Neurons

Over on WassApp debate continues around gurus, spirituality, seashells, neuroplasticity and being in the now. I stumbled upon a podcast with Ruby Wax (The scientist, the monk and RW) which was interesting and provided a little more ’real’ science as the guy was a neurologist. I'm gonna try n link a youtube clip in another post...
Here’s a little I cobbled together off the Interweb:

Every experience, thought, feeling, and physical sensation triggers thousands of neurons, which form a neural network. When you repeat an experience, or a thought over and over, the brain learns to trigger the same neurons each time. So, when neurons fire together they wire together creating pathways.
 
​Our brain cells communicate with one another via synaptic transmission–one brain cell releases a chemical (neurotransmitter) that the next brain cell absorbs.  This communication process is known as “neuronal firing.”  When brain cells communicate frequently, the connection between them strengthens.  Messages that travel the same pathway in the brain over & over begin to transmit faster & faster.  With enough repetition, they become automatic.  That’s why we practice things like hitting a golf ball–with enough practice, we can go on automatic pilot.
Psychologists have long known that negative thought processes follow this same pattern–the more we think about, or “ruminate,” on a negative thought, the more entrenched the thought becomes. Negative and traumatic thoughts also tend to “loop”–they play themselves over and over until you do something consciously to stop them.
The more these negative thoughts loop, the stronger the neural pathways become, and the more difficult it becomes to stop them!  This is why thoughts that cause depression, anxiety, panic, obsessions, and compulsions can become so difficult to combat.  And along the way, these thoughts stir up emotional as well as physiological reactions.