The Mind-Body Connection in a Nut Shell

 I absolutely believe God can AND does physically heal.  Hallelujah!!!  I also believe that His divine design of our whole bodies allows the opportunity for deeper healing than we realized we even needed.  As I began my healing journey, I was specifically looking for physical healing of pain in my shoulder.  What’s amazing about God is that He used that as an invitation into the deeper healing of my heart.  (Above what I could ask or think : ) )

I will do my best to keep this explanation brief and simple, but there IS a lot to it (whole books have been written on the subject).  First, the connection between brain and body is clear when you think about tears.  Our brains have an emotional reaction that comes through in a physical way in actual water droplets from our eyes.  This is also seen with nervousness (anxious reaction in the brain) and the coexisting butterflies or knots in the stomach (physical reaction).  Or how the face flushes hot and red (physical reaction) when we get embarrassed (emotional reaction in the brain).

We accept all of these, AND they happen all of the time.  Research is showing that other types of physical reactions or tension can happen as a result of brain processing too.  Things like pain in any area of the body, headaches, immune system weakness, stomach issues (bloating, constipation, diarrhea), skin issues, fatigue, increased sensitivity to light or sound, etc.

So….. if we can delve into the brain processing part, we can turn down, and sometimes even eliminate the symptoms.  So exciting!!!

God purposely designed our brains to protect us.  We learn something is unsafe and we change what we do.  Consider the first time a child touches a hot stove.  Then the next time the stove is warm and red, the child does everything to avoid it.  This is learning.  God has made our brains amazing at the skill of learning, or being neuroplastic.

Scientists and doctors in this field have discovered that people who experienced times in their life as children where they felt unsafe or unprotected, have brains that learned that they need to protect themselves even more diligently.  They are always on the lookout for threats.  We can then develop personality traits that seem to keep us safe (pleasing people around us, perfectionism, not rocking the boat in any way, not wanting attention, etc.).  These form our identities as fear or shame-based.  Even though we are believers, these identities can still be directing our thought processes.

What appears threatening to our brains is not just regarding our physical safety.  It can also be regarding our emotional safety.  It can be what we perceive as a threat.  It can be as simple as a stern look from another person or what we perceive as an unhappy tone.

I know it’s a lot to digest, but stay with me here : )

The point is that as we work with the Lord to identify what our brains perceive as threats, the Holy Spirit, our counselor, is faithful to walk us through this process.  With His loving guidance, we can receive His healing from the traumas we have faced, and His healing from the identity we took on because of those traumas.  Also note that some situations may seem minor or common, or not even worthy of being called a “trauma”, but if it changed the way you saw yourself or the way you do things, it is worth looking into.

Then, the really cool part!!!  As we neutralize the threats and walk in His promised healing of our hearts (and brains), our brain does not have to be in constant threat seeking mode.  It can rest in Jesus’ divine protection.  This then means that the body does not need to react also.  The symptoms cease.  It may not happen immediately, but consistently, reassuring the brain and laying out new neural pathways, allows the body to go in to “rest, digest, and repair”.

All that said, I realize there are structural issues that need medical intervention (broken bones, tumors, bacterial infections, etc.).  It is important to rule out these structural issues with your doctor.  However, it is estimated that 80% of the chronic symptoms people face can be resolved with this method.

Even as the Word is our sword, so to can we embrace other practices (quiet pauses, deep breathing, meditation on the Word, expressive writing, noticing God’s big, beautiful creation with all of our senses, etc.) that promote peace in the mind and body.  More on that in our next session!!  : )