Your Brain Likes Evidence

I was thinking today about how our brain has beliefs and how it loves to find evidence over and over that the belief is true. In fact, it has been shown that our brains would rather be “right” and hold on to even a painful belief than to have to reprogram a new belief. New beliefs require work, except when they don’t.

For example: I’m not very good at sitting still for meditation.

I went to yoga today and guess what? We started in seated meditation.

My brain thinks, “I’m not very good at this.” {evidence: thoughts like…my back is hurting, I never know where to hold my hands, I could not do this for very long, How do people do this?, Something must be wrong with me.}

In my dental hygiene career, we are encouraged to provide Evidence Based Patient Care. Meaning, we stay current on research and provide care that is backed by said research. We give recommendations to our patients based on data points. The information comes from reading current research publications, attending continuing education courses, or from our own clinical experiences with our current patient base. The objective behind evidence based practice is to endorse practices with proven results; an attempt to eliminate guessing or personal bias.

One of the courses I took in dental hygiene was on reading literature/published studies in an objective way. The class taught us to really evaluate the sources quoted in the article. We were taught to ask questions such as, who sponsored the research study and did they have ulterior motives as to the outcome or results that would be published? How many participants in the study and was there enough of a sampling to support the conclusions drawn. Were there factors that were extraneous and not controlled for that could have affected the outcome of the study.

Recently I have come to the realization that I don’t ask my brain enough questions when it offers me a belief. I don’t check into where that thought came from or ask do I trust the source supplying said evidence.

Here are some examples of questions I would consider before accepting a belief as true for me:

1. Where did this belief come from?

2. If the answer is from another human, I can then ask myself: was this person presenting as their highest self when they offered said belief?

3. If the answer is “no” then I can ask myself: does my highest self want to continue with said belief?

4. Is this belief enriching my life?

5. If the answer is '“no”, what else could be true?

6. What feels most true for me? {Give yourself whatever time you would need to answer this one}

Besides evidence based beliefs we have some beliefs that come to us almost instantaneously. The kind of things we know to be true from within the depths of our very souls. This kind of belief is like the love that new parents feel for their newborns.

This is Mark and I both reveling in the newfound love that is called parenthood.

I felt my heart expand and open wide to a kind of love that I had never before experienced. This new feeling which was inspired by my  belief around mother's love seemed to come instantly for me.

One minute I was in labor and trying to deliver a baby and the next I was looking into the eyes of someone I had never seen or interacted with and yet, I knew!

I call this type of belief a "soul belief". I just knew and believed with all of my being that this "mother's love" was something I had never felt before and something that would direct my life forever, really. And that, while it was a new belief, was effortless to embrace.

So…I am suggesting two different types of beliefs drive our lives: evidence based {aka. brain beliefs} and soul beliefs.

Speaking for myself, the majority of my beliefs driving  my daily life  fall into the "evidence belief" category. For example: I am responsible for what my loved one's eat. How do I prove this true? I plan menus, shop for the food and make most of the meals in my house. 

My point is not to put brain or soul beliefs above or below the other but to point out that if we are struggling with a belief, we may want to do a bit of inner work enabling us to convert said belief from an evidence to a soul belief.

Because, my friends, soul beliefs just are. No one can take them away or make you question them...they are just facts that you KNOW to be true. 

For example: I am a person who shows up at work with a positive attitude and gives my best. If this falls into "evidence based brain" belief for you then on days that you do not show up as your best then...guess what? No longer true! Your brain will take note of your hypocrisy and BAM you are out of the "happy at work club". 

If, however, you have done the work to truly see yourself...I mean deep in your bones that you are optimistic and you do, indeed strive to do your best...when you have an off day you can look at it is as just that--one day at work. 

Soul beliefs do not change with evidence...they just are.

Example: I want to believe I am an active woman. How do I do this? Create a pile of daily activities day after day that eventually prove this to be true.

The usual approach (Evidence believing) to wanting different results is to focus on new or different actions, this eventually may work out, however not when we have a human moment and don't follow through the way we had planned. Herein lies the weak link of evidence based believing.

If, however, I do a bit of inner work to be able to actually embrace myself as an active woman then doing the actions on the daily is fueled by an energy that is not swayed by whims of motivation or days of despair. It is coming from a personal trust and understanding of...this is who I am.

I am working to convert most of my beliefs to soul beliefs. Soul beliefs feel as natural as your favorite comfies on a Winter evening. There is no questioning or second guessing...just a reassurance from self saying...yes! This for sure is me.

The only weak link of soul beliefs is if we let them just sit in our souls and not take action from them. If we are not acting from our soul beliefs we may need a reminding of where that soul belief originated from.

I think it is a powerful exercise to make a list and reflect on our soul beliefs. If you are a person of faith you may recognize a soul belief as the feeling you had when you first embraced concepts of the Gospel. Faith and soul beliefs are synonymous in that they can not be explained with evidence and yet they are grounded so deeply in our souls that evidence is not necessary to convince us of their reality.

Much of my work with my clients is to help them make intentional decisions around their beliefs.

Beliefs are what guide our lives and are worth the examination.

If you would like to live a more soul-filled life, I’d love to help you find that place for yourself.

xoKathleen