Can our muscle fibres increase with the power of our mind?

[atenea]

I recall having read somewhere that consciously advanced humans can change their body genetics, including the amount of muscle fibres and composition, with the power of the mind (occult practices). Can anyone please refer me to any literature? Cheers.

[DaleP]

There are many studies and papers. This is one...

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14998709/

[spideysensei]

Yes in the brain specifically it's called neuroplasticity; it shapes and rewires according to experience. Any experience mind you, it's an ongoing normal thing through life. Taxi drivers for example have a larger anterior hippocampus on average compared to controls.

 

In terms of "occult practices" (not a term i like to equate to the simple practice of awareness) and brain research/plasticity, there's plenty of research out there. I did my uni dissertation on it. Here's an example https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3004979/

 

As for real occult practice, perhaps one needs to "grow" this soul instead of believing it exists in the final form, without extra work. This is where i find i many Christians lacking, they think they just have to believe and their soul is saved. Esoteric Christianity on the other hand; the real deal, you must work like a fucking dog to create your soul. The likely hood is that you won't, owing to the difficulty. At least in this lifetime.

 

Monty Python guys knew the score

 

 

 

[Observations]

I'm reading the Brain That Changes Itself 

 

https://www.normandoidge.com/?page_id=1259

 

I'm glad you asked. I'm extremely interested in this area, and having searched for a link for you I came to Norman Doidge's website which I haven't seen before. It looks good, with helpful information, and an extensive FAQ section. This is a snippet from the home page; 

 

Norman Doidge, MD, a psychiatrist and researcher, set out to investigate neuroplasticity and met both the brilliant scientists championing it and the people whose lives they’ve transformed. The result is this book, a riveting collection of case histories detailing the astonishing progress of people whose conditions had long been dismissed as hopeless.

 

I must add that it's been very encouraging to read of others experiences in the book. I've got a lot to learn, always, but I believe that anything is possible. Certainly the belief in something makes it stronger. Life experiences can make this very difficult. Granted. When it's hardest to believe is when you need to believe the most. Damn it !  

[spideysensei]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-62126567  - School mindfulness lessons don't work for teenagers, study says

Quote

 

Co-researcher Prof Mark Williams, from Oxford University, said that, on average, pupils only practised mindfulness once over the 10-week course.

"That's like going to the gym once and hoping you'll get fit," he said. "But why didn't they practise? Many of them found it boring."

Likely a product of bad teaching i think. Finding it 'boring' is an observation itself. That is your monkey mind resisting the urge to be quiet, then getting restless and promoting the idea in your head that it is boring and pointless. The very fact they can't sit quietly for a few moments everyday shows the power of which you are supposed to subdue. Unfortunately teachers know nothing about how the mind really works, or even why they're doing it. It is doomed to fail without expert, or semi expert teachers, as opposed to some muppet who's read a book and considers themselves to be accomplished enough to teach.