When the Past Won't Let You Go by H. Norman Wright

Author:H. Norman Wright
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780736966801
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers

Chapter 6

Our Brain

It weighs approximately three pounds, regardless of our body weight. It makes our heart beat, our lungs breathe, and our limbs mobilize. This unique mass directs what we do. It’s amazing in what it does, a mystery in how it does it, and a wonder because it’s home to our mind. It changes every minute of every day. Over 90 percent of what we know about it has been discovered in the last ten years. It’s involved in all we experience, including our past and present.1

Yes, it’s our brain.

We were created in such a marvelous way, especially our brains. Perhaps this biblical verse describes it best: “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalm 139:14).

Our brains have two distinct parts. First of all, we have bilingual brains. It’s true. The left side of our brain speaks one language, and the right side speaks another. The right side is the emotional side. It is intuitive, visual, and spatial. This side carries the music of experience. It stores the memories of the senses, such as sounds, touch, and smell. It’s full of pictures that run like a silent movie.

When we were being carried in our mothers’ wombs, the right side of our brains developed first. This side carries the nonverbal communication between mother and child. When we communicate using this side, we use facial expressions and body language, as well as singing, swearing, crying, and so forth.

Our left side of the brain is the chatterbox. It controls all the talking. It remembers facts, statistics, and the vocabulary of events. It’s full of words and narration. It’s the seat of logic. But for this side to describe, tell a story, or share an autobiographical narration, it needs to reach over to the right side and draw on the emotional memories stored there. That’s what should happen. But here’s the problem for those who are traumatized. The left and right sides don’t get together that well. The growth of the connection between the two sides has been hampered.2

The worst experience for a young child is neglect because it affects every part of the developing neurological system. When children are born, the neurons in their brains are waiting to be stimulated and put into use. This promotes growth that expands their capacities to understand the world. Lack of stimulation can lead to atrophy in the neurons. Lack of stimulation also affects the size and strength of the neural networks within the brain. The brains of neglected children, including those who were physically, emotionally, and sexually traumatized, have been found to be smaller in overall size. Research indicates that chronic childhood abuse causes different and more intense changes in a person than a negative event that occurs in adulthood. It takes longer to overcome the impact of childhood abuse.3 A child becomes stuck emotionally at the age when he or she was abused. This is why a ten- or twelve-year-old child may behave like a five-year-old.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.