Switch on Your Brain: The Key to Peak Happiness, Thinking, and Health

SWITCH ON

YOUR BRAIN

The Key to Peak Happiness,

Thinking, and Health

DR . CAROLINE LEAF

C

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© 2013 by Dr. Caroline Leaf

Published by Baker Books

a division of Baker Publishing Group

P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

www.bakerbooks.com

Printed in the United States of America

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Leaf, Caroline, 1963–

Switch On Your Brain : The Key to Peak Happiness, Thinking, and Health /

Dr. Caroline Leaf.

pages cm

ISBN 978-0-8010-1570-0 (cloth)

ISBN 978-0-8010-1624-0 (pbk.)

1. Thought and thinking—Religious aspects—Christianity. 2. Well-being—Religious

aspects—Christianity. I. Title.

BV4598.4.L43 2013

248.4—dc23

2013014493

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations Scripture quotations labeled KJV are taken from are taken from the New King James Version. the King James Version of the Bible.

Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used Switch On Your Brain, 21-Day Brain Detox, by permission. All rights reserved.

Switch On Your Brain 5-Step Learning Process,

Scripture quotations labeled AMP are taken from Metacognitive-Map, and The Metacog are regis-the Amplified® Bible, copyright © 1954, 1958, tered trademarks of Dr. Caroline Leaf.

1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Founda- Images designed and created by Dr. Caroline tion. Used by permission.

Leaf and Dr. Peter Amua-Quarshie. Original il-

Scripture quotations labeled ESV are taken lustrations by Green Grass Studios LLC. © 2008

from The Holy Bible, English Standard Ver- by Switch On Your Brain Intl. LLC. All rights sion® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, reserved.

a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The information and solutions offered in this Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV Text book are the result of years of research, practical Edition: 2007

application, and clinical work and are intended to

Scripture quotations labeled GW are from
GOD’S
serve as guidelines for managing toxic thoughts,
WORD
®. © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations. emotions, and bodies, and not as a replacement Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group. for professional medical advice or therapy. Please Scripture quotations labeled Message are taken discuss specific symptoms and medical conditions from
The Message
by Eugene H. Peterson, copy- with your doctor. Any use of this information is right © 1993, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used at the user’s discretion. Switch On Your Brain by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All Intl. LLC and the author make no representations rights reserved.

or warranties that any individual will achieve a

particular result. Any and all express or implied

Scripture quotations labeled NIV are taken from warranties, including the warranties of merchant-the Holy Bible, New International Version®. ability and fitness for a particular purpose, are NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by disclaimed. Switch On

Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. Your Brain Intl. LLC

All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan. and the author spe-

com

cifically disclaim any

Scripture quotations labeled NLT are taken from and all liability arising

the
Holy Bible
, New Living Translation, copy- directly or indirectly

right © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foun- from the use or applica-

dation. Used by permission of Tyndale House tion of any information

Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All contained in this book.

rights reserved.

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I see myself as a puzzle builder. And in writing my books,

the pieces of the puzzles come together to tell a specific story

of hope.

This book is dedicated to:

The ultimate Creator of the puzzles—thank you for honoring

me with the task of building a few pieces of the “science of

thought” puzzle. I am humbled by this task and will endeavor

to bring only you glory through it.

My ever-loving, magnificent love of my life—Mac, my hus-

band. You never seem to tire of listening to me teach on God

and the brain with rapt enthusiasm. My sister once said to me

that I wouldn’t be able to do what I do if it wasn’t for you,

and this is so true. You are the epitome of loving husbands.

My four outstanding phenomenal children—Jessica, Domi-

nique, Jeffrey, and Alexandria. When I look at you and listen

to you, I know I am experiencing God’s love and hope and joy.

He has blessed me with the epitome of loving children as well.

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Our life is what our thoughts make it.

