It turns out that we can actually modify our DNA by shifting our thoughts, beliefs, and behavior.
A common belief in Western culture is that our likelihood of manifesting particular health issues is determined by our genetic makeup. With the discovery of DNA and its attributes, it has become standard to expect that if your mother had breast cancer, you would be more likely to contract the same breast cancer through genes inherited from your parents. As it turns out, this assumption benefits from clarification.
More than 98 percent of DNA does not appear to function in the conventional simplistic fashion of inheritance and is thus labeled “junk” DNA. We don’t yet know the purpose of so-called junk DNA, although some of it is no doubt involved in the complex regulation of gene expression during embryo development as it transforms into a fetus, then into an infant.
Recent research reveals that only 5 percent (or less) of disease-related gene mutations are fully expressed (penetrant, or deterministic) and actually result in the disease. Thanks to environmental and behavioral influences, in the other 95 percent of such cases, the presence of the mutation does not result in the disease.
We are not so much slave to our genetics, after all. It turns out that we can make the choice to modify our DNA by shifting our thoughts, beliefs, and behavior. This is a complete reversal from the conventional view of the science formerly taught in medical school. This fact has the potential to overhaul our entire approach to health care when fully accepted and applied in clinical practice.
PRACTICE
Review your lifestyle in the areas of diet, exercise, sleep and stress levels and realize that every choice you make is affecting the expression of your genetic makeup. Take charge of how you care for your mind, body and spirit on a daily basis.
RESOURCES
Supergenes by Deepak Chopra and Rudolph E. Tanzi
The Biology of Belief by Bruce Lipton
I have read, about 10 years ago now, that the study that got people all worked up about genetic pre-disposition for anything, included a lot more than what got circulated and adopted. Apparently, it actually said that while they were able to identify a gene for X, say breast cancer, and find it in a person, they also found that this did NOT indicate that a person was more likely to get cancer than anyone else. But that doesn’t sell and get people all hyped up, does it.
So thanks for bringing that in to people’s consciousness!
Also, I have heard that the Russians have studied and know a lot about ‘junk DNA’. It does have a function! We just haven’t figured it out yet.
Clearly this indicates we are so much more than our physical bodies and minds! Thanks again for reiterating this!
We are missing the bigger picture of who and what we are? Science attempts to find answers by diving into the mechanism of the micro and misses the mark entirely on what defines our human experience – the awareness of ourselves, our feelings, thoughts and emotions all of which aren’t separate from the Wholeness or lack thereof. Cancer is an expression of suppressed emotions. Why does the intelligence of the cells go awry to multiply and not die…? We are so in the weeds with the DNA theory that we forget to look what causes tthe mutation epigenetically.
This session is difficult for me. I believe (know) that attitudes can and do affect situations and conditions. However, when my then 34 yr old daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer due to the BRCA gene mutation (genetic from my father’s line) it is difficult to embrace this statement:
“Recent research reveals that only 5 percent (or less) of disease-related gene mutations are fully expressed (penetrant, or deterministic) and actually result in the disease. Thanks to environmental and behavioral influences, in the other 95 percent of such cases, the presence of the mutation does not result in the disease.
We are not so much slave to our genetics, after all. It turns out that we can make the choice to modify our DNA by shifting our thoughts, beliefs, and behavior. This is a complete reversal from the conventional view of the science formerly taught in medical school. This fact has the potential to overhaul our entire approach to health care when fully accepted and applied in clinical practice.”
With gratitude,
David M.
I like to watch these “Ancient Aliens” programs on History Channel. One episode claimed that Watson & Crick had concluded that DNA was too complex to have simply evolved. Whether or not they actually thought that, it does put a yawning hole in yet another area of scientific research. And then I learn today that most of DNA is “junk,” whereas before I had read that there was redundant pieces & some junk. Maybe this whole issue will help clarify “Life has no meaning except in terms of responsibility,” a quote attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr in Faith & History. The life outside of us does provide lots of ways to evade responsibility,
The subject of evolution has been an interest of mine for several years. The question is not whether our DNA evolved but was it a blind process or guided in some way. If mind is primary to the universe, I think that answers the question.
For anyone reading this who may not be familiar with Dr. Bruce Lipton’s work, I strongly encourage listening to his, Biology of Belief lecture on YouTube. Fantastic!
The power of placebo, belief, love, God certainly seems capable of over-coming most if not all ailments. I am working on changing a few things along those lines which a few physician friends of mine think impossible …but I am quite sure that the power of Divine Mind is smarter then they are!
I agree with you that our beliefs affect so much. However our physicality is also instrumental and in the case of more advanced disease, needs careful addressing too, since what is manifest in matter today is the results of PAST subtle compositions (to including the patterning of belief systems.) Currently, in this regard (since someone very dear to me has advanced illness) I am very enthused and encouraged by Dr Jerry Tennant’s “Healing is Voltage” work. I encourage you to Google it. I believe this is at least one important arm of the medicine of the future. (Am sharing purely in the spirit of altruism.) This kind of work info can powerfully change lives and bring hope…
I’ve been doing some Byron Katie work, and it is very fun. Her system of inquiry is simple, yet profound. It helps a lot when it comes to all the many ideas we can get tangled up in, especially the chicken-and-egg questions. It seems we humans are wired to seek the ultimate truth about everything, and we want to know for certain what the deal is in yes and no, black and white, terms. It can make one giddy and confused. Did I cause my arthritis/cancer/cold/sore throat with my beliefs, or my genes, or my lifestyle, or stress, or fear or could it be a punishment or is it for a reason (to make me rest, take a vacation, or meet my soul mate in the hospital or be an example), or is it my karma, or a wicked spell, etc.—it is all endless. The intellect can tie itself up in knots trying to figure out the right answer, and it might settle on an answer, but then, does it know that answer is true? Byron Katie’s four questions to ask are: Is it true? How can I know for certain that it is absolutely true? What happens (in my body and emotions) when I believe that thought? Who would I be without that thought? Playing with her system of questions is very freeing. For me, it leads me back into a zen state of innocence in which the truth can reveal itself.
