Brain Myths

"Five myths in particular have proved limiting, and obstructive to change.  All were once accepted as fact, even a decade or two ago.
[Myth 1:] "The injured brain cannot heal itself.  Now we know that the brain has amazing powers of healing unsuspected in the past.
[Myth 2:] "The brain's hardwiring cannot be changed.  In fact, the line between hard and soft wiring is shifting all the time, and our ability to rewire our brains remains intact from birth to the end of life.
[Myth 3:] "Aging in the brain is inevitable and irreversible.  To counter this outmoded belief, new techniques for keeping the brain youthful and retaining mental acuity are arising every day.
[Myth 4:] "The brain loses millions of cells a day, and lost brain cells cannot be replaced.  In fact the brain contains stem cells that are capable of maturing into new brain cells throughout life.  How we lose or gain brain cells is a complex issue.  Most of the findings are good news for everyone who is afraid of losing mental capacity as they age.
[Myth 5:] "Primitive reactions (fear, anger, jealousy, aggression) overrule the higher brain.  Because our brains are imprinted with genetic memory over thousands of generations, the lower brain is still with us, generating primitive and often negative drives like fear and anger.  But the brain is constantly evolving, and we have gained the ability to master the lower brain through choice and free will.  The new field of positive psychology is teaching us how best to use free will to promote happiness and overcome negativity.
"It's good news that these five myths have been exploded.  The old view made the brain seem fixed, mechanical, and steadily deteriorating.  This turns out to be far from the case.  You are creating reality at this very minute, and if that process remains alive and dynamic, your brain will be able to keep up with it, year after year." - Deepak Chopra, M.D. and Rudolph E. Tanzi, Ph.D. in Super Brain

It is encouraging and enlightening that the brain's old myths are not true.  It is easy now to be an optimist about how our brains can change for the better.

Renee Madison, MA, LPC, CSAT is a counselor in Colorado.  She can be reached for appointments at 303-257-7623 or 970-324-6928