Hello lovely friends, powerful creative beings!
If you’re hanging out with me in this space, it’s probably fair to say you’ve begun to realize what an amazing, powerful creator you are. Your thoughts and feelings are like flashing signals sent out into the universe attracting the life around you. Did it ever occur to you that your thoughts and feelings are so potent they also play a role in what genes in your DNA get expressed? Pretty mind blowing stuff right, but it makes complete sense with the whole mind-body connection. It’s also great motivation to practice mindfulness and be aware of what we are thinking and allowing into our consciousness. More importantly how it’s impacting our energy and the way we feel.
Let’s dive into it further with a guest post by James Baird, author of Behavioral Genes-Why We Do What We Do and How to Change.
If you’re hanging out with me in this space, it’s probably fair to say you’ve begun to realize what an amazing, powerful creator you are. Your thoughts and feelings are like flashing signals sent out into the universe attracting the life around you. Did it ever occur to you that your thoughts and feelings are so potent they also play a role in what genes in your DNA get expressed? Pretty mind blowing stuff right, but it makes complete sense with the whole mind-body connection. It’s also great motivation to practice mindfulness and be aware of what we are thinking and allowing into our consciousness. More importantly how it’s impacting our energy and the way we feel.
Let’s dive into it further with a guest post by James Baird, author of Behavioral Genes-Why We Do What We Do and How to Change.
Happiness Discovered: Exploring Epigenetics & Mindful Expression of Happiness Genes
By James Baird
A huge study involving over 190 researchers in 140 research centers in 17 countries has located genetic variants associated with happiness and other traits.
The study is one of the largest ever published looking at the genes involved in human behavior. In the journal Nature Genetics, the international team describes how it analyzed genomic data from hundreds of thousands of people to find genetic variants associated with our feelings of well-being. [Nature Genetics, 2016; DOI: 10.1038/ng.3552]
The study is one of the largest ever published looking at the genes involved in human behavior. In the journal Nature Genetics, the international team describes how it analyzed genomic data from hundreds of thousands of people to find genetic variants associated with our feelings of well-being. [Nature Genetics, 2016; DOI: 10.1038/ng.3552]
“...more money doesn't increase your happiness for very long.”
One major finding in the study is that there is a genetic set point for happiness - related is heritability for happiness from 20 to 40% of personality. This set point is called the hedonic treadmill, where happiness can raise slightly with positive events and soon after fall with negative events. This vividly explains why more money doesn't increase your happiness for very long.
Consider also that in 2008, the National Institutes of Health announced that $190 million had been earmarked for epigenetics research over the following five years. In announcing the funding, government officials noted that epigenetics has the potential to explain mechanisms of aging, human development, the origins of cancer, heart disease, and mental illness, as well as several other conditions.
Consider also that in 2008, the National Institutes of Health announced that $190 million had been earmarked for epigenetics research over the following five years. In announcing the funding, government officials noted that epigenetics has the potential to explain mechanisms of aging, human development, the origins of cancer, heart disease, and mental illness, as well as several other conditions.
“It turns out that genetic expression can be affected by your experiences and even by your thoughts and feelings.”
Even when you’ve inherited genes from your biological parents, they might or might not be active in your own makeup. When a gene activates, that’s called “genetic expression.” It turns out that genetic expression can be affected by your experiences and even by your thoughts and feelings.
At its most basic, epigenetics is the study of these changes in gene expression that do not involve alterations to DNA.
The Epigenome and Genetic Markers
At its most basic, epigenetics is the study of these changes in gene expression that do not involve alterations to DNA.
The Epigenome and Genetic Markers
“...genes don’t make decisions about what they do or whether they’re turned on or off.”
Genes can be thought of as the blueprints that provide the design for the human body and for how it develops. The word genome— a combination of the words gene and chromosome — refers to the genetic information of any organism. The human genome is often called the “map” of our DNA.
