Saturday, June 25, 2011

The Positive Results From Meditation

It looks like more of the leading edge scientists are discovering the positive effects of deep prayer and meditation:

Science of Mind magazine, June 2011
From the Science & Spirituality column by neuroscientists Waldman & Newberg, "Taming the Impatient Brain"

What happens in the brain when we learn patience? We stimulate the insula and striatum. For those of us who do spiritual practice, this is an exciting discovery: Meditation and deep prayer build patience because they stimulate the same reward circuits in the brain. At that moment, we feel satisfied. We don't NEED to have more of anything--food, money, affection--because we're getting it from the states of peacefulness and positive feelings being generated within the brain. Brainscan studies of meditators also show increased activity in the orbitofrontal cortex, an area that regulates impulsive decision making.

From the Science & Spirituality column by neuroscientists Waldman & Newberg, "Taming the Impatient Brain,"

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Have You Forgiven Yourself Yet?

Within us all is the Forgiving Power, that which frees us from all limitations and the results of our past decisions, and is keeping our minds focused on undesired events and outcomes, rather than on our own ability to shape our lives in much more fulfilling ways. The only thing that is really weighing us down is our belief that we are being punished for our past mistakes or held down by our present circumstances.

I forgive myself for having accepted limited concepts of myself and others, and for any harm that this may have caused us. I forgive all others for any judgments they may have had towards me, and any harm it may have caused to either of us. "If we would have known better, we would have done better."

From a former post:

One of the biggest obstacles to overcome is guilt from our past. Refuse to accept the unnecessary baggage that would keep you mired in self-destructive patterns of thinking. There are much higher and better ways to transform your life and the conditions you are facing.
January 19, 2011 9:51 PM

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

"Unless those activities among men are the aid for the greater number, rather than for the class or the few, they must eventually fail." Edgar Cayce