Awareness, Discernment and Neuroplasticity
Our brains are constantly taking in information from both inside the body and the world around us. Much of this happens outside of conscious awareness. Sensations, sounds, facial expressions, memories, emotions, and changes in our environment are continually being processed, while the brain uses previous experience to help determine what deserves our attention.
Awareness allows us to notice more of what is already happening. When we bring conscious attention to a sensation or experience, we aren't necessarily changing it—we are simply including it in our perception of the present moment. We might notice tension in the shoulders, the rhythm of our breathing, the warmth of sunlight on our skin, the strength in our legs, or the feeling of ease that arises when we are with someone we trust. The more curious our awareness becomes, the more information we have available to us.
This is where discernment enters. Rather than automatically accepting the loudest sensation or thought as the whole truth of the moment, we can become curious about what our body and environment are actually telling us. Is this tension alerting me to something happening now, or might an older experience be influencing how I interpret this moment? Is there something here that truly needs my attention? What feels supportive? What feels nourishing? And perhaps most importantly: what else is true right now?
When we have experienced prolonged stress, pain, loss, or trauma, the brain may become especially practiced at recognizing signals associated with difficulty or threat. This is part of the brain's protective nature. Previous experiences help the brain anticipate what might happen next. Sometimes, however, an old pattern can become so familiar that it continues to influence our perception even when our circumstances have changed.
Fortunately, the brain remains capable of change. Neuroplasticity describes the brain's ability to strengthen, weaken, and reorganize neural connections in response to experience. Patterns that are repeatedly activated can become increasingly familiar and efficient. This is how we learn skills and habits, and it is also part of how emotional and protective patterns become established. Importantly, neuroplasticity continues throughout our lives. The brain that learned from difficult experiences can also learn from experiences of safety, pleasure, connection, strength, beauty, and joy.
This doesn't mean ignoring discomfort. Perhaps my feet hurt as I hike, and my legs feel strong. My neck is tight, and the warmth of the sun on my face feels wonderful. I feel anxious about tomorrow, and right now I am sitting somewhere I feel safe. Awareness allows me to notice both. Discernment helps me understand what each experience may be telling me.
And pleasure is information, too. A spontaneous deeper breath, warmth in the chest, laughter, curiosity, the pleasure of movement, the scent of the forest, or the feeling of being at ease with another person all provide information to the brain. When we pause long enough to become aware of these experiences, we give the brain an opportunity to learn from them rather than allowing them to disappear unnoticed into the background.
We aren't trying to convince ourselves that everything is good or replace difficult experiences with positive thinking. We are widening the field of awareness and allowing the brain to receive more complete information about the present. With repetition, new experiences can contribute to new neural learning and may begin to change some of the patterns through which we interpret ourselves and the world around us.
Perhaps healing involves becoming more aware of what is already here, more discerning about what our experiences are telling us, and more intentional about what we allow ourselves to fully experience.
Our brains learned from what hurt. They can learn from what feels good, too.
We aren't trying to convince ourselves that everything is good or replace difficult experiences with positive thinking. We are widening the field of awareness and allowing the brain to receive more complete information about the present. With repetition, new experiences can contribute to new neural learning and may begin to change some of the patterns through which we interpret ourselves and the world around us.