June 2020: FEATURE #2: “Spirituality, Wellness and Networks in Your Brain”By Mark Waldman pg 20
- Reverend Lyssa Bozeman
- Jun 15, 2020
- 7 min read
As a former student of Mark, I can truthfully claim how enthusiastic and inspiring he is and his knowledge blended with Dr. Andy Newberg make a great duo when it comes to our brain and how it functions. They both are featured in the SOM magazine monthly. This article he wrote is no exception. Enjoy.
On a personal note, Waldman has been immersed by the typical questions that we ask ourselves: “Who am I? What is the purpose of my life? What should I be doing, and what do I really want to do?” Then he shares a more practical concern: “Why do I feel so anxious in social situations?”
(Q1) Did any of you ever ask yourselves these questions above? Has SOM helped and assisted you in answering them? If you could pick the 1 question that concerned you the most, what would it be?
Waldman talks about how he searched for answers using books, lectures, workshops, and therapies. After exhausting efforts and finding nothing really satisfying, he shares, “It never occurred to me to trust my own intuition and creativity.”
He talks about having a spontaneous mystical experience at the age of 30 something. Although it was brief, he described it as changing the direction of his life. “Worry turned into curiosity, curiosity turned into passion, and that passion drove me to read hundreds of books about turning passion into psycho-therapeutic tools.”
(Q2) Have you ever done anything like that? If so, what were your circumstances? What was the outcome?
Waldman writes, “I became a seeker of truth and neuroscience became my guide. …For the past decade, Dr. Newberg and I have shared with you, in this magazine, our neurological secrets of happiness and success, and how spiritual practices can improve neurological functioning.”
(Q3) Science of Mind invites us to see our spirituality as having a scientific emphasis. Are you intrigued by science now proving the spirituality that has been in use for thousands of years? Is neuroscience an interest for you as it related to our psycho-spiritual development? Have you ever considered that doing spiritual practices in terms of neuroscience boosts your own development?
Waldman states that in the evolution of neuroscience “Brain Network Theory” has emerged as a new language. Brain mapping is showing the interaction of brain areas. He claims, “Brain Network Theory makes it easier to explain how the brain works and how we can manipulate different structures and functions with our thoughts, behaviors, and beliefs.”
He continues to explain that mapping shows where there are problem emotions are occurring and it allows the opportunity to actually see the interference with our ability to accomplish and achieve our desires. The scan then enables one to see the effects of meditation practices on our brain function in real time.
“Indeed,” states Waldman, “Awareness is the new secret to happiness and success because it stimulates specific structures that help balance and integrate many key networks in the brain essential for maintaining optimal psychological health.”
(Q4) After reading what Waldman has learned about meditation and the improved brain function it gives, can you see from his evidence the act of meditation is beneficial? Your thoughts?
Brain Networks Influenced by Spiritual Practices
Waldman reveals, “This research identified more than 200 brain networks, including the Default Mod, Executive and Salience Networks,” He then provides an example of a progression through multiple brain networks. Starting with the primary governance of emotional experiences such as fear, rage, lust, grief, caring, playfulness and curiosity to see out new experiences, the Motivation Network responds by releasing the neuro-chemical, dopamine, that stimulates the brain to take action.
What is the action? Waldman shares, “Like an impulsive child or an addicted adult, it seeks immediate gratification.” In other words, it seeks to escape the painful or search out pleasurable experiences.
(Q5) Were you surprised to learn that over 200 brain networks have been identified, to date? Does it make sense that a single emotional event triggers progression through a series of multiple brain networks? Does it make sense that a single emotional event triggers progression through a series of multiple brain networks? Does it intrigue you to know how working with your thought and emotion fits into this process, in terms of your brain networks?
Next, Waldman explains the movement of dopamine to stimulate the Executive Network in the upper regions of the cerebral cortex, increasing awareness of the aforementioned emotional experience. Then, memories provide necessary information for strategies to eliminate pain and maximize the pleasure and goal fulfillment previously revealed. We are told that this THINKING NETWORK assists us in developing discipline and skills to healthfully achieve goals and avoid problematic impulsivity.
(Q6) Does this mental process he describes seem complex or does it make sense in terms of your experiences of emotions and thoughts? Does this surprise you about this process? Are you surprised by the brain’s use of memory either to create strategy or to quell impulsivity? Clearly knowing this information, we are inspired with gratitude for our brain and how it works for us.
The THINKING NETWORK according to Waldman is what anchors our beliefs-both positive and negative-into the unconscious such that they become habit and behavior. He adds that the brain is not interested in whether the beliefs are true. The brain stored those beliefs that are deemed “useful."
