The Biology of Belief: We Are Not the Victims of Our Genes

Sun Oct 19, 2008 4:18 pm (PDT)

Microbiologist Dr. Bruce Lipton discusses the current evolutionary
crisis and his breakthrough research on the mind/matter interface with
Dr. Laurie Nadel, host of The Sixth Sense on www.webtalkradio.net This
article is excerpted from that interview.
Q: You refer to a crisis in evolution. What is that?

A: We find ourselves today in the midst of a vast evolutionary leap.
What makes it especially interesting is that we do not see it.

We do see are many little crises affecting the world. But many of us
fail to recognize that these crises foretell an impending change that
will have a great impact on human civilization. As a molecular
biologist, I perceive recurring patterns in these crises that point to a
collective crisis in evolution. In order to evolve biologically as a
species that is capable of surviving the many dangers ahead, our genes
must evolve, as well.

Q: How does this affect us as individuals?

A: The 19th century reductionist model of science states that the world
is made out of physical matter. Therefore, everything that exists can be
reduced to smaller components of matter. But new scientific discoveries
in physics and biology refute that premise. In truth, our beliefs and
thoughts affect physical matter.

Q: Does that mean our thoughts and beliefs affect our genes?

A: The new biology provides evidence that each of us is a community of
some 50 trillion cells wired up to communicate with each other through
electromagnetic signals. These signals come from the environment, both
internal and external. Our internal environment includes the DNA code
for consciousness, conscience, and compassion—our spiritual genes.
As we develop ideas and actions that give these genes expression, not
only do we begin to thrive as individuals. We also get an unparalleled
opportunity to contribute to our collective evolution as a species.

Q: What is the first step?

A: Understanding how your thoughts and actions influence your genes
provides you with an unparalleled opportunity to find true happiness as
an individual while you simultaneously assist the evolution of our
species. To do this, you must relinquish old assumptions about mind and
matter.

First and foremost: You and I are not victims of our genes.

Q: Aren't genes something over which we have no control?

A: In the past 20 years or so, scientists have begun to discover how
perception of environmental information is translated into biology that
controls our genetic behavior. That perception serves as the interface
between environment and biology. Scientists call this field of research
"epigenetics."

The important work that comes from epigenetics is understanding how
these perceptions actually interface with science. Then, from a
practical perspective, we can explore is how we got these perceptions
and how we can change them to create true happiness for ourselves and
others.

If our perceptions are accurate, then our biology should be in harmony
with the world. But in such cases which we would call misperceptions
about life, such misperceptions will mis-program the genes, leading to
primary illnesses and other difficulties.

Conversely, as our perceptions of life shift, so does our genetic
expression. By our consciousness, we can create anything from sublime
health to disease. We are no longer victims to forces outside of
ourselves. Nor do we blame such external forces for characteristics and
attitudes that we ourselves can change. As our thinking and behavior
evolves to meet the challenge of taking responsibility for what goes on
inside our heads, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the spiritual
characteristics that were imprinted in our genetic code.

Q: As any fan of CSI knows by now, by thy DNA code, thou shall be
identified. Isn't that true?

A: Your "genes" do much more than provide a biological
fingerprint.
Imagine that you are at a building supply store like The Home Depot.

There is a plumbing section with all the different kinds of pipes, and
valves, and faucet. Then there's an electrical section with all the
wires, and switches, and plugs. Each gene represents something different
that you need to build a house. For example, there are switches, pipes
and plumbing genes, etc. Genes provide the building material from which
you you're your construction. But remember: The parts do not
determine what's going to happen. It's the contractor who
creates a plan and then uses the parts to manifest that plan.

Q: Who is the contractor?

A: The mind is the contractor! That is why the mind is so powerful in
influencing our physical, mental, and spiritual health.

Q: Can you please provide an example?

A: For example, the placebo effect is estimated to account for
two-thirds of all the healing in medicine. What does that represent? It
represents that the mind, as a contractor, has a belief about the
consequence of a cure or a surgery. That belief, which is in the
mind's perception, adjusted genetics to manifest the resolution.
If the doctor says, "Oh, this is going to be a simple procedure, and
you're going to recover beautifully!" Hearing that belief sets
the mind's contractor into already creating that final resolution by
adjusting the cells in the biology. So, a sugar pill, when told that it
has such profound effect, goes into that person's contractor mind.
The mind says, "Oh, I can already imagine the outcome. I'm going
to be well!" So the patient take the sugar pill but the effect comes
from the perception of the mind.

The concept of visualizing a healing that's for sure going to happen
is actually the equivalent of a contractor first drawing up the
blueprints of what would that healing look like; second, going into the
parts department, the genetics; third, selecting the genetics and cell
responses to create the image of the desired result. Thus, the mind is
continually shaping biology!

Q: Does negative thinking work like that?

A: You might think, "I already know what the placebo effect
represents." But did you know there is something called the no-cebo
effect?
Not-positive thinking also affects biology with the same power that the
placebo effect has. Regardless of whether a thought is positive or
negative, thoughts control biology. Your thoughts. Your biology. Your
genes.

