In New Thought literature we find the rather astonishing claim that by changing the way we think, we change reality. This seems incredible, but I speak from experience when I say it's true. Not only I, but countless others have seen the world change in subtle ways to accommodate specific directions of new thought patterns.

This isn't just anecdotal evidence. Science provides a window into the cause-and effect relationship between cognitive shifts and changes in reality.

The starting point of this phenomenon seems to occur at the synaptic gap between neurons. Synapses between brain cells --neurons -- are separated by a tiny gap, and when thought occurs, an electric spark jumps across this gap. Brain mapping shows that the more a specific thought occurs, the more "spark activity" happens. When frequent spark activity occurs between two specific neurons, the synapses will move closer together to increase speed and efficiency. This is real-world evidence of thought affecting reality.

This implies the more we dwell on a specific happy thought, the more we "train" those happiness neurons to fire. Unfortunately, the more we dwell on unhappy or angry thoughts, the more we train those gloomy neurons to fire. We're constantly programming our brains to think in specific ways. We truly are what we think.

Further studies have shown that not only our own thoughts, but those of others, can affect this "programming." When we continually associate with other people who share strong feelings or attitudes, hearing these ideas repeatedly, it's the same as if we're thinking them ourselves. This is the phenomenon behind mob mentality. The Buddha emphasized the importance of Spiritual friendship-- by having a group of peers as spiritual friends, we learn more about being good people than we would in isolation:

A related body of research involves the relationship between mental states and health. Positive mental states produce neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, which increase clarity and optimism, stimulate the growth of nerve connections, improves cognition, increases productivity and attentiveness, and generates more happiness. Stress and negativity produce norephedrine, cortisol, and other hormones which exhaust the body and mind. Cortisol has been linked with illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and some cancers. Furthermore, a negative, pessimistic outlook can easily spill over to depression. Pessimistic people, due to their "programming" -- and the related brain chemistry -- often automatically assume the worst, expect setbacks to be forever, experience more difficulties in career, relationships, and school, and live shorter lives than optimists: a self-fulfilling prophecy!

What we learn from these studies are three valuable lessons:

(1) What we think truly does affect not only us, but others;
(2) It benefits us to be selective concerning our friends and associates; and
(3) Our health is closely related to our mental states.

Can we change the way we think, or is our brain hard-wired to be either positively or negatively biased? While some people may have a natural disposition, either through genetic predisposition or childhood experiences, toward a certain mental disposition, it's possible to "rewire" our circuitry by changing our thinking. When we catch our minds wandering down dark alleys, we can stop it, and redirect our attention toward a brighter area. If we do this enough times, we'll redraw the brain's map into a more positive landscape!


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