The Science of Spirit
“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
Shakespeare, Hamlet
When Shakespeare wrote those words, the Reformation was well underway, and the Reformation, along with the Enlightenment movement, led to the separation of religion from state in the West. Many of the later Enlightenment philosophers even claimed that science could be a substitute for religion. All our “faith” in the scientific method has become prevalent enough that it has garnered its own name, scientism. I have long expressed to my physicist partner that his refusal to believe in anything that cannot be quantified scientifically is limiting his field of experience; after all, we can measure things now that could not be measured 500 years ago, and that did not make those things any less true then than now. Similarly, can there not be phenomena which are not currently scientifically measurable, but will be in the future? Again, inability to measure and quantify do not make them any less valid.
We are living in exciting times though, when neuroscience is beginning to prove scientifically what ancient traditions have held true for hundreds and sometimes thousands of years. There are other valid human experiences and methods of enquiry, again that the ancient traditions such as yoga and meditation have always stated. Science, neuroplasticity and mindfulness are all converging into the new milieu of contemplative psychology. The terms ‘contemplative’ (relating to introspection, and meditative practices) and ‘psychotherapy’ (‘a healing method of reflection and introspective learning, informed by scientific views of human nature’) could seem strange bedfellows. However, over the last 100 years since Freud presented the science of psychology, disparate scientific views are now converging towards a more optimistic consensus on human plasticity and social potential.
What is this consensus? Genomic fluidity is showing that nurture (and experience) has potential to overcome nature (Carey 2012). Plasticity brings greater optimism to the potential of psychotherapy (Kandel 1999; Doidge 2007). We have a greater understanding of the social ‘gearing’ of the brain (Siegel 2007). New relational approaches to psychotherapy are emerging (Porges 2011). Excitingly, affective neuroscience and positive psychology are further challenging Freud’s low estimates of human potential by revealing great human capacity for prosocial emotions (Singer & Klimecki 2014).
All these breakthroughs are furthering clinical knowledge of contemplative practices previously considered far from scientific. Meditation is being shown by neuroscience to be one of the most effective, reproducible, and self-regulating methods of neuroplasticity (Lutz et al. 2004; Lazar et al. 2005). The plasticity of the brain is particularly vulnerable to changing for the worse through negative experiences. We can remedy this, and help the brain become increasingly efficient at internalizing positive experiences, by bringing repeated sustained mindful attention to beneficial experiences. These multidisciplinary convergences have led to the creation of a new field, ‘contemplative neuroscience’, where the West can eventually heal the rift between science and contemplation that happened during the Enlightenment.
We are now beginning to be able to demonstrate scientifically and quantitatively what those of us who have been ‘insiders’ to the ancient traditions of yoga and meditation have always felt qualitatively: that meditative practices make us feel better. Even more excitingly, modern neuroscience is showing that, not only do these practices make us feel better, but our brains are reprogrammed and reshaped by them to continue to reinforce positive behaviour and feelings, even when we are not meditating. When Shakespeare wrote those words about there being more things in heaven and earth than were dreamed of in philosophy, I wonder if he had any idea that one day we would start to see all these things begin to come together?
Thank you for reading! You may also enjoy The Power of Yoga for Healing of Trauma and Getting to Know Your Vagus Nerve.
References
Carey, N. (2012) The Epigenetics Revolution: How Modern Biology Is Rewriting Our Understanding of Genetics, Disease, and Inheritance, Columbia University Press.
Doidge, N. (2007) The Brain That Changes Itself. New York: Penguin Books.
Kandel, E. (1999) Biology and the Future of Psychoanalysis: A New Intellectual Framework for Psychiatry Revisited, Am J Psychiatry 156:4, April 1999, 505-524.
Lazar, S. W., Kerr, C.E., Wasserman, R. H., Gray, J. R., Greve, D. N., Treadway, M.T., McGarvey, M., Quinn, B. T., Dusek, J.A., Benson, H., Rauch, S. L., Moore, C.I. & Fiscl, B. (2005) ‘Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness’, Neuroreport, 16(17), 1893-1897.
Loizzo, J. (2017) Advances in Contemplative Psychotherapy: Accelerating Healing and Transformation, Routledge.
Loizzo, J. (2018) ‘Can Embodied Contemplative Practices Accelerate Resilience Training and Trauma Recovery?’ Frontiers in Human Neiroscience, Vol.12. Advances in Contemplative Psychotherapy: Accelerating Healing and Transformation, Routledge.
Lutz, A., Greischar, L. L., Rawlings, N. B., Richard, M., & Davidson, R. J. (2004) ‘Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice’ Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences SA, 101(46), 16369-16373.
Lutz, A., Dunne, J., and Davidson, R. (2007) ‘Meditation and the Neuroscience of Consciousness: An Introduction’, The Cambridge Handbook of Consciousness, ed. Zelaso, P.D., Moscovitch, M., Thompson, T. 499-551, Cambridge: CUP.
Porges, S. W. (2011) The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-regulation, Norton.
Siegel, D. J. (2007) Mindfulness training and neural integration: differentiation of distinct streams of awareness and the cultivation of well-being, Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, DO 10.1093/s.
Singer, T. and Klimecki, O. (2014) ‘Empathy and Compassion’ Current Biology, 24, R875-R878.