Q: How did you discover this?
A
: As a research scientist, when I first became aware of this
intellectually, I had one of those "aha's!" The mechanism of
the mind crosses the cell membrane, which is the brain of the cell. The
cell membrane controls the cell's genetics and behavior. Was I
surprised! It was a great moment of heresy, comparable to the flash of
knowing that Copernicus had when he understood the earth revolves around
the sun, rather than vice-versa.

As a young man, I went into science to avoid all that metaphysical and
spiritual stuff, which I didn't believe in. I believed that people
are victims of their biology. Life can be understood through the
chemistry, and the genes. I expected to find a way to put it all
together in some mechanism that would help me understand it all . There
in the lab, after studying cells under the microscope for ten years, I
get down to the nitty gritty of this mechanism and how it works. I could
see that the cell is a programmable chip, in a sense. The genes are like
the hard drive.

Conventional biology says that it's our read-only memory, meaning
whatever the program is, that's what happens. But when that flash of
insight came to me, I understood that each cell has a read-write memory.
This means that you can rewrite and change the memory of the gene sets
you have.

Q: What does this have to do with evolution?

A: Each cell is a miniature human. It has a brain, digestive,
respiratory, and circulatory systems. It has the ability to transmit and
receive communication. Some 50 trillion cells make up the human body.
Humans can be seen as cells in something larger called humanity. The
evolution that we're facing right now is not the evolution of the
human as an individual living organism. It is the evolution of the
community of humans. As a species, we are beginning to shed our old
beliefs about limitations and replacing them with conscious thinking and
behavior.

Psychologists have revealed that 70% or more of that thinking is
negative and redundant. But that is changing. The evolution that
we're going through right now is an evolution of awareness. As our
awareness of how mind affects biology grows, our beliefs and potential
expand. And voila! The actions and experiences in the world around us
change, as well.

Q: So we are not victims of our genes?

A: This is the hard part. All of a sudden, you recognize that you have
the power to change this. Actually we have the power to change it. Plus,
we have a responsibility to use that power. Not only are we not victims
of our biology. We are personally responsible. And when we can learn how
to programming our biology, our old model of reality changes. We are not
victims of our genes. As a species, humans have the potential to go from
victim to master.

Q: Psychologists say that 70% of all thoughts are negative. What can I
do about that?

A: The new biology recognizes that the thought in the mind is converted
into neurochemistry that controls the biology. But, oh, my goodness,
just listen to the mind for a few minutes. Could. Should. Always. Never.
Everyone. Deletions, distortions, and generalizations abound. With so
many negative thoughts, of course, life is a struggle. You have already
put the hurdle in front of you even before you got there.

After that flash of knowing in the lab, I started to do what people
might refer to as Buddhist mindfulness. That means just be present.
Every time one of those negative thoughts would come up and here,
I'd notice it. I would say, "No, cancel that. Rewrite it in a
positive present tense." I began reprogram my personal self.

Q: Are you talking about the conscious mind or the unconscious
(subconscious) mind?

A: Everyday thinking is habitual. What we are playing in your
subconscious mind are programs that we acquired in our development,
primarily before five years of age. Some were being programmed into the
subconscious mind even while we were in the fetal stage of development.
Fundamental programs were downloaded them from other people,
unconsciously. That means without knowing what we were doing.

Scientists recognize that 95% of our conscious activity is actually
being driven by the subconscious mind where these programs we downloaded
from other people reside. This is the creator of conflict in our lives
because subconscious mind and a conscious mind. Freud's metaphor for
the mind is an iceberg. The conscious mind is like the tip of the
iceberg. The majority of the mind, like the majority of the iceberg, is
hidden from awareness. It is below (sub) our level of attention
(conscious).

There is a profound difference between the two. The conscious mind is
your identity, your spiritual connection, yourself. It says, "This
is me. I have a name and I know what I should do." The conscious
mind has your desires, your wishes, your aspirations. It says, "This
is what I want in my life." For example, "I'm going out
there looking for help." Or, " I'm going out there looking
for a relationship. " The parameters of whatever you seek are in the
conscious mind.

The sub-conscious mind contains all the history files, library books,
and programs. Everything that we experience is there. The subconscious
mind works like a tape recorder. It records the behavior. When you,
someone else, or something in the environment pushes the button, the
subconscious mind automatically plays the behavior without you thinking
about it.

Ninety-five percent of our life is driven by the subconscious mind.
While our conscious mind thinks that our desires and wishes are
controlling the direction of our life, neuroscience says, "No!"
The programs that are in your subconscious mind control the direction of
your life. But when you pay attention, you find out something along the
lines of, "Oh my God! The fundamental programs in my subconscious
mind came from other people."

Q: What's the message here?

A: It's time for new thinking. There are two outcomes: We succeed
and go on – or we become extinct.

To survive as a species, we must what role we play in the environment,
with each other, and the with the nature of humanity as a living
organism.

We need to change our thinking patterns from competitive to cooperative.
We need to choose new beliefs that empower our spiritual nature. We need
to free ourselves up to enjoy what happens as a result.

In other words, reprogram your thoughts. Learn what makes you truly
happy—and make it so. Your genes and your species will thank you.

Xs wrote:

Source: I'm sorry i don't have the complete source for this article, I got this in a psychology newsletter i subscribe to, however since the person who sends out the newsletter is a rather well known professor in these parts, i'd say its a reliable source.