Dr. Lisa Miller: The Neuroscience of Spirituality - How To Heal Your Mind & Manifest More

Lisa Miller sheds light on the neural correlates of spirituality and how they are distinct from mental illness. She delves into the interactions between depression and spiritual longing, presenting the case that much of what is diagnosed as depression may actually be a manifestation of a deep-seated yearning for spiritual connection.

Spirituality has measurable neural correlates in the brain that are distinct from mental illness

Miller discusses the scientific basis for how spiritual awareness and transcendent experiences have specific association with particular brain circuits and activities. She points out that circuits related to a transcendent relationship are active regardless of one's religion or spirituality, thereby revealing a universal 'awakened brain' that all humans share. According to Miller, when people experience deep love or communicate with God, the same brain circuits are active, implying an inherent capacity for spiritual connection within the human brain. She explains that the brain's bonding network allows individuals to feel loved and held, making these sensations tangible perceptions rather than mere beliefs. The brain acts not just as a creator but as a receiver of thoughts or inspiration, including transcendent presence. She affirms that spiritual practices such as prayer and meditation engage the brain's bonding network, creating a physical response to the perception of being loved and held.

Scientific research has demonstrated that spiritual awareness and transcendent experiences are associated with specific brain circuits and activity, contrary to the historical view that spirituality is merely a psychological coping mechanism

Miller illustrates that spirituality is related to health, moving away from the traditional view of spirituality solely as psychological coping mechanism. She supports the idea that the practice of spirituality has measurable effects on the brain, specifically engaging brain circuits linked to spiritual perception and transcendence.

Depression is often a symptom of spiritual hunger and impasse, rather than solely a medical illness

Depression, Miller suggests, is frequently a symptom of spiritual longing or impasse, signaling a need for a greater connection and understanding. She argues that two-thirds of the time depression is a reflection of spiritual hunger and proposes it is a normal, genetically influenced element of human development. The brain undergoing depression shows decreased activity in the neural circuits associated with spiritual perception and transcendence.

Two-thirds of the time, depression is not a medical illness, but rather a yearning for deeper spiritual connection and awareness

Miller opines that depression embodies a hunger for spiritual awakening and connection. This innate spiritual hunger represents an opportunity, particularly amidst pain or broken-heartedness, to delve deeper into spiritual questions. She suggests traditiona ...

Lisa Miller, along with Lewis Howes, explores how spiritual practices and beliefs can be the cornerstone for personal transformation and growth.

Engaging in spiritual practices, such as prayer, meditation, and service, strengthens one's spiritual awareness and capacity for transcendence

Miller expresses that love is not only a feeling but also a discipline that, much like a spiritual practice, can bolster spiritual awareness and one's potential for rising above the commonplace. By embracing spiritual practices, individuals may find themselves enveloped in love, guidance, and a sense of unity. This opens up the brain's bonding, guidance, and unity networks, fostering feelings of being cherished, supported, and connected—counteracting loneliness and despair.

Lisa Miller shares her personal practice of beginning each day with prayer outdoors, giving thanks and offering herself as a conduit for divine love in her daily interactions. She presents a vision of everyone as an expression of the divine, with a purpose to recognize and manifest this sacredness in day-to-day life.

To rekindle the spiritual spark, Miller suggests a 90-second inner exercise: envisioning a table where you invite those who genuinely have your best interest at heart, your higher self, and your higher power, to imbibe love and divine wisdom.

Developing a personal relationship with the divine, or one's higher power, is crucial for lasting personal transformation

Miller underscores that without spiritual beliefs and practices, people might not feel loved or guided, leading to despair. Spiritual practices offer a profound path out of such darkness, engaging the spiritual part of us.

Lewis Howes speaks to the influence of spiritual mentors in accessing inner wisdom, connecting with a state of unified consciousness. Miller adds that awakening to the realization that we're lovingly embraced, guided, and part of a greater oneness energizes an enlightened existence.

These practices activate the brain's networks in multiple ways: the bonding network, when engaged through spiritual presence, lowers stress and cortisol, bestowing peace; the ventral attention system lights up, hinting at a newfound direction and receptivity to guidance; and the brain’s capability to perceive both separate ...

Paying attention to and reflecting on synchronistic events, or seemingly coincidental occurrences, can reveal deeper spiritual guidance and meaning in one's life

Lisa Miller and Lewis Howes explore the concept of "hosting counsel" and remaining receptive to synchronicities as forms of divine dialogue that guide personal journeys. Miller describes synchronicities as an indicator of life's deeper nature beyond our control. Howes speaks about leaning into the "spiritual synchronicities" in his relationships as pivotal to his path of personal healing and wholeness. Both emphasize recognizing and embracing these occurrences for spiritual alignment.

The more one is open to and receptive to synchronicities, the more one is able to perceive and interpret them as signs from the divine or the universe

Miller explains that increased attention and openness to synchronicity enhance one's ability to identify them, further supported by her transition from catching one in three synchronicities to about 90%. She cites the feeling of being guided by a force greater than oneself, which can present as a series of coincidentally timed events that lead to unexpected but rewarding outcomes. Howes discusses taking the significance of these events seriously and being motivated to explore their deeper meaning.

Embracing a stance of curiosity and dialogue with the divine, rather than trying to control and force desired outcomes, allows one to discover unexpected but often more fulfilling paths in life

Miller proposes the guided exercise "road of life," suggesting reflection on times when unmet desires led to pivots towards fulfilling opportunities—highlighting the benefit of openness to life's unforeseen changes. Howes shares his practice of staying receptive to what life is showing him, thus maintaining an open heart for blessings. They concur that ch ...

Dr. Miller provides an intimate account of her personal struggles with infertility, her journey to adoption, and the profound spiritual insights gained through these experiences. She stresses the importance of raising children with a spiritual awareness.

Dr. Miller's own struggle with infertility and the eventual adoption of her children was a transformative spiritual journey

Dr. Miller shares the haunting feeling when, despite being healthy, she faced an existential meltdown due to being unable to conceive. She considered her life's worth and questioned her control over it, describing a deep depression linked to her desire to become a mother. She reveals that the process of finding her children was a spiritual awakening, likening the presence of a child in the home to that of a sacred wellspring of godliness.

Her struggle with infertility lasted five years, a time that she characterizes as brutal and challenging, noting that discussing infertility, especially among men, was often taboo. Dr. Miller describes the journey toward adopting her son from an orphanage north of St. Petersburg and the joy he brought as the "most delicious little boy on earth". She also shares the serendipitous conception of her daughter after she and her husband had opened up to the spiritual pathway of adoption. These experiences forged her conviction that the right child comes at the right time, whether biologically, through marriage, or adoption.

During this time, Dr. Miller grappled with deep depression and the narrowness of her ego that initially prevented her from considering other ways to become a parent. She ultimately recognized that parenthood is about profound love and commitment and not necessarily about having a biological child. Her story underscores the profound love and commitment integral to parenthood, regardless of DNA.

Synchronistic events, such as encountering a dead duck embryo and a mother duck, helped guide Dr. Miller towards a more open and receptive approach to finding her children

Dr. Miller recalls finding a dead duck embryo on her front step as a significant sign of her fertility struggles but also an affirmation that she was on a meaningful path. She later saw the mother duck who had lost her hopeful baby, fostering a sense of connection and realization that she wasn’t alone. This sequence of events led her and her husband to consider adoption, demonstrating a shift from trying to control their fertility journey to being more receptive to other possibilities of forming a family.

Raising children with a spiritual foundation is crucial for their well-being and ...