Marcus Aurelius

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Contents

Introduction: Switch On Your Brain with Hope 19

Part 1: How to Switch On Your Brain

1. Mind Controls Matter 31

2. Choice and Your Multiple-Perspective Advantage 39

3. Your Choices Change Your Brain 55

4. Catch Those Thoughts 71

5. Entering into Directed Rest 79

6. Stop Milkshake-Multitasking 93

7. Thinking, God, and the Quantum Physics Brain 103

8. The Science of Thought 123

Part 2: The 21-Day Brain Detox Plan

9. What Is the 21-Day Brain Detox Plan? 139

10. How and Why the 21-Day Brain Detox Plan

Works 147

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Contents

11. Gather: Step 1 157

12. Focused Reflection: Step 2 171

13. Write: Step 3 181

14. Revisit: Step 4 187

15. Active Reach: Step 5 193

Afterword 203

Notes 207

Recommended Reading 217

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W
hat would you do if you found a switch that

could turn on your brain and enable you to be

happier, healthier in your mind and body, more

prosperous, and more intelligent?

In this book you will learn how to find and activate that

switch. What you think with your mind changes your brain

and body, and you are designed with the power to switch on

your brain. Your mind is that switch.

You have an extraordinary ability to determine, achieve,

and maintain optimal levels of intelligence, mental health,

peace, and happiness, as well as the prevention of disease in

your body and mind. You can, through conscious effort, gain

control of your thoughts and feelings, and in doing so, you

can change the programming and chemistry of your brain.

Science is finally catching up with the Bible, showing us

the proof that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but

of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7).

Breakthrough neuroscientific research is confirming daily

what we instinctively knew all along: What you are thinking

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every moment of every day becomes a physical reality in your

brain and body, which affects your optimal mental and phys-

ical health. These thoughts collectively form your attitude,

which is your state of mind, and it’s
your attitude and not

your DNA
that determines much of the quality of your life.

This state of mind is a real, physical, electromagnetic,

quantum, and chemical flow in the brain that switches groups

of genes on or off in a positive or negative direction based on

your choices and subsequent reactions. Scientifically, this is

called
epigenetics
; spiritually, this is the enactment of Deuter-

onomy 30:19, “I have set before you life and death, blessing

and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your

descendants may live.” The brain responds to your mind by

sending these neurological signals throughout the body, which

means that your thoughts and emotions are transformed into

physiological and spiritual effects, and then physiological

experiences transform into mental and emotional states. It’s

a profound and eye-opening thought to realize something

seemingly immaterial like a belief can take on a physical

existence as a positive or negative change in our cells.

And you are in control of all of this. The choices you make

today not only impact your spirit, soul, and body, but can

also impact the next four generations.

The great news is that we are
wired for love
, which means

all our mental circuitry is wired only for the positive, and

we have a natural
optimism bias
wired into us. Our default

mode is one of being designed to make good choices. So our

bad choices and reactions were wired in by our choices, and

therefore can be
wired out
. Our brain is neuroplastic—it can

change and regrow. In addition, God has built in the operat-

ing principle of neurogenesis—new nerve cells are birthed

daily for our mental benefit. This sounds like Lamentations

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3:22–23, “The Lord’s mercies . . . are new every morning.”

This book shows you how to
get back control
over your

thoughts and renew (as in Rom. 12:2) and rewire your brain

in the direction you were originally designed to go.

Based solidly on the latest neuroscientific research on the

brain, as well as my clinical experience and research, you will

learn how thoughts impact your spirit, soul, and body. You

will also learn how to detox your thoughts using my practical,

detailed, and easy-to-use 21-Day Brain Detox Plan.

The application is for all walks of life. You won’t forgive

that person, get rid of that anxiety or depression, follow that

essential preventative healthcare, strive to that intellectual

level you know you are capable of, follow that dream, eat that

organic food, do that diet, be that great parent or husband or

wife or friend, get that promotion, or make other changes to

create a quality, positive lifestyle—
unless you first choose to

get your mind right and switch on your brain
. After all, the

ability to think and choose and to use your mind correctly is

often the hardest step, but it is the first and most powerful step.

If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would

never think a negative thought.

Peace Pilgrim

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Acknowledgments

My inspiration for building these puzzles and the

pieces of the puzzle have come from multiple

sources:

The inspiration starts and ends with God, always.

The thousands of scientists whose brilliant work I have

devoured and spent many thousands of hours pouring

over, astounded at the truths God is revealing through

them—many of whom I have mentioned in this book

and in my references.

The dedicated, driven, and sometimes very broken patients

and clients I have had the privilege of working with over

the years. I see their mindful determination to succeed

pull them up, often to beyond levels they thought they

were capable of.

The wise Bible and science teachers I have sat under (and

still sit under).

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