Dr Joe Dispenza- TED Talks with Dr Joe Dispenza

Summary

This script delves into the intricate workings of the human brain, highlighting its three main components: the neocortex, the limbic system, and the cerebellum. It explains how learning and experience shape our neural pathways, influencing our behavior and emotions. The narrative illustrates the power of metacognition and the transformational journey from intellectual understanding to embodying compassion, ultimately leading to a state of being that can change our genetic expression and subconscious habits.

Takeaways

• 🧠 The human brain is composed of three distinct 'brains': the neocortex (thinking brain), the limbic system (emotional brain), and the cerebellum (reptilian brain), each with its unique functions and history.
• 🌐 The neocortex, being the newest and most evolved, is responsible for conscious awareness and learning through the creation of new synaptic connections.
• 🔁 Learning involves the formation of new neural pathways, while memory is the maintenance of these connections, highlighting the brain's plasticity.
• 💡 Neurons that fire together wire together, creating neural networks that can represent ideas, memories, experiences, skills, or behaviors.
• 🧩 The mind is defined as the brain in action, with the ability to change its patterns and combinations of neural firing, thus altering our mindset.
• 📚 Reading and contemplating on concepts like compassion and forgiveness can lead to the development of long-term neural relationships and new levels of understanding.
• 🚨 Stress can be triggered by both real and imagined threats, activating the body's fight or flight response and impacting our emotional and physiological state.
• 🤔 Metacognition allows us to observe and modify our behaviors, using self-awareness to change our actions and reactions.
• 🔄 The frontal lobe acts as a control center for our identity, helping to lower the influence of old behaviors and promote new, desired behaviors.
• 🌟 Intention is formed through the synchronization of neural circuits, creating an internal representation that guides our actions and experiences.
• 🔗 The process of embodying knowledge, such as compassion, involves the mind teaching the body through repeated experiences, leading to a change in genetic expression.
• 🔄 Repeated practice of new behaviors can lead to automaticity, where actions become second nature and are stored in the subconscious mind, represented by the cerebellum.
• 🌱 Transforming ourselves can lead to a state of being that influences others, allowing for the transformation of the world around us.

Q & A

What are the three main 'brains' mentioned in the script and what are their functions?

The three main 'brains' mentioned are the neocortex, the limbic brain, and the cerebellum. The neocortex is the newest and most evolved part, responsible for conscious awareness and learning. The limbic brain, also known as the emotional brain, regulates internal chemical order and emotions. The cerebellum, the oldest part, is the seat of the subconscious mind and coordinates movement and balance.

How many neurons does the human brain have and what is a metaphorical comparison to illustrate their quantity?

The human brain is made up of about 100 billion neurons. A metaphorical comparison to illustrate their quantity is stacking 100 billion sheets of paper, which would reach a height of 5,000 meters, roughly the distance from Los Angeles to London.

What is the process of learning according to the script and how does it physically change the brain?

Learning is the process of forging new synaptic connections in the neocortex, the thinking brain. Each time new information is learned, the brain physically changes by creating these new connections, which is how the brain upscales its hardware to reflect a new level of mind.

What is the neuroscientific definition of 'mind' as mentioned in the script?

The neuroscientific definition of 'mind' is the brain in action, the brain at work, or what the brain does. It is the result of the seamless coordination of 100 billion neurons firing in different sequences, patterns, and combinations.

How does the script describe the relationship between learning, remembering, and maintaining synaptic connections?

The script describes learning as making new synaptic connections, remembering as maintaining and sustaining those connections, and the importance of communication in strengthening these connections, similar to how relationships become more bonded with more interaction.

What is the role of the limbic brain in memory formation according to the script?

The limbic brain, or the emotional brain, plays a role in memory formation by producing a chemical response when neurons organize into patterns during an experience. This chemical, called a feeling or emotion, helps to remember significant experiences by altering the internal chemical state.

How does the script explain the process of changing one's mind through metacognition?

