The Awakened Brain

"What if depression is not a flaw but a built-in part of human growth—a doorway to spiritual awakening?" Dr. Lisa Miller invites us to rethink mental health and embrace our spiritual nature.

1. Spirituality Shields Us from Depression

Dr. Lisa Miller observed a remarkable change in patients during a simple yet meaningful Yom Kippur dinner. Patients who were usually distressed became calm and grateful through prayer and singing. This sparked Miller's exploration into how spirituality can protect mental health.

Her research at Columbia University revealed that when both a parent and child valued spirituality, the child had an 80% reduced risk of depression. This intergenerational transfer of values proved more effective than socioeconomic or environmental factors in preventing mental illness.

Spirituality, she found, provides a buffer against life's hardships by instilling hope, connectedness, and resilience. Depression, often treated as purely biological or environmental, may actually have a spiritual dimension that has been largely ignored in psychology.

Examples

• Patients in an inpatient ward calmed through collective prayer during Yom Kippur.
• Study showed an 80% reduction in depression risks when spirituality was passed from parent to child.
• Spiritual individuals reported greater emotional resilience during life struggles.

2. Our Spiritual Nature Is Partly Genetic

Human beings are biologically wired for spiritual awareness, according to pioneering twin studies by Dr. Kenneth Kendler. Miller examined these findings and discovered that 29% of spirituality stems from genetics, while the rest is shaped by one’s environment. This innate capacity develops over time.

Twin studies distinguished spirituality from religion, showing that spirituality is a personal belief while religion involves cultural practices. Spirituality, not religious adherence, strongly protects against depression and addictive behaviors.

Miller also found that adolescents with higher spiritual awareness faced fewer depressive episodes, and spirituality’s impact doubled for teenagers compared to adults, indicating that the teenage years are especially significant for shaping spiritual growth.

Examples

• Twin studies revealed 29% of spirituality is genetic.
• Teenagers with strong personal spirituality experienced less depression.
• Distinction between spirituality (personal connection) and religion (organized practice).

3. Depression and Spirituality Are Interconnected

Dr. Miller discovered that depression and spirituality share the same neurological real estate in the brain. Brain imaging revealed that spiritual individuals had thicker cortices in areas linked to perception and connectivity, contrasting with thinner cortices in those prone to depression.

This led her to hypothesize that certain forms of depression might be a biological signal, prompting people toward spiritual awakening. Her follow-up study revealed teens at 16 years old, who later developed strong spirituality by age 26, often overcame past depressive episodes.

This suggests that challenging phases, like depression, are turning points. Engaging in spiritual practices during life struggles doesn’t just ease pain but may also lay the groundwork for a fuller, healthier life.

Examples

• Brain scans showed thicker cortical areas in spiritual individuals.
• Spiritual teens who had struggled emotionally grew stronger into adulthood.
• Depression may be a gateway to personal and spiritual transformation.

4. Spiritual Healing Deepens Connection With Life

Miller shared her personal story of struggling with infertility and how a series of small synchronicities—an unusual encounter with a mother duck, a random TV documentary, and comments from strangers—helped shift her perspective. These events felt like the universe was communicating with her.

Spiritual healing, she explains, isn’t about controlling life but tuning into its deeper rhythms and messages. By paying attention to life’s unexpected signs, we can uncover hidden guidance and opportunities for growth.

This shift from "making meaning" to "finding meaning" allows for emotional and spiritual liberation, unlocking new hope even in moments of despair. In Miller’s experience, these moments led her toward embracing motherhood through adoption and later, unexpected natural conception.

Examples

• A mother duck’s gift helped Miller see life’s interconnected messages.
• Synchronicities guided her toward adoption and eventual pregnancy.
• Her spiritual openness pivoted despair into joy and healing.

5. The Awakened Brain Changes How We See the World

The awakened brain, Miller explains, allows us to see life’s touchpoints and messages with greater clarity and openness. Spiritual awareness activates regions responsible for unity, love, and connection rather than control and anxiety.

For Miller, embracing an awakened brain began with noticing synchronicities, such as a casual suggestion from a stranger or symbolic cues from nature. These experiences revealed a greater dialogue between oneself and the world. Living this way encourages trust in life’s unfolding and builds a sense of oneness.

