than a generation in which biological materialism held neuroscience –and in fact all of the life sciences--in a chokehold of mechanical, reductionist models of the brain, the latest findings in Neuroplasticity has finally shattered that view. The overwhelming evidence that the brain is highly adaptable and can undergo constant change throughout our lives is a far cry from the old model that we are simply the product of our genes or our environment. Although certainly our genes do in part determine the nature of who we are, the most groundbreaking research tells us that we are not locked into that blueprint, and not only can we reprogram our brains to heal ourselves, but we can also access countless untapped personal potential and growth. This is far more than the old nature/nurture debate in a new bottle. It has far reaching implications for health, healing and greater human potential.

Just like the materialistic, reductionist, mechanistic view of Newtonian physics saw the world as a fixed and ridged machine, biological materialism has viewed the brain, and the body as a whole, very much the same way. A deep rooted neurological cynicism took hold of medical thinking, limiting the overall view of human nature. It was thought that since the brain could not change, human nature--which emerges from it-- was fixed and unchangeable as well. This was far more than just a war of world views. This approach to the mind and medicine has had real-world consequences. We feel the impact every time we are told that to cure depression, stress-- or even something as benign as shyness-- we only need to reach for a pharmaceutical pill to do it. This limited view has permeated the medical industry, backed by a billion dollar pharmaceutical industry, which has systematically reduced and eliminated the incredible power and capacity of mind and body to heal.

But things are changing and groundbreaking research is now validating what was once thought to be impossible. Leading researchers in the field of Neuroplasticity are slowly overturning the model of the unchanging brain. Science is now documenting the incredible power of the brain to transform itself. From repairing a damaged or injured brain, to overcoming depression and phobias, the evidence is clear. The brain has an astonishing ability to transform. In addition, one of the most attractive features of plasticity-based therapies is that they are drug free. In an era when people take more and more medications, with more and more side effects and interactions, Neuroplasticity is a remarkable breakthrough in the body’s ability to heal on its own.

The Brain That Changes Itself

If this astonishing new science of Neuroplasticity proves that the brain has the capacity to heal and change behavior, think of the untapped human potential that might be harnessed through this same process. It makes the notion of expanding personal growth not just a dream, but fundamentally possible at the most basic physiological level. With the knowledge that change is indeed scientifically proven to be possible, we are free to focus on the many ways we would like to grow, rather than getting stuck in the self-doubt of whether or not it’s achievable.

In his ground-breaking internationally best-selling book, The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science, Canadian researcher and author Dr. Norman Doidge M.D. provides an inspiring look at both the brilliant scientists championing Neuroplasticity and the people whose lives they've transformed. From stroke patients learning to speak again to the remarkable case of a woman born with half a brain that rewired itself to work as a whole, The Brain That Changes Itself is a powerful look at this revolutionary field of neuroscience which is permanently altering the way we look at our brains, human nature, and human potential.

The New York Times describes the book and Neuroplasticity:

“The power of positive thinking finally gains scientific credibility. Mind-bending, miracle-making, reality-busting stuff...with implications for all human beings, not to mention human culture, human learning and human history.”

In The Brain That Changes Itself, Doidge elaborates on this groundbreaking shift in neuroscience:

“For four hundred years this venture would have been inconceivable because mainstream medicine and science believed that brain anatomy was fixed. The common wisdom was that after childhood the brain changed only when it began the long process of decline; that when brain cells failed to develop properly, or were injured, or died, they could not be replaced. Nor could the brain ever alter its structure and find a new way to function if part of it was damaged. The theory of the unchanging brain decreed that people who were born with brain or mental limitations, or who sustained brain damage, would be limited or damaged for life. Scientists who wondered if the healthy brain might be improved or preserved through activity or mental exercise were told not to waste their time.”

Now that’s all changed.

New research in Neuroplasticity has documented some astonishing results:

Doidge, explains:

“At first many of the scientists didn’t dare use the word “Neuroplasticity” in their publications, and their peers belittled them for promoting a fanciful notion. Yet they persisted, slowly overturning the doctrine of the unchanging brain. They showed that children are not always stuck with the mental abilities they are born with; that the damaged brain can often reorganize itself so that when one part fails, another can often substitute; that if brain cells die, they can at times be replaced; that many “circuits” and even basic reflexes that we think are hardwired are not. One of these scientists even showed that thinking, learning, and acting can turn our genes on or off, thus shaping our brain anatomy and our behavior—surely one of the most extraordinary discoveries of the twentieth century.”

The Mystery of How It Works

The human brain is composed of billions of neurons. It was thought for most of the 20th century the creation of new neurons, stopped shortly after birth. But part of the scientific revolution of brain research in recent decades has been the realization that the brain possesses the remarkable capacity to reorganize pathways, create new connections, and to even create new neurons throughout life.

There are two primary types of Neuroplasticity, functional plasticity, which refers to the brain's ability to move functions from a damaged area of the brain to other undamaged area, and structural plasticity, which refers to the brain's ability to actually change its physical structure as a result of learning or focused thought. New studies have demonstrated that the brain is capable of both types of plasticity throughout a lifetime.