The script explains that metacognition is the process of observing one's own thoughts and behaviors. By becoming aware of one's reactions and feelings, one can modify their behaviors and neural circuits, effectively changing their mind by silencing old circuits and creating new ones.

What is the role of the frontal lobe in the process of changing one's self-concept?

The frontal lobe is the seat of awareness and acts like a volume control, lowering the volume on the circuits connected to the old self while synchronizing new circuits that reflect a new level of mind, thus helping to change one's self-concept.

How does the script relate the experience of compassion to the process of changing one's mind and body?

The script relates compassion to the process of changing the mind and body by describing how embodying the knowledge of compassion through repeated experience can neurochemically condition the body to memorize compassion, leading to a change in genetic expression and a new state of being.

What is the significance of the cerebellum in the script's explanation of automatic behaviors and habits?

The cerebellum is significant as it is the seat of the subconscious mind and is responsible for automatic behaviors and habits. When behaviors like compassion are practiced and memorized to the point of becoming automatic, they are managed by the cerebellum, making them an innate part of one's being.

How does the script suggest that changing one's mind can transform the world?

The script suggests that by transforming ourselves through personal growth and understanding, we can give others permission to do the same, thereby transforming the world through the collective change in individual states of being.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 The Three Brains and Neurological Learning

This paragraph introduces the concept of the 'three brains' theory, which includes the neocortex (the thinking brain), the limbic system (the emotional brain), and the cerebellum (the reptilian brain). It explains that the neocortex is the most evolved part, responsible for conscious awareness and learning through new synaptic connections. The paragraph also highlights the physical changes in the brain associated with learning and emphasizes the importance of maintaining these connections for memory retention. It introduces the idea of neuron networks, which are groups of neurons that form connections related to ideas, memories, skills, or behaviors.

05:00

💡 Experience, Emotion, and Memory Formation

The second paragraph delves into how experiences enrich the brain's circuitry and lead to the production of emotions through the limbic system. It discusses the phenomenon of memory, explaining why significant events are more easily recalled than mundane daily activities. The paragraph also explores the impact of stress on the body and the role of the reptilian brain in the fight-or-flight response. It illustrates how thoughts alone can trigger a stress response, affecting the body's homeostasis and potentially leading to disease if not managed properly.

10:02

🔄 Metacognition and the Power of Intention

This paragraph introduces the concept of metacognition, the ability to observe and modify one's own thoughts and behaviors. It discusses the role of the frontal lobe in this process, acting as a volume control for neural circuits associated with the old self. The paragraph explains how by focusing on new intentions and behaviors, one can rewire the brain to embody new levels of mind. It also touches on the process of installing neurological hardware ahead of an experience to prepare the mind for a desired outcome, such as compassion, and the importance of persistence in establishing new thought patterns.

15:03

🌟 Embodiment of Knowledge and Transformation

The final paragraph discusses the embodiment of knowledge through repeated experiences, leading to a change in genetic expression and the activation of the subconscious mind through the cerebellum. It emphasizes the importance of practicing compassion and other desired behaviors until they become automatic and part of one's identity. The paragraph concludes by highlighting the transformative power of personal change and the ability to inspire others to do the same, ultimately transforming the world through individual transformation.

Keywords

💡Neocortex

The neocortex is the newest part of the human brain in terms of evolution, often referred to as the 'thinking brain.' It is responsible for higher cognitive functions such as perception, reasoning, decision-making, and language. In the video, the neocortex is described as a walnut-shaped structure with folds and valleys, highlighting its role in conscious awareness and the formation of new synaptic connections as we learn.

💡Limbic System

The limbic system, also known as the 'emotional brain,' is a group of structures in the brain involved in controlling emotions and the formation of memories. It is depicted in the video as being about the size of a lemon and is crucial for regulating internal chemical order. The script mentions how experiences can trigger the release of chemicals in this part of the brain, leading to the formation of memories and emotions.

