Your Nonconscious Brain: Part 2

Bob

Rom 7:19-20 (NLT) - I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

Christians are familiar with the inner tug-of-war between good vs. evil. But neurosciene provides new and helpful insights into how this war is actually carried out. The following lists just a few of the not-so-good features of the human nonconscious brain.

  1. Cognitive Dissonance - James 1:8 says that the "double-minded" man cannot receive wisdom from God. The Greek actually says "double-souled." Cognitive dissonance is when different parts of the brain are pulling in opposite directions. It's like stepping on the gas and the brakes at the same time. In particular, neuroscience reveals that our powerful nonconscious brain often has different beliefs and attitudes than our conscious brain. No wonder why we struggle with mixed emotions and contradictory beliefs!

  2. Hidden Mental Strongholds - Christians are taught to deal with strongholds as issues of the spirit and soul. But there are also physical aspects that must be dealt with. Once our nonconscious brain "learns" a new pattern or association (e.g. "If I cry I get fed.") the neurons containing that thought, feeling, or response become coated in a protective myelin sheath. This makes it a fast-running "reflex" that is difficult to change or "rewire." Nonconscious thoughts and beliefs formed during childhood tend to persist into adulthood. This is good for a child with a good upbringing. But it can lead to serious adult issues for someone who grew up in a dysfunctional environment. Since the conscious brain has no access to the nonconscious brain, an adult so affected is usually unable to "connect the dots" and figure out the root cause of their troubles. . . . even when that root cause is painfully obvious to everyone else! This is the physical part of how Generational Sins and Curses are passed down from one generation to the next.

  3. The Blame Game - The aversion of our nonconscious brain to change is also part of the reason why our default setting is to blame others rather than take responsibility for our mistakes. Because if we can pin the problem on someone else (even if it's a stretch!) then we don't have to change. And that is precisely what our nonconscious brain wants! Significantly, the "blame game" is one of the very first sins mentioned in the Bible.     { "It was the woman!!!"     "It was the serpent!!!" }

  4. Resistance to Change - Instead of changing and maturing, our nonconscious brain is wired to OPPOSE change of any kind - even beneficial change. When we encounter a new thought or piece of information that confirms what we already believe, our nonconscious brain releases "feel good" chemicals (e.g. serotonin, dopamine, endorphin, etc.) into our brain and we accept it. On the other hand, when a new thought or piece of information disagrees with what we already believe, our nonconscious brain releases "feel bad" chemicals into our brain and we reject it. This is known as "confirmation bias." Consequently, making healthy changes in your beliefs or attidues will ALWAYS face stiff opposition!

Behavioral Consequences - The nonconscious brain's resistance to change and it's insistance upon viewing the world in terms of predictable patterns and association account for several "default settings" of human beings. Most of us tend to:

  1. Have difficulty making healthy changes in our attitudes and beliefs
  2. Blame others instead of taking responsibility for our mistakes - even when blaming is a stretch!
  3. Clearly see the faults of others while remaining blind to our own faults
  4. Excuse or rationalize our bad behaviour instead of changing it
  5. Have difficulty "thinking outside the box"
  6. See patterns where none exist, jump to conclusions, and generalize on the basis of too little information
  7. View other people according to stereotypes instead of paying attention to the nuances of their personalities
  8. Reduce religion to ritual and a code of rules - something that our nonconscious brain loves but that God HATES!
  9. Have a daily "walk" that doesn't live up to our Sunday "talk"

The Bad News - If you (mindlessly!) accept the "default settings" of your brain, your future is already determined. You are just going to be the person your parents or early caretakers (plus your own faulty childhood perceptions) programmed you to be. Consequently, a skilled counselor who knows your background can write down the script for rest of your life because it is so predictable . . . TO EVERYONE BUT YOU!

  • They can tell a teenage girl, "Your marriage will fail." before she's even had her first date. But when her marriage fails years later, she will blame her husband.

  • They can tell a teenage boy who lives out of the 'victim mentality', "You're going to be frustrated and angry for the rest of your life." But when it actually turns out this way, he will find reasons to blame his unhappiness on others.

Once again, your conscious brain is only the "puppet government" of your life. And your default settings are to repeat the same mistakes that your parents made - even if it means suffering for you and passing a generational sin down to your children. This is NOT the abundant life that Jesus promised to give us (John 10:10)!

The Good News - There is a better way to live! But it will not happen automagically. Instead, it will require new skills and considerable determination on your part! Next page . . .