You do not like the way your brain works, then trade it in for a new one. Although, scientific advances have not come as far as brain transplants, we can redesign, renovate, refurbish, rebuild or what is commonly described as rewiring our brain. The brain is not unchangeable. We can change the way our brain works simply by the way we choose to think, the choices we make and the way we live out those choses. That is good news and bad news. If we chose to think and live in healthy ways then we will rewire our brain to operate optimally but the opposite is true. To think and live in unhealthy ways impairs our brain and accelerates cognitive decline. The Hebbian Learning rule and the concept of neuroplasticity describe how changing the way we think and behave fires up or engages different brain neurons and creates alternative wiring or connectivity patterns in the brain. Obviously, the heathier the connections the less likely we are to experience cognitive degeneration along with many otherphysical ailments. In fact, it is never too late to make changes because we can reverse many physical and mental health conditions by our experiences and actions.
Recently, I ran across a fascinating study. A 38-year longitudinal study measuring cortical thickness across regions of a Ventral Frontotemporal Network (VFTN), previously associated with spiritual experience to assess possible buffers against depression. They determined those who had a high familial risk for depression along with those with a low risk for depression with the use of depression assessment tools. Also, with spirituality assessments they measured five domains of spirituality: altruism, love of neighbor as self, sense of oneness, contemplative practice, and commitment to religion/spirituality. The study revealed a positive relationship between altruism and love of neighbor with greater cortical thickness across the VFTN and a reverse relationship between greater cortical thickness across the VFTN with a diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and buffered against the level of severity of depressive symptoms for both low and high risk but especially for those with a high risk of depression. Also, the study revealed that the neural correlates of a transcendent relationship are shared with a sense of care for people. The researchers suggest that altruism and love of neighbor may be spiritually motivated whereby people are seen as sacred, indwelling the presence of God, and/or created by a Higher Power (Miller et.,2021 PMID 34265626). Although the research was correlational in design, the concept of neuroplasticity suggests the possibility of controlled changes to brain structure and connectivity using intervention strategies emphasizing altruism and care for neighbor as self to reduce the likelihood of depression and the severity of depressive symptoms.
Ready for a new improved brain. Consider joining a service club or organization that focuses on helping others. Think about the possibility about becoming involved in a church that emphasizes building relationships with God and one another especially thosechurches that care for the less fortunate. Consider looking for the Divine that resides within whoever happens to be next to you. Being altruistic is just one of many ways to refurbish our brain into a healthier one.
