Mind - Body - God Connection: How I Found Healing - A New Way of Looking At Disease

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Acknowledgements

I would like to acknowledge those who have impacted my life prior to writing and during the writing process. To each of you I am eternally appreciative.

Claudette, my mentor and one of my close friends, I am thankful for your unceasing prayers and the spiritual gifts that God has given you. Thank you for your insights and the faithful words, Go forward. From the inception of this book, you prayed for its success as if it was yours, thank you.

My other close friends, and sisters in Christ—Carol, Melissa (sister), and Marguerita, thanks for your love and support. Alric, my best male friend, I’m thanking you for your support and listening ear. Carmina, Anna, Lydia, and Judy, my wonderful friends and church members: Carmina who would text me just to say, Darlene I’m praying for you; Anna, one of our first ladies, a woman who is always vigilant in prayer; Lydia and Judy for her gentle words of encouragement and support. Lynn, my colleague, sister in Christ, and friend, thanks for your support and invaluable help.

I wish to acknowledge Charles, for his scientific insights into the brain and his willingness to share his vast knowledge; Phyllis, my teacher and friend, an educator who has mastered the art of teaching and desires to see her pupils excel; and Julie, my editor, thanks for making sure that I dotted my i’s and crossed my t’s. Your words of encouragement meant more to me than you will ever know. I appreciate your hard work, attention to detail, and for taking on this project.

Special thanks to my parents, Joann and Roy, who although divorced, are bonded in their love and support for me—parents who showed that they could make lemonade when given lemons. I’m proud of your accomplishments. My beautiful sister Rosalyn, an aspiring writer, and my handsome brothers Roy Jr., Rodney, and Robert Jr.—all of whom have their own stories to tell, I love you.

My greatest acknowledgement goes to God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, for They have made me whole.

Disclaimer

The information presented in this book is based on the author’s research and personal experiences. Names and locations of individuals have been changed. This book is not intended to be a substitute for any professional consultation. As with any medical condition, please seek professional help.

Contact Information

Darlene D. Hall

http://www.madewhole.com

Introduction

The year was 1860, and if you wanted to travel, it was by horse and buggy, railroad, or ship; there were no cars at that time. Eadweard Muybridge, a photographer who later gained fame as the father of motion pictures, was a passenger traveling by stagecoach. On a business trip, he had left San Francisco and was headed to Missouri on his way to Europe. En route there was a horrible accident. The driver of the stagecoach lost control, and as the coach went speeding into the ditch, Muybridge went flying out, headfirst into a tree. Needless to say, he took some much-needed time to recuperate. However, he emerged from his recovery a totally different man.

Prior to the accident he was a kindhearted, good-natured, mild-mannered gentleman, but afterward he was cold, distant, and considered to be somewhat eccentric. He also began dressing very oddly. Friends said that his behavior was weird and that he had lost all interest in social activities. Prior to the accident he was neat and clean and carried himself with dignity, but after, he found bathing to be of little importance. Muybridge had undergone a personality makeover, but even in this condition he excelled in photography and went on to make major contributions with his pioneering work.

Due to his revolutionary techniques, his popularity was increasing, and while being applauded in one area, he fell into disgrace in another. Muybridge, now married and the father of a little boy, became suspicious and convinced himself that his wife was having an affair and that this child was a product of this presumed relationship. Taking matters into his hands, he mounted his horse, rode into the town where the suspected gentleman worked, and—in full view of bystanders—pulled out his six-shooter and shot the man dead. His highly publicized trial ended in his acquittal: not guilty due to reason of insanity resulting from a carriage accident (Keltner, 2009; Eadweard Muybridge, n.d.).

What went wrong? What part of his brain caused such a dramatic shift in his personality? Where was the injury? It was not until recently that science has been able to pinpoint with precision structures within the brain which result in behavioral changes and to actually see the brain in action. In fact we have learned more about the brain in the last few decades than in all previous years combined, thanks to the advent of technology such as PET (positron emission tomography) scans, MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging), and now functional MRI scans.