💡Cerebellum

The cerebellum, referred to as the 'Reptilian Brain' in the script, is the oldest part of the brain in evolutionary terms. It is associated with the subconscious mind and is responsible for motor control, coordination, and the regulation of certain cognitive functions such as attention and language. The video emphasizes its role in the automatic behaviors and habits that we develop over time.

💡Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity, or brain plasticity, is the ability of the brain to change its structure and function in response to experiences. The video script explains how learning new information leads to the creation of new synaptic connections, illustrating the concept of neuroplasticity as the brain 'upscaling its hardware' to reflect new levels of understanding.

💡Synaptic Connections

Synaptic connections are the junctions between neurons where information is transmitted. The video script describes how learning results in the formation of new synaptic connections, which is the physical manifestation of acquiring knowledge and skills. It also touches on how remembering is the maintenance of these connections.

💡Neuronal Networks

Neuronal networks, as mentioned in the script, are groups of neurons that have formed connections and work together to process information. They are associated with ideas, concepts, memories, skills, or behaviors. The video uses the concept of neuronal networks to explain how thoughts and experiences are encoded in the brain.

💡Metacognition

Metacognition refers to the ability to think about and understand one's own thought processes. In the video, metacognition is described as the process of observing one's own reactions and feelings, which allows for the modification of behaviors. It is a key component in personal growth and changing one's mindset.

💡Stress Response

The stress response, also known as the fight-or-flight response, is a physiological reaction to a perceived harmful event, agent, or situation. The script explains how thinking about certain situations, like the example of the mother-in-law, can trigger this response, leading to physical changes in the body that prepare it to deal with the stressor.

💡Compassion

Compassion is a deep awareness of the suffering of others coupled with the wish to help alleviate it. In the video, compassion is used as an example of a new behavior or mindset that can be cultivated through learning and practice. It is described as a state that can be achieved by applying knowledge and changing one's behavior.

💡Epigenetics

Epigenetics is the study of changes in organisms caused by modification of gene expression rather than the change in the genetic code itself. The video script touches on how experiences, such as embodying compassion, can lead to changes in gene expression, illustrating the concept of how our environment and actions can influence our genetic makeup.

💡State of Being

A 'state of being' refers to a person's overall condition or mode of existence, often reflecting their mindset, emotions, and behaviors. The video concludes with the idea that by cultivating a state of being characterized by compassion and other positive attributes, individuals can transform themselves and influence others.

Highlights

The human brain is composed of three distinct 'brains', each with unique functions and characteristics.

The neocortex is the most evolved part of the brain, associated with conscious awareness and learning.

The limbic system, or 'emotional brain', regulates internal chemical order and is crucial for memory formation.

The cerebellum, also known as the 'reptilian brain', is the oldest part and governs subconscious processes.

The brain consists of approximately 100 billion neurons, each capable of storing and communicating information.

Learning involves creating new synaptic connections, physically altering the brain's structure.

Neuronal networks form as groups of neurons that fire and wire together, representing concepts, memories, or behaviors.

The mind is defined as the brain in action, reflecting the brain's current state and activity.

Experiences enrich the brain's circuitry and produce emotions, which are regulated by the limbic system.

Routine activities can make the brain less attentive, unlike significant events that create lasting memories.

Stress can be triggered by thoughts alone, affecting the body's physiological response.

Metacognition allows us to observe and modify our behaviors based on self-awareness.

The frontal lobe acts as a control center for our identity and can modify neural circuits related to our self-concept.

Applying knowledge to change behavior involves a process of neural reorganization and the creation of new mind states.

The process of embodying knowledge through repeated experiences can lead to a change in genetic expression.

Practicing compassion repeatedly can lead to it becoming an automatic behavior, stored in the subconscious mind.

The transformation of self and mind can have profound impacts on our interactions with others and the world.

The journey of self-improvement involves a continuous cycle of learning, practicing, and embodying new behaviors.