However, genes don’t make decisions about what they do or whether they’re turned on or off. An article in Discover magazine put it this way: “A human liver cell contains the same DNA as a brain cell, yet somehow it knows to code only those proteins needed for the functioning of the liver.” [Ethan Watters. “DNA Is Not Destiny: The New Science of Epigenetics,” Discover, November 22, 2006 http://discovermagazine.com/2006/nov/cover]
However, genes don’t make decisions about what they do or whether they’re turned on or off. An article in Discover magazine put it this way: “A human liver cell contains the same DNA as a brain cell, yet somehow it knows to code only those proteins needed for the functioning of the liver.” [Ethan Watters. “DNA Is Not Destiny: The New Science of Epigenetics,” Discover, November 22, 2006 http://discovermagazine.com/2006/nov/cover]
“Alterations are made in response to your environment, which includes your surroundings, life experiences, diet, personal behavior, and even beliefs and perceptions...”
More recent discoveries show that the epigenome can and does change during your entire lifetime. Alterations are made in response to your environment, which includes your surroundings, life experiences, diet, personal behavior, and even beliefs and perceptions – like, for example, the placebo effect.
Seeking Happiness? Mindful Behaviors to Rewrite Genetic Markers & Conscious Approach to Positivity
“....your epigenetic markers can be rewritten, which means that you can modify the instructions your genes receive.”
In other words, your epigenetic markers can be rewritten, which means that you can modify the instructions your genes receive. Proteins in the epigenome act as the building contractor that does the work of building the organism. You can change those proteins with epigenetic signals, including beliefs and perceptions. That’s because your perception of any given thing, at any given moment, can influence your brain chemistry. That influences the chemistry of your blood, which in turn influences your cells and controls the expression of your genes. In other words, your thoughts and perceptions have a direct and significant effect on the genes and their proteins in your cells.
“Peace of mind occurs when you are living in your conscious mind where emotional suffering can't occur.”
Since happiness, or one’s sense of “well-being”, is set genetically, further increases in quality of life can be made by reducing emotional suffering to gain peace of mind.
Emotional suffering is caused by being in our unconscious mind. While our unconscious mind provided survival to our prehistoric ancestors, as its defensive nature employed worry and fear to alert us to potential threats – in today’s world – that same element can overwhelm one’s sense of unnecessary worry about threats that are only really threatening in the perception of one’s own mind.
Peace of mind occurs when you are living in your conscious mind where emotional suffering can't occur. In your conscious mind, you are living in the present rather than the past.
Basic epigenetic therapies to become more conscious include meditation, mindfulness meditation and cognitive therapy by understanding how the mind works. There are many types of meditation which are listed online and in numerous publications. The simplest is breath or mantra focus.
Emotional suffering is caused by being in our unconscious mind. While our unconscious mind provided survival to our prehistoric ancestors, as its defensive nature employed worry and fear to alert us to potential threats – in today’s world – that same element can overwhelm one’s sense of unnecessary worry about threats that are only really threatening in the perception of one’s own mind.
Peace of mind occurs when you are living in your conscious mind where emotional suffering can't occur. In your conscious mind, you are living in the present rather than the past.
Basic epigenetic therapies to become more conscious include meditation, mindfulness meditation and cognitive therapy by understanding how the mind works. There are many types of meditation which are listed online and in numerous publications. The simplest is breath or mantra focus.
“Mindfulness meditation is taught in many hospitals to reduce stress and depression.”
The purpose of the meditation is to block unconscious thoughts. Mindfulness meditation is taught in many hospitals to reduce stress and depression. Mindfulness meditation is all about living in the present, by having total nonjudgmental awareness of your environment
So if you’re seeking happiness, versus looking outward, consider exploring the role that epigenetics can play in finding the conscious path to well-being that’s been inside you all along.
So if you’re seeking happiness, versus looking outward, consider exploring the role that epigenetics can play in finding the conscious path to well-being that’s been inside you all along.
About the Author: James D. Baird (http://www.drjamesdbaird.com) has a PhD in natural health and is the author of Behavioral Genes-Why We Do What We Do and How to Change, as well as five other books.
