Power of Neuroplasticity for Pastoral and Spiritual Care
January 1, 2014 Kirk A. Bingaman
Neuroscience shows that mindfulness meditation and contemplative spiritual practice can increase non-anxious awareness and reduce stress. This finding has immediate importance for pastoral counselors and psychotherapists and may necessitate a paradigm shift in the general care of souls. The brain's built-in negativity bias, once necessary for survival, can be excessive today, leading to disproportionate negative assessments. To balance this bias, pastoral and spiritual caregivers and those in their care should cultivate a regular contemplative-meditational practice. The book makes neuroscience research accessible, focusing on neuroplasticity across the lifespan, and introduces mindfulness- and acceptance-based counseling approaches to help practitioners use the mind to change the brain.