Recently, I was asked a very interesting question from one of my readers:I know I could try meditation, but how? Do I empty my mind of everything and hope that my conscious mind will come out on top in the end?
Obviously, this reader was confused and had many questions. Some of these questions most likely were Can I really change my unconscious mind with meditation? or How does the process of changing the unconscious mind work, anyway?
Let’s learn what the field of neuroscience has to say about people who practice meditation.
There’s no doubt about it: If you want to change yourself for the better, meditation is a good choice. In fact, meditation that is performed properly and for a sufficient period of time can actually change, and even improve, brain structure and performance. The good news is this: Your age is not important. The plasticity and ability of the brain to modify its own structure and function following changes within the body or in the external environment (http://www.brainfacts.org/about-neuroscience) works even if you are 80 years young.
When you meditate, you create new neural (relating to the nervous system) pathways in the brain, which is crucial. Why? Because creating new neural pathways is the way in which you re-write (change) the programs in your unconscious mind and acquire knowledge in life. Creating neural pathways simply means creating new ways for your neurons (brain cells) to exchange information with each other. Information travels along neural pathways between different parts of the brain. The concept of learning new skills and changing the human mind is actually the concept of making new connections between neurons.
Meditation is an excellent way to install new “software programs” in your computer (your brain). By meditating, you’re changing yourself in many ways: chemically, biologically, neurologically, and most importantly…genetically. Through meditation, you have the power to make changes to your personality. We know that a new personality means a new personal reality. When you create a new mind you create a new state of you. You think and feel differently. By thinking and feeling differently, you are changing your personal reality.
Reminder: Your thoughts and feelings distinguish you as an individual and set you apart from others.
With new feelings and different thinking patterns, you’ll see the entire reality around you in a new way, hopefully in a better way.
Sound complicated?
Not at all, really…
If you try to understand this concept, eventually you’ll create new neural connections in your brain. You’ll definitely improve the way in which your brain works. Don’t be afraid to learn something new. It doesn’t matter how old or how young you are. Give your brain a chance to exercise, and it will be grateful to you.
Remember this: The moment you stop learning, your brain starts to shrink.
Is meditation the only way to reprogram your mind?
No, it isn’t.
What are some other options?
Hypnotherapy and a method called EFT (emotional freedom technique) are some other good vehicles for reaching and improving brain capability. If you want to make some positive changes in your life, there’s more than one way to reprogram your unconscious mind to achieve them.