Transcripts

good

afternoon now we have three brains that

allow us to go from thinking to doing to

being each brain is its own individual

bioom computer with its own anatomy and

own circuitry its own physiology and

chemistry they even have their own

history as well as their own sense of

time and space now the first brain the

neocortex it's the newest brain in

evolution it's that walnut-shaped

structure that sits on the outside with

all of its folds and valleys and yellow

there it's the newest the most evolved

and highly specialized in human beings

right under the neocortex is called the

limic brain the chemical brain the

emotional brain or the mamelon brain

it's about the size of a lemon and it's

responsible for regulating internal

chemical order right in the back of the

brain stem there in red is called the

cerebellum The Reptilian Brain it's the

oldest brain in evolution it's the seat

of the subconscious mind now your brain

is made up of about a 100 billion

neurons if you took a 100 billion sheets

of paper and stacked them on top of each

other it would be 5,000 m High that's

the distance from Los Angeles to London

now Nur cell

possess the unique ability to store and

communicate information between each

other so your neocortex your thinking

brain is the seat of your conscious

awareness you're listening to me right

now with your neocortex and what the

neocortex loves to do is to gather

information and every time you learn

something new you make a new synaptic

Connection in your thinking brain that's

what learning is learning is forging new

connection and every time you learn

something new your brain physically

changes so you read a book on how to

ride a bicycle you read a book on how to

build a dogghouse you read a book on how

to dance the salsa how to cook French

cuisine how to become successful how to

be a better parent and your brain

literally upscales it upscales its

Hardware to reflect a new level of

mind the principle in Neuroscience says

this nerve cells that fire together WI

together and as you begin to learn new

information you biologically wire that

information into your cerebral

architecture so if learning is making

new synaptic connections then

remembering is maintaining and

sustaining those connections and just

like any relationship the more you

communicate the more bonded you become

and neurons are exactly the same way now

once these neurons begin to Fire and

wire together together they actually

form networks what neuroscientists

called neuron networks now neuron

networks are just gangs of neurons that

have fired and wired together to form a

community of neurosynaptic connections

it could be related to an idea a concept

A Memory experience a skill or behavior

and

action but these networks actually have

an electrochemical component and if you

want to see mind in action watch this

that's a thought right there again so

you generate more electrical impulses in

your brain in one day than all the cell

phones on the planet put together now

the neuroscientific definition of mind

is mind is the brain in action mind is

the brain at work mind is what the brain

does and because we have a 100 billion

neurons seamlessly piece together we can

make the brain fire in different

sequences different patterns and

different combinations and whenever we

make the brain work differently we're

changing our mind so once you've

understood something intellectually

theoretically once you've understood

something philosophically if you take

what you intellectually learned in your

thinking brain and you apply it you

personalize it you demonstrate it it

means you're going to have to modify

your behavior in some way and if you

change your actions and you do something

different L you're going to have a new

experience now when you're in the midst

of an experience everything you're

seeing and smelling and tasting and

feeling and hearing all of your five

senses are gathering this Vital

Information from the environment and as

you begin to process all this

information and it's rushing back to

your brain jungles of neurons begin to

organize themselves into patterns the

moment those neurons string into place

the brain releases a chemical and that

chemical is called a feeling or an

emotion so experience then enriches the

circuitry in your brain neurologically

but then it produces a chemical that's

released in the second brain called the

lyic brain or the emotional brain so you

can remember your first kiss you can

remember graduating from college you can

remember the birth of your first child

you can remember finishing a marathon

you can remember catching a fish off the

coast of Mexico and then taking it home

and cooking it and drinking some really

good wine that tastes good and feeling

the ocean breeze on your face and seeing

the sunset and we could say that you

were altered from that

experience the problem is you can't

remember what you had for dinner the

night before that's because routine

lulls the brain to

sleep so a great example of this then is

most Americans can remember exactly

where they were at 9/11 you can tell me

who you were with what time of day it

