Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain

I just finished reading this incredible book, which thoroughly lays out the research into neuroscience presented at the 2004 Mind and Life Institute hosted by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

This research has lead to the discovery of neuroplasticity - the ability of the brain to generate new cells throughout a person's life, as well as the ability to heal and renew itself after trauma, and compensate for disability. For example, areas of the brain responsible for processing visual input can get repurposed for processing auditory input in people who have gone blind, and stroke victims can learn to walk and talk again even if the areas of the brain initially responsible for those activities are damaged.

The book also investigates the relationship between mental activity and brain function. Every thought that occurs in the mind has a corresponding physiological event (synapsis firing) in the brain; as I understand it, while the scientific community once approached this as a one-way street, focusing only on brain function, the research now shows that thinking can influence brain activity. The implications for this in the realm of mental and emotional health are staggering; if we can train our minds to think in certain ways, it will strengthen the neural networks that support those emotions, and weaken the ones that support the emotions we don't wish to experience. Research has already been done showing the ability of the mind to break cycles of depression and OCD behavior; the Buddhist traditions of mindfulness and meditation point towards the power of mental training to give individuals the tools and ability to cultivate their minds as they wish them to be, for healthier and happier lives.

As an individual, I'm firmly convinced in the promise of these ideas, and have begun working on developing my own practice of mindfulness. One of my first steps is reading Fully Present, which looks at the science and art of mindfulness, and also provides pragmatic guidance and activities to develop my practice of mindfulness. As an educator, I'm trying to understand the significance of this research for school-age students, and wondering what it would look like to integrate this into the TBS program.