(Q7) Now we see science able to prove and map the programming of thought that Holmes has been writing about since before he was published in 1919: Are you impressed with his (Holmes) foresight? Isn’t it interesting that we are able to “see” brain function? Does this help reinforce the teachings of SOM? Are you inspired to start spiritual practice knowing how it trains the mind?
Waldman asks us, “What happens when your Thinking Network hits an obstacle that it hasn’t previously encountered? He answers us by saying if related information is not stored, the Thinking Network shuts down and another network is activated. The state that occurs when the Thinking Network shuts down is called the “resting state”.
There is a tremendous amount of research being done right now on the brains of meditators and contemplatives. It is this “resting state” that researchers record as the beginning base line when observing the functioning of the meditating mind.
(Q8) Is this the process of the Thinking Network-to scan for information in problem solving-new or interesting to you? Were you surprised by the switching off function of the Thinking Network, if information is not found? Did you find it interesting that this switch off of the Thinking Network is the beginning step, as the mediator begins their spiritual practice? If you are one (mediator), does this make perfect sense?
Activate Your Imagination Network
There are a number of key elements that Waldman describes in the Imagination Network.
1. The Imagination Network functions much faster than the Thinking Network.
2. The Thinking Network takes decades to develop, while the Imagination Network is active from childhood.
3. The Imagination Network is equally balanced-one half positive ideas or partial ideas and the other half negative ones.
4. This last element explains the crippling nature of indecision and of procrastination. “If we lose ourselves in that endless uncertainty of ‘maybe or maybe not,’ that is the clinical definition of anxiety and procrastination. Stay there long enough and you’ll cripple the functioning of the other networks in your brain, eventually leading to mental fatigue and depression.”
Waldman suggests we remind ourselves that worry and doubt are imaginary. Our Science of Mind teachings are filled with remedies and training practices to assist our brain networks and therefore all mental and emotional functioning.
Buddhism uses the term “market-place mind” for Waldman’s concept of goal-oriented, task focused thought, and “meditative mind” for his idea of the relaxed, imaginative state.
Neuroscience has known for a long time that the neuro-chemicals needed and used for the talks oriented “market-place,” Thinking Network are depleted in the process and must be replenished.
Meditation as well as relaxation and imaginative time are necessary for health. Waldman states that 50% of one’s time should be in the Imaginative Network and not more than 50% in the Thinking Network.
(Q9) Was it interesting to learn about the network responsible for indecision and procrastination? Do you struggle with any of these challenging areas? Have you ever experienced depression? If yes, can you see now the benefits of the practice of meditation just from the healthful benefits viewpoint? How many of you see the importance of SOM teaching in this new light of Brain Network Theory and neuroscience?
Turn to Your Network
Waldman talks about how important balance needed among Thinking, Imagination, Motivation, and Emotional Networks. The Salience Network, which generates kindness, empathy, forgiveness and self-love, figures largely in the maintenance of this balance.
This network is the last to develop and becomes fully functional for us in our 30’s and 40’s. He explains, “When the Salience Network functions poorly, life loses meaning, purpose and value. But here’s the great news: Mindfulness meditation stimulates the Salience Network and slows down the worry/distraction processes in the Imagination Network, allowing you to easily focus your attention on what is important.”
Waldman shows us that this state of "Relaxed Mindful Awareness” enables access to intuition, inner wisdom or higher self. He suggests doing this meditation for a few minutes once or twice an hour. This process, in other intervals, will provide balance and integration among the Thinking, Imagination, Motivation, Emotion, and Salience Networks.
(Q10) Did you come to spirituality later in life-after your Salience Network was fully engages? Do you wonder what sorts of lives and success our children might enjoy, if raised with meditation and Science of Mind teaching? Are you inspired to use Mindful Awareness Meditation in “micro bits” a couple of times an hour? Now are you inspired to use Mindfulness as a result of this article?
Waldman reminds us that in this process we may even be driven toward enlightenment.
Wow what an interesting read. Now you can see what he was one of my favorite teachers. He and Dr. Newberg are doing amazing work. See you Tuesday at 6 on June 16th.
On a lighter note, next months features are going to be really spot on with the times. The study for July is Unchained Spirituality. There will be 4 features talking about warriors in a global pandemic and staying grounded in spiritual principles. For you that are new to SOM, this will be a great opportunity to familiarize yourself with them. I am really looking forward to facilitating that study as well as the community we share.
Love, light, and laughter,
Rev Lyssa
コメント