The brain is an awe-inspiring mystery, and scientists feel that they have only touched the tip of the iceberg. Over the course of this book, we will go deep into the structures of the brain and explore its intricate workings. And we can’t forget the rest of the body. Brain and body are an inseparable team. We will look at the intimate workings of their relationship and see how they react upon each other.

Here are some of the topics this book will cover:

We will look at the various functions of the brain, how this three-pound structure—which has the consistency of cottage cheese and tofu, and would shake like Jell-O if not for the hard skull—is able to perform infinite feats.

We will look at neurotransmission and hormonal regulation, and we’ll see how poor lifestyle choices can short-circuit the brain and lead to chemical imbalances.

Have you ever thought about your thoughts? Where do they come from? Well, we are going to fire up the old gray matter and take a look. You might be surprised to know that your thoughts are hanging out on what looks like a tree. We’ll reveal how toxic thoughts of bitterness, anger, resentment, and an unforgiving spirit can lead not only to psychological and emotional issues but to diseases such as coronary heart disease and some forms of cancer, as well as lay the foundation for many other diseases.

Are you stressed? Well, join the masses. Today, more than ever, many of us are stressed out! Up to 90% of all visits to the doctor are stress related. We will see how stress impacts not only our emotional state, but also the health of the body. We will take a look behind the scenes and see the chemistry of stress.

Are you one of the 121 million people worldwide suffering from depression? Research shows that depression is due to an imbalance in neurochemistry. Can the brain be brought back into balance? We will take a look.

Addictions are at epidemic proportions, the newest being sexual and internet addictions. These are forms of emotional hijacking. Why are we driven to certain behaviors? We will look at the neurochemistry involved that reinforces not only these behaviors but many more.

We all have a story to tell and I must tell you mine, how—from childhood, well up into my twenties—I suffered from many different diseases, including a bout with severe depression and a battle with obesity, and how I found healing. Is there a root cause for disease? We will take a look at what I discovered.

Did you know that there is an all-out assault for your mind and that the mind is the site in which the greatest battle to ever take place begins? We will look at the weapons of warfare needed to succeed in this mental combat.

Throughout this book we will look at spiritual applications which will bring the mind and the body into balance. For in him we live, and move, and have our being (Acts 17:28). He (the Creator God) is the vital connection that leads to complete healing—physical, mental, and spiritual.

1

The Human Brain

Worldwide there are approximately 6.8 billion people, and a quick mathematical calculation tells me that there are 6.8 billion brains—and no two are alike, even twins. My father is totally different from his twin brother. Although they share the same genes, they have different experiences. They perceive and process information differently, which makes their brains unique.

When we look at the human brain, we can truly say as David said in Psalms 139:14: I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. This magnificent structure—only two percent of the body’s total weight—controls our entire being. All of our actions, good or bad, have their origin in the brain.

Our Origins

In 1994, a Time magazine article titled How Man Began raised questions about the various theories of our origin and stated that there were many inconsistencies, but the quest to know continues. The article states:

Starting with a Neanderthal skeleton unearthed in Germany in 1856, archaeologists and anthropologists have sweated mightily over excavations in Africa, Europe and Asia, trying to find fossil evidence that will answer the most fundamental questions of our existence: When, where and how did the human race arise? During a 1974 expedition, archaeologists thought they had found a crucial piece of evidence—Lucy, the missing link between apes and humans,—and the search continues. (Lemonick & Dorman, 1994)

This book that you hold in your hands is not just a study of the brain and the body, not just information to improve your emotional IQ. No! It’s much more. For we are on a journey to wholeness, with complete restoration in sight, and in order to embrace this future we must have knowledge of our past. So, where did we come from, what was our beginning, and when and how did it happen?

When Jesus walked the earth, He asked one of His disciples: Who do you say I am? (Matthew16:15, NIV). I asked the same question: Jesus, Who do You say I am? The account of our origins is found in the book of Genesis, in the beginning when He created the heavens and the earth. And God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness’ (Genesis 1:26), and God tells us how He made us. Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being (Genesis 2:7, NIV).

God’s breath gave life to a lifeless body, in which the brain, the command center, began to send electrical signals to 100 billion nerve cells, setting into action the functioning of the human brain and body.

