Hanson often quotes Donald Hebb's line, “neurons that fire together, wire together,” when explaining neuroplasticity. The term is actually quite simple. Neurons you use more, grow stronger and are better structured. Therefore if most of your thoughts surround negative, resentful ideas - those synapses wire together and this adds a stronger neural structure to thinking negative. Luckily, this is still true for happy thoughts. The more your mind dwells on positive ideas, the stronger your 'happy' neurons are. Hanson concludes this conjecture with the famous phrase, "...the mind takes the shape of what it rests upon."
Unfortunately, evolution has made us more susceptible to have negative thoughts. Paranoia is wired into our brains so that the snap of a branch or a raised voice (signs of a predator) trigger synapses that bring to mind negative ideas. Hanson emphasizes that although it is important not to ignore threats, this "negativity" bias can be tilted back in favor of happiness through 3 steps that can be applied in most siutations.
- Look for good facts about the world and yourself, and register them as good experiences (move from the conceptual to the experiential).
- Savor the good experience for 10-20-30 seconds in a row:
- Sense that it is filling your body.
- As you can, intensify it; really enjoy it!
- Make it last
- Sense and intend that this positive experience is sinking into you, becoming a part of you, a resource you can take wherever you go.
Source: http://blogs.psychcentral.com/mindfulness/2010/03/training-your-brain-for-the-better-an-interview-with-rick-hanson-ph-d/
Authority: The interviewer is Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D, a clinical psychologist.
Accuracy: The interviewee is Rick Hanson, Ph.D. He is a neuropsychologist and the co-founder of the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom, which also publishes a monthly bulletin. He refers to Canadian psychologist, Donald Hebb.
Timeliness: This interview is from 2010.
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