Controlling Toxic Thoughts & Emotions

The Bible says, “As a man thinks, so is he.” (Prov 23:7). Our thoughts matter.

According to research, the average person has approximately 60,000 thoughts per day. But what is truly concerning is that 75% of these thoughts are negative, and 95% are repetitive. Many of our negative thoughts are driven by the flight or fight part of our brain. This constant barrage of negative and repetitive thoughts can significantly impact our mental health, happiness, and overall quality of life. (Source: http://tinyurl.com/nhdefax2)

World-renowned cognitive neuroscientist, Dr. Caroline Leaf, is an author and speaker who covers scientific principles of the brain as well as spiritual, intellectual and emotional issues.  

Here are some excerpts from her book entitled “Who Switched Off My Brain—Controlling Toxic Thoughts and Emotions”:

• “The mind can be renewed just as God’s Word says.  The cycle of toxic thinking and unhealthy patterns can be broken!”
• “Toxic thoughts are thoughts that trigger negative emotions, which produce biochemicals that cause the body stress.”
• “Toxic thoughts are like poison, but once the cycle of the toxic thinking is broken, you can improve every area of your life.”
• “Every single thought—whether positive or negative—goes through the same cycle when it forms.  A thought is a real physical thing made of proteins and chemicals that occupies mental real estate in the brain as a free-like structure on our neurons. These thoughts look like trees, and like a tree, are made of roots and branches.  These are our memories- “root” and “branches” memories.” 
• “The science of thoughts is very exciting. As we start to understand how a thought forms and impacts our emotions and bodies, we have two choices: we can let our thoughts become toxic and poisonous, or we can detox our negative thoughts, which will improve our emotional wholeness and even recover our physical health.”
• “What all this means is that a thought tree is literally built into the brain as you use your mind in response to your experiences, or in other words, as you think, feel and choose in response in life.”
• “Negative words can be more harmful to you than the person you say them to, because your mind formed the toxic thought, meditated on the words and spoke them – reinforcing them in your mind. Because you created a stronghold, your body reacts with stress. If the stress chemicals flow in your brain longer than 30 seconds, your thinking, your intelligence, body and everything else are all going to be negatively affected.”
• “What an incredible capacity of the brain to change and rewire and grow! Spiritually, this is renewing the mind.”

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Book Recommendation

Watch:   Anatomy of Thought, Dr. Leaf

Watch:  The Mind Toolbox, Dr. Caroline Leaf