“No matter how far we travel, the memories will follow in the baggage car.”  August Strindberg

How would you rate your memory capacity?

We all have happy memories of the godly, but the name of a wicked person rots away.  (Prov. 10:7, NLT)

I certainly don’t want to “beat a dead horse,” but since this is the last DG this week, let’s spend one more day looking at the brain and it’s significance in actually creating our circumstances.

Did you know that our brain performs somewhere around 400 billion (yes, the “b” is intentional) actions a second?  (I wonder who counted them.)  That’s a pretty high-powered computer we’re all walking around with.  But, did you also know that we’re only conscious of about 2,000 of those actions.  That should give you some clue as to the significance of our subconscious or unconscious mind.  You may remember that back in late October, I wrote in my DG that more than 95% of our behavior comes from our subconscious mind (click here to read that DG).

Now here’s the deal.  Our brain, which is about the size of our two fists, contains 100 trillion nerve cells.  All these nerve cells are like little trees that are growing branches populated with either leaves or thorns.  These little trees have been growing branches your entire life.  Those branches are the memories of every event that you have ever experienced.  It is estimated that we have the storage capacity for somewhere around 3 million years worth of memories…so the likelihood of running out is pretty slim.  Catch this now, you are who you are because of all the memories that are in your head from birth to death.

Every memory has an emotional component contained within the chemicals that are bonded to the memory.  Activating any particular memory starts the chemicals bonded to that memory to start to flow.  Now, every thing that we detect with our senses, or every event that we experience, enters the brain as incoming information.  One of the first things the brain does is scan for an existing memory that is similar.  If the memory it finds is fear-based, the event or information causes the brain to secrete the toxic chemicals associated with that memory.  Fortunately, the same is true of a positive or faith-based memory.

Now, the final thing I want to say about all this is that according to Dr. Caroline Leaf, there is a physical area located at the front of our brain where we can actually choose to accept or reject a thought.  If you choose to accept it, it goes in and triggers the aforementioned chemical release based on whether the matching memory is positive or toxic.  So, you see, we have a choice.  If we accept the thought, it reinforces the matching memory and strengthens it.  If we reject it, it passes with a minimum of effect.  So we do have a very significant role to play in which chemicals get released in our bodies.

Does all that responsibility bum you out?  I pray not.  I pray that this information excites you as it shows that you are capable of significantly reducing the flow of those toxic chemicals in your body that create so much stress and illness.  We do not have to be victims.

OK, thanks for your patience.  I promise no more about the brain next week.  Make it a magnificent weekend.  It’s truly your choice.  Blessings.

Prayer Power
Lord, we thank You for our magnificent brains.  We thank You that we live in a time when we’re beginning to appreciate just how magnificently designed our brain really is.

Link of the Day
Who Switched off My Brain?: Controlling Toxic Thoughts and Emotions

Make yourself a better than fantastic weekend filled with delightful memories.

Previous in Series-/