We are made in the image of the Eternal God. I don’t know about you, but that just blows me away! Perfection in form, symmetry, and intellect! To have a mind akin to the living God! Imbued with His thoughts! This was no evolutionary process. We are no accidental blob that resulted from a big bang. There were no random atoms that accidently assembled. Only the Divine Being, the Supreme and Eternal God, created the human mind to do what it does.

Straight from the hand of God, Adam and Eve were perfect, but as we all know, something happened along the way, and as a result we are in a terrible mess. The first few chapters of the book of Genesis reveal a perfect world. The last chapter of the book of Revelation shows a restored world. But between these two books, we see chaos, confusion, and devastation. It reads like the evening news broadcast, when the television anchors report violence, crime, and debased passions, and we wonder: have we lost our minds? Our mandate is to have the mind of God. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5).

Brain Development

Let’s take a short journey through brain development, an experience we all have had. It is indeed a wonderful and miraculous process. Within eighteen days of conception, from just a few cells, we see the beginning of the neural tube which will eventually become the brain and spinal cord. In this process timing is everything. There are critical periods—windows of opportunity for certain events to take place. And if one step fails during these critical periods, it throws off the process; the opportunity is missed and can never take place again.

Examples of missed opportunities are anencephaly and spinal bifida, neural tube defects in which the brain and spinal cord, which should be a continuous unit, fail to close. If this happens, the baby may be born without a brain or have spinal cord abnormalities, known as spinal bifida. The critical period for neural tube closure is within the fourth week of pregnancy. According to the Centers for Disease Control, neural tube defects affect 1 in 1,000 births (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010, August).

Dana and Paul’s baby was unfortunate to be that one in 1,000. The parents were young, newly married, and excited about their life together. Dana received prenatal care, and all was progressing well. However, upon delivery, it was discovered that the baby did not have a skull, and she died shortly after birth. As you can imagine, the couple was devastated, a memory that haunts Dana to this day.

But in the normal developing embryo, we see phenomenal processes taking place. Between the 12th and 20th weeks of gestation, during another critical period something amazing happens. There is an exponential explosion in the amount of cell division. Also during this time, some of the nerve cells in the neural tube begin to migrate, heading for the brain. These nerve cells move toward the outer cortex of the brain as if they were climbing a ladder. They keep inching up until the brain is six layers deep. At this time they have reached the outer region of the brain. They then take on a specific function, a process called differentiation. For example a nerve cell may differentiate into a motor cell that enables me to move my arm, or a visual cell that enables me to see.

Incredibly, the cells know when to go and where to move (Nash, 2002; Norden, 2007b). Each neuron takes its orders and does its job. What an object lesson for us! I don’t know about you, but sometimes I can get a little attitude. Just imagine for a second what would happen if some of the nerve cells copped an attitude and decided, I don’t like that neuron. I don’t want to be next to him; I’m not moving! Or what would happen if a nerve cell said, You know, I’m just not feeling it today. I’ll take a rain check? If this were to happen, we would have birth defects on a scale of epidemic proportions! But this process is out of our control. We have no say so in this matter. God genetically programmed our nerve cells to do a specific job at a specified time.

When we look at nature, we see that it’s obedient to the voice of God. All nature has a particular ministry. The beautiful leaves of the forest, on every shrub and every tree, give us life-sustaining oxygen so that we may breathe. Without oxygen our brain cells would die within minutes! Nature hears and obeys the voice of God.

I am repeatedly reminded of nature’s obedience every time I cross over the Bay Bridge leading into San Francisco. I am simply amazed that the ocean does not overflow its boundaries. At times when I am driving along the coast, it looks as if the water level is higher than my car. And I am reminded of the scripture: Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth (Psalms 104:9).

Perhaps you have heard, as I did years ago, that we only use 10% of our brain. This is absolutely not true! We use every inch of it, and when it comes to complex functions such as memory, several areas of the brain are involved (Carter, 2009).

What is true is that we have an infinite storage capacity. It’s been estimated that the brain has enough room to store millions of years of information. I have often wondered about this. why would God give us such an infinite storage capacity that we could never use in our limited time here on earth? My personal belief is that this excess capacity will be used to study the mysteries of the universe in the new world to come where we will live forever. Scripture tells us: "For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth