Cellular Memory and Prayer  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Brain References

‘Nature’ – ‘Nurture’  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Nature: Genetics studies how information is transmitted to you via chromosomes and the 25,000-30,000 genes on them Nurture: Epigenetics studies how information from your internal and external environment (including lifestyle such as nutrition, stress, exercise, mental attitude, and behaviors) is transmitted via regulatory proteins that impact whether a gene is switched on (activated) or switched off

Epigenetics (Cellular Memory)  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Lifestyle and your attitude has a tremendous influence on your health—that of your offspring If you choose to eat fruits and vegetables versus high-fat foods and fill your heart with hope and compassion versus hate, hostility, and unforgiveness, that can positively impact your health—and it can leave a mark on your code that can be passed on to succeeding generations —Dr. David Rakel, University of Wisconsin

‘Cellular Memory’  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc A form epigenetics: a type of non-declarative memory stored in the cell nucleus (not in red blood cells) that can influence your choices, preferences, and behaviors You may be impacted by cellular memory from the past 3-4 generations and you may pass on cellular memory to the next 3-4 generations of your biological line

Heritable Patterns  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Cellular memory is believed to help explain:  Behaviors and disease patterns (including addictive behaviors) that tend to show up often in specific family systems  Behavioral differences observed among siblings and in adopted children  Unfinished business (generational feuds)  Déjà vu (already seen, ‘passed lives’)

How You Acquire It  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Cellular memory is:  Is donated to you (you have no control over this but you may have control over the choices you make in adulthood and the behaviors you exhibit in adulthood)  Is given to you in a donated body organ if you have a transplant  Developed by you through your choices, lifestyle, and habits

Donated #1  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc The two cells with which you started life carried genetic instructions and epigenetic imprinting from your biological line  What your ancestors ate, thought, and did impacted you, their offspring – alcohol use, sexual behaviors, depression, suicide...  What do you know about your ancestors?

Stress Connection  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Maternal stress during pregnancy and a stressful first two years of life impacts emotional and stress hormone reactions and creates a stressed nervous system (more so in females than in males) Brain circuits incorporate a fearful, anxious imprint that alters the girl’s perception of reality and can impact her for a lifetime ― Louann Brizendine, MD - The Female Brain

Donated #2  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc When you receive an organ transplant, it carries cellular memories from the donor and you may change after the surgery  Recipients may have surprisingly accurate dreams about the donor  Recipients may experience definite alterations in food tastes and references

Developed by You #1  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc  Gestation (wanted or not, desired gender, foods, stress, nervous system)  Lifestyle choices you make  Illnesses you have (e.g., food poisoning)  Substances used (e.g., alcohol, tobacco)  Addictive behaviors  Mindset you maintain (positive-negative)

Your Generational History  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc How much do you know about previous generations, their typical lifestyle, and habits? Dig to find out! Ask questions! It can help you understand the reason you crave specific foods or gravitate toward specific activities or exhibit specific behaviors

What do you know about your mother’s pregnancy with you?  What did she eat—babies tend to like foods their mothers ate  Were you planned or unplanned?  Were you the desired gender?  Was the environment nurturing and affirming? Increase Your Awareness  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc

Pay Attention to Behaviors  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc  Familial eating / weight patterns?  Your eating and weight patterns?  You eat what, how much, when?  Do you give your brain and immune system optimum macronutrition (healthy foods) and micronutrition (doesn’t contribute calories)?  Do you drink plenty of water and get sufficient sleep? —it all impacts weight!

Is Your Weight Optimum ©Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Either being significantly under weight or over weight can be detrimental to your brain-body health! Study of 8,000 twins showed that being overweight doubled the risk of dementia, while being obese quadrupled that risk —Gary Small, MD The Alzheimer's Prevention Program

Studies of 6,885 women treated with standard chemotherapy for breast cancer and followed for eight years showed a 30 percent higher risk of cancer recurrence and a 50 percent higher risk of death when compared with death rates for women of normal weight who had breast cancer —American Cancer Society Journal Females Are at Higher Risk  Arlene R. Taylor PhD

Only You Can Do It  Arlene R. Taylor PhD You choose what to do if you discover cellular memory factors, patterns of behavior, and habits that are contributing negatively to your brain-body health and to your weight All things being equal, your decisions impact both quality and quantity of your life— which impacts your family, pets, friends...

Your Daily Choices  Arlene R. Taylor PhD; Practically applied, epigenetics may change the way you make daily decisions:  Order French fries or brown rice  Vegetate in front of TV or take a walk  Lash out in anger or manage your emotion behaviors effectively  Do your homework or surf the internet  Engage in a risky behavior or be safer

Your Health Care  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Epigenetics will likely revolutionize the practice of medicine— Your healthcare professional may ask you about your cellular memory history In turn, this may lead to an increased emphasis on prevention and less around the diagnosis of illness and treatment with prescription drugs...

Prayer is a form of meditation; the frontal cortex lights up during meditation —Candace B. Pert PhD Your Body is Your Subconscious Mind Prayer Definitions  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Prayer is a universal being-and-not-doing phenomenon and an attitude of the heart; a person’s own belief can strengthen the effect of his/her prayers —Larry Dossey MD Prayer is Good Medicine

There is a difference between active (focus on a specific thought) versus passive (clear the mind of thought) meditation Active focused contemplation or prayer triggers a slightly different brain pattern as compared to passive meditation — Newberg, Andrew MD Why God Won’t Go Away Focused vs Passive  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc

Neurotheology  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Dr. Newberg is a founder of the field of Neurotheology  the study of the relationship between the brain and spiritual or religious phenomena He has studied more than 150 brain scans to observe brain changes that occur during different types of prayer, meditation, and religious practices  Andrew Newberg, MD How God Changes Your Brain

Different types of meditation and prayer affect different parts of the brain differently—each appears to beneficially impact neurological function, physical, and emotional health Can increase blood flow to frontal, parietal, temporal, and limbic areas Can decrease metabolic activity May trigger deafferentation (pain relief) —Andrew Newberg MD How God Changes Your Brain Prayer Benefits #1  Arlene R. Taylor PhD

Prayer Benefits #2  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Prayers that focus on gratitude, celebration, or a positive vision of the future (as well as rejecting anger and resentment) have been found to: Increase compassion Reduce depression and anxiety Relieve stress Lower blood pressure and heart rate And eventually extend life

Prayer Benefits #3  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc All prayers do not always work. Statistically speaking, however, studies have shown that prayer can be effective, directed, and non- directed Nothing seemed capable of blocking prayer, even a lead-lined room Prayer positively affects high blood pressure, heart attacks, wound healing, headaches, and anxiety —Larry Dossey, MD Prayer is Good Medicine, Healing Words

Meditation and prayer are excellent brain-power boosters as they battle stress (e.g., promote synchronized brain rhythms and reduce levels of stress hormone) They give you some control over the way in which your brain ages —Kenneth Giuffre MD The Care and Feeding of Your Brain Prayer Benefits #4  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc

Prayer Benefits #5  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Prayer can be viewed as one of the ultimate activities of the frontal lobes of the cerebrum or neocortex (located in the 3 rd brain layer) —Neil Nedley MD, Proof Positive

Prayer Benefits #6  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Reflecting on a scriptural passage, envisioning God in a positive way, or saying a prayer that has special meaning for you can enhance your memory Study participants who prayed and / or reflected in a quiet, comfortable place for at least twelve (12) minutes each day, experienced significant improvements in their memory

Meditation (prayer is a form of meditation) can enhance one’s ability to communicate with the self; this can be helpful in working through negative feelings and in the healing of illnesses —Claire Sylvia, A Change of Heart Together your brain and immune organs constitute the most amazing healing system in the world—in most cases if you get sick and if you get well, this system heals you Prayer Benefits #7  Arlene R. Taylor PhD

Brain Regions  Arlene R. Taylor PhD There isn’t just one part of the brain or body that is the spiritual center of who human beings are; instead, the whole ‘self’ seems to be deeply affected by spiritual and religious ideas and practices Specific areas of the brain, however, are distinctly affected by prayer and other religious experiences

Brain Regions #1  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Influenced by prayer Frontal lobes - Help you to plan, focus your attention, speak, reason, understand grammar and syntax, and move voluntarily They handle executive functions that include morality, goal-setting, conscience, willpower, and decision-making 

Brain Regions #1, Cont’d  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Activities that engage the frontal lobes protect against age-related deterioration (shrinkage) that is associated with loss of memory, overall loss of mental functioning, and dementia Prayer, if done regularly for at least 12 minutes daily, may slow the age-related decline of the frontal lobes 

Brain Regions #2  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Influenced by religious experiences Anterior Cingulate Forms a ‘collar’ around the front of the Corpus Callosum, the largest band of horizontal connecting fibers between hemispheres It is involved with decision-making, emotion, and empathy 

Brain Regions #2, Cont’d  Arlene R. Taylor PhD The anterior cingulate is activated when you feel compassion for others; when you are aware of the feelings of others and empathize with them Prayer increases activity in this area, considered to be the ‘neurological heart,’ the part of the brain that most clearly distinguishes humans from animals 

Brain Regions #3  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Influenced by religious experiences Parietal Lobes Integrate sensory information, particularly determining spatial sense and navigation Are activated when you sense yourself as separate from other things in the world; distinguish yourself from others 

Brain Regions #3, Cont’d  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Parietal lobes are deactivated during religious experiences (e.g., singing hymns and saying group prayers at a church service) You temporarily lose some sense of isolation and individuality, which enables you to feeling more ‘at one’ with God, and enhances a sense of unity with members of a congregation or with all humanity or the universe at large 

Brain Regions #4  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Influenced by prayer Parts of the 1 st and 2 nd brain layers Involves the hippocampus, the amygdala, the stress responses (fight-or-flight), emotional impulses, and reactivity These areas are activated when you experience anger, resentment, or pessimism, which reduces your regard for others and deactivates compassion 

Brain Regions #4, Cont’d  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Prayer can deactivate these areas, reducing stress and anxiety, and bringing about a sense of comfort Prayer can prevent the protective emotions (anger, fear, sadness) in right hemisphere and 1 st and 2 nd brain layers from becoming activated and can turn on the positive emotion of joy that appears to be aligned with the left hemisphere 