Brain Over Body

Brain Over Body

For centuries, people have been trying to solve a dilemma: can mind conquer the matter? Can our brains control our bodies?

The world has seen many people who have shown extraordinary control over their bodies. Buddhist meditators have shown control over their body temperature, Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer helped people lose weight using the placebo effect; but there’s one man who definitely stands out, whose capabilities have outdid everyone else’s. Prahlad Jani, an Indian saint, claims to have survived without eating and drinking since 1940. He was tested for two weeks in the Sterling hospital in Hyderabad, and he stayed there without eating, drinking, urinating or defecating. Jani raised questions in the minds of people, such as “can we control our bodies, and bend it to our will?” or “can we control the world around us with just a thought?” Well, research says you can. Every thought you have affects your bodily chemistry, either temporarily or permanently.  Thinking about something causes your brain to release neurotransmitters, which literally control all of the bodily functions.

For example, if you produce negative thoughts constantly, the cells will release a protein specific to that emotion, which means you are basically programming your cells to receive more of that same protein. This very process can also help you stay happy and positive, even at 7:30am on school days!

Every time you think, whether it’s about the homework you have to do, or the new season of The Walking Dead, you are reprogramming your genes. Who you are as a person is decided by the circumstances you live in, the things you face in life. Your genes don’t change, but the genetic activity does. The kind of friends you have, the place you grew up in, it all determines how your genes fire up. They make you the person you are. You decide the kind of person you end up becoming through your thoughts. So, the next time you get irritated because the wifi is too slow, take a deep breath and try to keep yourself happy, because, soon, it’ll come to you naturally. If you want it enough, you can conquer your very body with just your brain.