When you are frustrated with yourself, have you ever asked, “Why do I do what I do?”  It is a great question to consider if we want to be our best selves.  If we can figure out why we react to stress or unmet needs, we may be able to keep certain behaviors we don’t want in our life from repeating.

The answer to the question come through understanding our brain’s basic functions.

I will attempt to explain my understanding of the brain’s basic function from what I have learned from one graduate level course on Neuroscience and research through books by Dan Siegal, Louis Cozolino, and Andrew Newberg.

• Note – My favorite book is Whole Brain Child, by Siegal.  It is very useful for people of all ages and gives a simple perspective of the brain, even teachable to a child.

I AM NOT AN EXPERT, but I’ve explored neuroscience enough to understand the basic concepts and how valuable understanding it can be in becoming your best self, or living by Holy Spirit.  I’ve spent extended time trying to make correlations between Spirituality and Neuroscience in the hopes of providing a basic, layman understanding of the brain.  As a result, I hope people can become more healthy and whole individuals and transform their relationships with others, while becoming who they were created to be in Christ.

The first connection I’ve found in scripture, comes from Romans 7:

15 I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. 17 But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me.  NRSV

Paul is expressing the struggle between Spirit and flesh, a war within our soul.  Neuroscience gives us something more concrete to grasp, by which we can prepare our mind to live in Spirit and have a more success over flesh.  So let’s start with the basics.

Dan Siegal simplifies the brain by splitting it into two sections: The Upstairs Brain and the Downstairs Brain.

I believe there is a strong correlation to the actions of the flesh being manifested in the Downstairs Brain, while manifestation of Holy Spirit exists in the Upstairs Brain.  Look for similarities in these descriptions:

Downstairs Brain:

• Produces fear, anger, aggression, worry, anxiety, and selfishness.
• Does not work by logic or reason.
• It is instinctual and needed for survival.
• Operates from a negative perspective.

Upstairs Brain:

• Produces empathy, compassion, kindness, understanding, love and hope.
• Produces the ability to bring humanity to those in dehumanizing circumstances.
• Helps us react from the positive perspective of each emotional response.
• Operates from the positive perspective.
• Balance enhances creativity, imagination, logic, muscle movement, all five sense, emotions, and spirituality.

What did you discover in your comparison?

Why do you do what you do?  Simply put…you are operating out of your Downstairs Brain (or your flesh) instead of your Upstairs Brain (or Holy Spirit).

Next blog…more details about each of the areas of the brain.