Research also shows that the first few years of a child's life are a time of rapid brain growth. At birth, every neuron in the cerebral cortex has an estimated 2,500 synapses; by age of three, this number has grown to a whopping 15,000 synapses per neuron.

The average adult, however, has about half that number of synapses. Why? Because as we gain new experiences, some connections are strengthened while others are eliminated. This process is known as synaptic pruning. Neurons that are used frequently develop stronger connections and those that are rarely or never used eventually die. By developing new connections and pruning away weak ones, the brain is able to adapt to the changing environment. Recovery from injury and response to disease depend to a large degree on this Neuroplasticity. Environment plays an essential role in the process, but genetics can also have an influence. However the key to greater Neuroplasticity lies in the brain’s ability to restructure itself after training or practice. The more we use our brain in a focused way, the greater the plasticity we gain. Changes can take place rather suddenly as well. A recent study has shown that habits can be formed in as little as seven days of repeated activity, but can dissipate just as easily. As the old saying goes, “use it or lose it.”

Perhaps one the greatest influences to our Neuroplasticity, is that of focus thought, either through meditation or mindfulness training, both of which can reduce anxiety and improve overall mental function and well-being, as well as affect both functional and structural plasticity in the brain.

In a recent study involving a group of eight Buddhist monks and ten volunteers who had been trained in meditation for one week, all of the participants were told to meditate on compassion and love. Two of the controls, and all of the monks, experienced an increase in the number of gamma waves in their brain during meditation.

As soon as they stopped meditating, the volunteers' gamma wave production returned to normal, while the monks, who had meditated on compassion for more than 10,000 hours in as part of their overall training, maintained the increased gamma wave production, even when not meditating. What’s more, the amount of the increase of gamma waves in the monk’s was found to be substantially greater than the corresponding activation in the volunteers, validating that the more you do, the greater the results.

The Mind, Genes & Enlightenment

The fundamental principles of Neuroplasticity are not new to Eastern traditional mind-body science, and it’s not surprising that studies performed on plasticity during meditation have shown that the brain can change significantly as a result.

In Tibetan Buddhism, the concept of Neuroplasticity has been around for far longer than it has been in the West. The term for it is le-su-rung-wa, which means “pliability”.

In their powerful and inspiring book, Super Brain: Unleashing the Explosive Power of Your Mind to Maximize Health, Happiness, and Spiritual Well-Being, bestselling author and physician Deepak Chopra and Harvard Medical School professor Rudolph E. Tanzi, one of the world's foremost experts on the causes of Alzheimer’s, have merged their wisdom and expertise for a bold new understanding of what they call the “three-pound universe” and its untapped potential.

A manual for relating to the brain in a revolutionary new way, Super Brain shows you how to use your brain as a gateway for achieving health, happiness, and even enlightenment. These pioneers in health combine cutting-edge research and age-old spiritual wisdom to demonstrate that through increased self-awareness and conscious intention, you can train your brain to reach far beyond its present limitations.

In contrast to the “baseline brain” that fulfills the tasks of everyday life, Chopra and Tanzi propose that, through a person’s increased self-awareness and conscious intention, the brain can be taught to reach far beyond its present limitations.

Chopra and Tanzi define what it means to have a Super Brain: “It's the brain you have now but maximized. Everyone uses the brain at every moment, but we use it unconsciously. We let it run in the background without realizing the power we have to reshape the brain. When you begin to exercise your power, the everyday brain, which we call the baseline brain, starts to move in the direction of super brain.”

The principle message that Chopra and Tanzi impart is that each of us has the power to reshape the brain.

And just how do we best achieve a Super Brain?

“It means being more mindful of your own thoughts and feelings and becoming more proactive in taking charge of your brain. Each of us plays four roles in relation to the brain. We lead, we inspire, we invent, and we use it. Most people do not actively use their brains. They passively let their feelings and thoughts control their lives. Or they only use their brains without giving it much inspiration or leadership. They don't invent new ways to use their brains, either, settling instead for the same routine and repetitive thoughts every day. But if you master all four roles, you create your Super Brain. The bottom line is that you when you are the active observer of your feelings and thoughts, you become the user of your brain. Your Super Brain then serves you, not vice versa.”

“We are living in a golden age for brain research, but is this a golden age for your brain?” they ask.

Super Brain explains how it can be, by combining cutting-edge research and spiritual insights, demolishing the five most widespread myths about the brain that limit your potential, and then showing you practical methods to use your brain to control your thoughts instead of letting your thoughts control you; how to create the ideal lifestyle for a healthy brain and reduce the risks of aging; how to overcome the most common challenges, such as memory loss, depression, anxiety, and obesity; how to promote happiness and well-being through the mind-body connection and how to access the enlightened brain, the gateway to freedom and bliss.

Chopra explains, “Almost everyone yearns for change in their lives. We all want to experience more happiness, fulfillment, and peace. We want lifelong good health and an end to fearing the aging process. By combining the fruits of modern neuroscience and timeless wisdom, you can achieve those goals. That is what your brain is designed for. The key is realizing that you are the user of your brain. If you choose, you can influence every aspect of your brain, and therefore every aspect of your life.”