was and what you were doing we could say

then when you were in the midst of that

moment or that experience everything you

were seeing and hearing changed your

internal chemical State and the moment

you felt altered in some way internally

your brain perked up and you paid

attention to whoever or whatever caused

it and that event in and of itself is

called a

memory now let's say you read the book

called from forgiveness to compassion to

unconditional love and this book had

inspired you so much so that you decided

to read it

twice and as you began to review this

information in your mind and contemplate

on it and

self-reflect you begin to cause those

neurons to form into networks to reflect

a new level of mind you find yourself in

a shower thinking about it you're

driving to work and you're contemplating

these

Concepts you begin to talk to your

friends about what you learn and you're

beginning to develop long-term

relationships in those

neurons and all of a sudden you're

moving around your office and you're

saying you know you need to be more

compassionate you know wow and someone

else you say you need to

forgive everybody is impressed with your

knowledge they're knocking on your

office door and they're asking you to

administer to them and you're resolving

everybody's problems things are going

really

well all of a sudden you're driving home

from work and you get a call on your

cell phone and it's your

spouse and your spouse tells you that

they

forgot to mention in the morning that

it's your mother-in-law's birthday and

you pull over on the side of the road

and you think I hate my mother

in-law she hurt my feelings 10 years ago

she tells the same stories over and over

again and you begin to remember that you

had some pretty stressful moments that

branded you emotionally from your past

with your

mother-in-law now stress is when your

body is knocked out of

homeostasis stress is when your body is

knocked out of balance now when you see

a lion you begin to turn On A Primitive

nervous system but it doesn't even have

to be a lion a lion you could see your

mother-in-law and it produces the same

exact effect now let's go one step

further it doesn't even have to be the

physical appearance of your

mother-in-law you can begin to think

about certain things and auto suggest

and you can turn on the stress response

just by thought

alone now your body is your unconscious

mind it does not know the difference

between between the actual experience in

reality that produces the emotion and

the emotion that you fabricate by

thought alone to the body it believes

it's in that experience so the moment

the lyic brain begins to make blend of

neuropeptides it begins to Signal the

hormonal centers and you get a rush of

energy to prepare you for this event

real or imagined now moment that happens

you become altered in some way a fight

ORF flight nervous system causes your P

pupils to dilate your mouth gets a

little dry all of a sudden your heart

rate begins to change your respiratory

rate changes and blood is being sent to

your extremities and now you're prepared

to either do battle with your

mother-in-law or never go to the dinner

to stay and run stay and fight or to run

now what was once highly adaptive all of

a sudden is now

maladaptive because when we turn on the

stress response and we can't turn it off

now we're headed for

disease so then you're sitting on the

side of the road and then you

think I read the book on

compassion damn the moment you begin to

think

about what you have to do something very

natural happens you begin to think about

what you were thinking about you begin

to pay attention to how you're reacting

you begin to know notice how you're

feeling and that Concept in Neuroscience

is called metacognition we can observe

who we're being and because we can

observe who we're being it means we

could modify our behaviors to do a

better job in life so now the frontal

lobe is the seat of your awareness it's

the home of the you and the me and as

you begin to think about who you no

longer want to be the frontal lobe acts

like a volume control

and it begins to lower the volume in the

circuits in your brain that are

connected to the old self and as it

begins to silence those circuits that

are connected to the old level of mind

that level of mind no longer fires and

you're observing it instead of

participating in it and as you begin to

silence those circuits nerve cells that

no longer fire together no longer wire

together and you begin to biologically

break down the circuits in your brain

that are connected to the old self and

to the old mind now as you're sitting on

the side of the road you

think what piece of knowledge could I

apply in this situation from what I

learned in the book and as you begin to

plan your actions and you begin to think

about a new way of being and you begin

to put yourself into the equation your

brain naturally begins to fire in new

sequences and new patterns and new

combinations and whenever you make your

brain work differently you're changing

your mind because mind is the brain in

action and as the brain begins to fire

in new ways and you produce a new level

