{"id":5775,"date":"2014-12-14T21:23:09","date_gmt":"2014-12-14T18:23:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lifeadvancer.com\/?p=5775"},"modified":"2020-08-25T06:22:14","modified_gmt":"2020-08-25T06:22:14","slug":"words-can-change-your-brain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeadvancer.com\/words-can-change-your-brain\/","title":{"rendered":"Words Can Change Your Brain"},"content":{"rendered":"
That\u2019s right, according to Andrew Newberg, M.D. and Mark Robert Waldman<\/strong>, words can literally change your brain.<\/p>\n In their book<\/a>,\u00a0Words Can Change Your Brain<\/i>, they write: \u201ca single word has the power to influence the expression of genes that regulate physical and emotional stress.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Positive words, such as \u201cpeace\u201d<\/strong> and \u201clove,\u201d<\/strong> can alter the expression of genes, strengthening areas in our frontal lobes and promoting the brain\u2019s cognitive functioning.<\/p>\n They propel the motivational centers of the brain into action, according to the authors, and build resiliency.<\/p>\n Conversely, hostile language can disrupt specific genes that play a key part in the production of neurochemicals that protect us from stress<\/a>.<\/p>\n Humans are hardwired to worry \u2014 part of our primal brains protecting us from threats to our survival \u2014 so our thoughts naturally go here first.<\/p>\n However, a single negative word can increase the activity in our amygdala (the fear center of the brain<\/em>).<\/p>\n This releases dozens of stress-producing hormones and neurotransmitters, which in turn interrupts our brain’s<\/a> functioning. (This is especially with regard to logic, reason, and language.<\/em>)<\/p>\n \u201cAngry words send alarm messages through the brain, and they partially shut down the logic-and-reasoning centers located in the frontal lobes,\u201d writes Newberg and Waldman.<\/p>\n “By holding a positive and optimistic [word] in your mind, you stimulate frontal lobe activity.<\/em><\/p>\n This area includes specific language centers that connect directly to the motor cortex responsible for moving you into action.<\/em><\/p>\n And as our research has shown, the longer you concentrate on positive words, the more you begin to affect other areas of the brain.<\/em><\/p>\n Functions in the parietal lobe start to change, which changes your perception of yourself and the people you interact with.<\/em><\/p>\n A positive view of yourself will bias you toward seeing the good in others, whereas a negative self-image will include you toward suspicion and doubt.<\/em><\/p>\n Over time the structure of your thalamus will also change in response to your conscious words, thoughts, and feelings, and we believe that the thalamic changes affect the way in which you perceive reality.”<\/em><\/p>\n Author Bio<\/strong>:\u00a0Therese J. Borchard<\/em> <\/strong>is the author of\u00a0Beyond Blue: Surviving Depression & Anxiety and Making the Most of Bad Genes, and\u00a0The Pocket Therapist: An Emotional Survival Kit. You may find her at\u00a0ThereseBorchard.com<\/a>\u00a0or you may follow her on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\nAccording to the authors, using the right words can transform our reality:<\/h3>\n