Now that’s a powerful statement. One that has been the root foundation of the development of QDNA®, Quantum DNA Acceleration®.

Revolutionary breakthroughs and discoveries in the fields of Epigenetics, DNA Reprogramming, Neuroplasticity and Quantum Field Theory provide a comprehensive and inspiring new model for health and healthy living, proving that the human mind can influence our health and wellbeing in more powerful ways than we have ever imagined. They have transformed our understanding of how we live and how we heal.

Groundbreaking research has delved into the energetic field of the mind and body, coalescing around the principles that we are not merely matter and particles, but rather energy and waves, synchronizing with each other and exchanging information on the quantum level. Ill health, mental or physical, as well as a lack of a happy and fulfilling life, are all signs that our dynamic quantum communication has in some way faltered. Good health and a happy fulfilling life is a sign that our dynamic quantum communication is in “coherence”, meaning in balance and in an optimum state between the chaos and order of our inner and outer worlds.

The most significant recent scientific breakthroughs and discoveries now demonstrate how energy and information fields are as influential as genetics in determining human health, physiology and biochemistry. They transform our understanding of what it means to live in a healthy, happy, holistic state of balance.

What’s more, the rapid and explosive advancement in computer technology can now, more than ever, plot, map, track and diagram this interconnected field of information. In Super Brain, authors, Chopra and Tanzi give us more insight:

“Modern brain-scan technology has revealed that each person shapes a completely unique brain. Other studies have documented the amazing regenerative ability of the brain, which can be reshaped by the power of your mind to bring you the world you desire. Knowing that, the obvious question arose: Why not use your mind to create the brain you want, using conscious choice?”

What does that mean on a practical basis?

“We divide it into inner work and outer work. Outer work includes diet, exercise, stress management, social engagement, intellectual stimulation, and good sleep—very familiar advice, but we have made it specific for the brain. Inner work is even more important and little understood until now. The brain is a dynamic system that constantly processes and creates your reality. It works best if you balance all the things that the brain is good at. The brain is good at being adaptable, flexible, creative, and intelligent. But it's also good at playing and just being. A balanced life provides time—every day if possible—so that every function of the brain is allowed to come alive and flourish”.

And a balanced lifestyle not only allows the brain’s potential to flourish, but also promotes a healthier, happy state of being as well.

Where is Super Brain taking us in the future?

The authors give us a glimpse: “We believe that Super Brain is the next evolutionary leap for the human brain. The last leap was the neocortex, the higher intellectual brain, which gave humans the ability to reason, to plan ahead, to love, to feel compassion and empathy, to attribute meaning to the world. Now we can build on that. Choice is the key, because human beings are the only creatures who can choose to evolve, who can shape their destiny. Furthermore, we have been given the gift of "self-awareness," which allows us to step back into our true selves to observe and use our brains to create the world we wish to live in. For us, Super Brain is the future and starts now.” In Super Brain, Chopra and Tanzi guide readers on a fascinating journey that envisions a leap in human evolution. Your brain is capable of incredible healing and constant reshaping. Through a new relationship with your brain you can transform your life.

The brain is not just the greatest gift that Nature has given us. It’s the gateway to an unlimited future that you can begin to live today. Health and wellness programs such QDNA®, Quantum DNA Acceleration®, are helping to usher in a new renaissance in the growing practice of mind-body medicine and holistic lifestyles. It is a paradigm shift in health and medicine no different than the one that shook the world of physics so many years ago.

At the fundamental core of the principles of Quantum DNA Acceleration® is the belief that there is nothing that cannot be healed or transformed when the mind, body and emotions are in balance.

Learn how to master your brain with QDNA®, Quantum DNA Acceleration® instead of having your brain master you.

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To explore Neuroplasticity, Meditation, Mindfulness and other QDNA® Quantum Living techniques, follow the latest news, tips and resources at QDNA® What’s New and learn more about QDNA® Health & Living Programs held at locations world-wide each year.

For more information about Super Brian, the science of Neuroplasticity and scientifically validated self-directed programs that apply breakthroughs in brain research to enhance human performance and brain health, visit The Chopra Center, Super Brain: Cutting-edge research and age-old spiritual wisdom—linking the latest breakthroughs in neuroscience with aspirations for health, well-being, and spiritual realization.

Copyright© Written by Marina Rose
info@MarinaRoseQDNA.com www.MarinaRoseQDNA.com
PH: 310-358-2991 - 844-400-QDNA - 844-400-7362

Marina Rose is the founder and developer of QDNA®, Quantum DNA Acceleration®, a revolutionary new technique for quantum growth in life and business. QDNA® uses the latest cutting edge science in Neuroplasticity and DNA Reprogramming to develop plans of action that activate solutions for you and your business needs. It compounds Quantum Field principles, Positive Psychology, and Epigenetics, in a powerful new technique to assist you to achieve desired results. Accelerate your life and business now.

This article was written and appears as part of the blog series The Magnificent Human Experience | Explorations of Consciousness And The Human Body.

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