of Mind nerves cells that fire together

wire together and you begin to install

the neurological Hardware ahead of the

actual experience and now you have

circuits in place to use when you get

into that dinner

so now as you ask yourself what is

compassion and you begin to remember all

these different things that you learned

in the book The frontal lobe like a

great Symphony leader begins to

synchronize these circuits and when it

begins to produce a certain level of

coherence a certain level of mind your

brain naturally creates a hologram or an

image and that image then becomes the

internal representation of what you are

going to use when you walk into that

dinner we would call that intention now

there's a very very unique Shuffle that

kind of goes on microscopically between

uh different circuits in your brain

you're trying to fire this new thought

called compassion but remember you fired

and wired all these other circuits based

on the last 10 years so as you're

beginning to fire this new thought all

these other thoughts are saying you hate

your mother-in-law you don't want to go

to that dinner why don't you start

tomorrow this isn't a good time to do

this

this but if you persist with a certain

amount of amplitude and you put your

attention behind that thought sooner or

later that thought will be the strongest

and loudest voice in your head now the

moment that becomes the loudest voice in

your head the brain has to seal that

circuit more

permanently so when the action potential

is firing down the neuron from the Press

synaptic cleft to the post synaptic

cleft there's a glue that seals the

circuit called neurog growth factor

factor and it travels in the opposite

direction but there's only a certain

amount of that neural growth factor to

go around so it starts to steal the glue

from the neighboring circuits and when

that happens there goes your memory of

your mother-in-law hurting your feelings

10 years ago there goes the thought that

you hate her there goes the impatience

there goes the intolerance and the only

signal now traveling to that neuron is

called

compassion now every place where one

know neuron connects with another neuron

is a memory when this happens you begin

to biologically and neurologically prune

away the old memory of the old self and

this is the science of changing your

mind if you want to see what it looks

like in real time let's try that again

you want to see what it looks like in

real time unhooking from the old self

reconnecting to the new self this can

happen in

moments now you get back on the road you

make your uturn you're heading to the

dinner you're reminding yourself who you

no longer want to be silencing those

circuits in the brain you begin to think

about who you do want to be based on the

knowledge you've learned and you're

priming your brain ahead of the actual

experience you walk into the dinner and

you get your behaviors to match your

intentions you get your actions equal to

your thoughts you get your mind and body

working together and you do exactly what

the book says the moment that happens

all of a sudden you feel compassion now

the moment your heart begins to open and

you feel compassion you are teaching

your body emotionally to understand what

your mind intellectually understood you

see knowledge is for the mind but

experiences for the body and when we

begin to experience compassion now we

are embodying knowledge the word is

becoming flesh and the lyic Brain makes

a new batch of peptides that signals the

body and you begin to literally change

your genetic expression because there's

new information coming to the Gene and

epigenetically we signal genes from the

environment and you're changing the

fabric of you because you're instructing

your body chemically to understand what

your mind is intellectually and

philosophically understood but it's not

enough to do it once you can't forgive

your mother-in-law one time and expect

to be on the stained glass windows in

church you got to be able to repeat the

experience you got to be able to do it

over and over again you have to do it so

many times that you no longer have to

think about it and when you do it over

and over again you

neurochemically condition the body to

memorize compassion as well as the

conscious mind and when that happens

when the mind and body are working

together or the body knows as well as

the mind you activate that third brain

called the cerebellum the seat of your

subconscious mind you've practiced it so

many times that you know how but you

don't know how you know how it's

automatic it's second nature it's easy

it's a habit it's a skill it's an

automatic behavior and when you get to

this level of memorizing an internal

chemical order a level of innate now

it's so innate in you that it's who you

are when you get to that point where no

person no thing no experience can remove

you from it because you have sustained

this level of coherence now you're in a

state of

being and so the way we transform the

world is we transform ourselves and when

we're in that state of being we give

people permission to do the same thanks

for listening