Her spiritual journey culminated in motherhood, showing her that healing comes from aligning with life’s greater wisdom. As she practiced awakened attention, she also began fostering deeper connections with her inner self and the broader world.

Examples

• The ventral attention network supports focus on external guidance and synchronicity.
• A spiritual lens redefined Miller’s infertility as part of a larger plan.
• Connection to the Lakota healers reinforced her belief in a guiding spirit.

6. Stress Activates the Achieving Mind; Spirituality Engages the Awakened Mind

During her studies, Miller identified two distinct brain modes: the “achieving mind” and the “awakened mind.” Stressful situations light up the achieving mind, which focuses on control and linear thinking, while spiritual experiences activate the awakened mind, which sees interconnectedness and love.

Brain scans revealed that participants describing spiritual experiences showed activation in brain areas associated with compassion and unity. Conversely, recounting stressful memories caused the reward-focused frontal lobe to light up.

The awakened mind creates openness and connection, allowing humans to see relationships between life events. By quieting the achieving mind, spiritual practices can ease the mental strain of chasing external goals and offer deeper, internal peace.

Examples

• Participants sharing spiritual experiences activated brain areas for love and unity.
• Stressful stories frequently activated goal-oriented brain regions.
• Awakened attention fosters calm, interconnected awareness amid challenges.

7. Our Brains Are Wired for Resonance With Others and Nature

Experiments by Dr. Jacobo Grinberg revealed a mysterious brain-to-brain resonance—an effect magnified by shared meditation. Such resonance, Miller found, parallels the benefits of inner spiritual awareness and includes fostering empathy and healing connections.

Participants in Grinberg’s study showed synchronized brain waves even when isolated in separate rooms. These alpha waves, also found in experienced meditators and nature’s surrounding field, suggest a deeper unity among living things.

Spiritual people tend to sense this resonance more deeply, often finding nature and human connection profoundly calming. Spending time outside or with loved ones helps tap into this shared wavelength, soothing the mind and reducing anxiety.

Examples

• Grinberg’s study demonstrated brain wave synchronization during shared meditation.
• High-amplitude alpha waves were found in spiritual individuals and earth’s field.
• Interbrain resonance during handholding reduced pain perception.

8. Spiritual Growth Opens Doors Through Adversity

Spiritual awakening often follows struggles. Miller’s research highlighted that identifying meaning in hardships helps people emerge stronger. Her "three doors" exercise invites participants to reflect on a closed door (challenge) and the new, open door (opportunity) it eventually revealed.

This framework reframes adversity as a springboard for growth. Struggles that seem isolating at first—such as Miller's own infertility—can open pathways to purpose when approached with spiritual awareness.

Seeing life’s challenges as transitions allows us to embrace change with hope, knowing that growth often starts in dark moments.

Examples

• “Three doors” exercise encourages finding meaning in events like job loss or illnesses.
• Miller's adoption journey was sparked by infertility challenges.
• Viewing hardships as transitions can lead to transformative outcomes.

9. Divine and Human Love Are Deeply Interconnected

Miller’s studies found that those deeply connected to spirituality displayed greater cortical thickening, a phenomenon universal across faiths. This highlights the unifying nature of love—whether between individuals or with a higher power.

Faith traditions like Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism emphasize themes of compassion and grace. Science mirrors this perspective through research on brain activity and shared alpha waves, indicating that love of others inherently links us to life’s source.

Connection and love aren’t just emotional—they’re part of our neurological and biological design, reinforcing the importance of community and faith in personal well-being.

Examples

• Cortical thickening strengthens our emotional resilience through relational spirituality.
• Alpha waves indicate the shared "oneness" in brain-to-brain resonance.
• Teachings of various faiths weave divine and human love as inseparable.

Takeaways

1. Keep a "synchronicity journal" to track subtle messages, coincidences, and moments of meaning in your life. Reflect on how they point to deeper connections or paths.
2. Engage in meditative practices outdoors, allowing nature’s rhythms to calm your mind and activate your awakened brain.
3. Use the "three doors exercise" to reframe challenges into open opportunities and recognize the growth they bring.