I love Byron Katie’s work too. So foundational and powerful as a practical tool. I love your phrase “Zen like innocence.” Our egoic selves can’t stand the stance of open hearted presence in the Now, bereft as it is, of conceptual certainty. Surrendered in trust that “all is well.” Oh, the human condition!
This is an interesting discussion topic. DNA sequencing has become so common, and everyone I speak with about it seems to be going that their DNA sample will tell them their “story”, explain who they “are” in some way. There is certainly a lot of information encoded in those protein packages we call DNA, but, what does it actually mean? From a medical, science view, the search for DNA codes is, on the surface, a search for what makes things go “wrong” in our bodies, and ultimately, to learn how to prevent them going wrong. Ultimately, isn’t that a quest to avoid the fundamental “wrong” (from the conventional medical pov) of death?
Obviously, death is what we do, at some point after we are born. It’s an irreversible process, like that moment on a roller-coaster ride, when the cars begin to lurch and grind their way up that first slope; once we accept a body with its life journey, we’re on for the ride, until the ride stops. And, it will stop. No question.
The question everyone (who has accepted this fact) seems to be asking, is, how may we die well, and live well in the interim? The answer that many NDE experiencers, spiritual teachers, and those medical/psychological end-of-life support workers who are paying close attention, give us is; live from a place of love, not from your fears.
I know from personal experience that this is easier to agree with, than to accomplish! It’s a challenge to understand what we truly believe about ourselves and our circumstances. Unlike other beings on the planet, and the planet itself, which never forget their true nature, we humans are complex layered puzzles of forgetfulness. We form beliefs based on the stories we tell ourselves as we try to create meaning from our experiences, and then we often forget the stories at the conscious, and sometimes even at the subconscious levels of mind. The beliefs they generate continue to operate, though, creating our personal realities, sometime in opposition to what we may consciously believe! As an example, if a belief I formed through my early childhood experiences was that I am powerless to change what happens to me, then it’s entirely possible that today I could read this post about belief and DNA, consciously agree that it makes sense, begin to work with that conscious belief in my life choices, but subconsciously be determined to prove my (forgotten) underlying belief about my powerlessness. Of course, the subconscious will probably win that contest.
A deeply rooted, consistent meditative practice seems to be the best way for the human psche to re-member itself, to bring all the fragmented, dis-membered aspects, beliefs, emotions, desires and fears into the presence of mind, to be healed, integrated and made whole. The process is both gentle and tectonically challenging, because we are such complex beings. Skilled outside support is usually necessary at some point. The point is, to truly work with what is being said here in this post, that we can alter our genetic “inheritance”, it’s essential to continue with the meditative work, uncovering forgotten beliefs and emotional states, accepting them without judgements, and releasing those that do not serve our growth in the present.
Excellent advice! I strongly believe that life style and environment determines which genes are activated. It is up to each one of us to take advantage of that information.
Has anyone listened to, or watched KRYON on you- tube? Kryon is being channeled by Lee Carroll. Check it out, they have been talking for 25 years about your body “Innate” that controls your DNA and most everything else in your body.
As KRYON says. you can tell your body how much you love it and what you want to heal, while telling your ‘innate that
God says you don’t have to die to release your Karma. I’m certain you are confused, I guess I’m not explaining correctly.
Go to KRYON.com, and listen a little while, you’ll understand when HE tells it. KRYON & Lee Carroll have been to the United Nations and many other places to give their talks. They also have books in almost every language. Thank you for this important subject of the DNA for this session. It is powerful, and yes we can talk to it just as we can talk to every part of our body. Just remember to tell your body how much you love it and how grateful you are that it is keeping you strong and healthy and every thing great about it. You will notice a happiness come over you that will please you very much. Then, remember to say thank you. thank you, thank you. Blessings all, our bodies, our friends, our family and especially Karen and Eben for this beautiful journey we are all on together. Gratitude, love and light…….Sandie
I guess the religious equivalent of negative and destructive genes determining our behaviour is contained in the phrase “the Sins of the Fathers are passed on to the Sons” from the Old Testament. The Bible is ambiguous about this, in some places it says that they are passed down to the “Sons” and in other places it says they are not.
The Koran which is the most recent of the Abrahamic revelations is quite clear on this issue by saying “no-one shall bear the burden of another” and consistently refers to “unbelievers” following in the footsteps of their forefathers in destructive behaviour and beliefs. However it also makes it clear that it is not up to us as individuals whether we become believers of Truth and break free from the shackles and negative habit pattern of our parents but rather it is up to Allah (God).
To interpret all this into Eben and Karen’s language; the Koran is saying that it is our Higher Consciousness that decides whether we are going to free ourselves from the destructive genetic programming passed on to each of us from our parents and not us as individuals.
However, for most of us who caught up in the duality of this material world we find it extremely difficult to discriminate between the inner quiet and sensitive voice that comes from Higher Consciousness and the loud outer voice of our lower ego which is usually also reflected in the booming voice of the world around us (ie what everyone else tells us is right). These 2 voices are working constantly in completely opposite directions directing each of us and everyone in the world every second towards either “heaven” or “hell” here on Earth.
I appreciate Dr. Alexander and Karen Newell so much. My fear of death has greatly lessened since reading Dr. Alexander’s books, and now I’m trying to find time to meditate (not easy with an erratic schedule). One thing, though, about the genetic factor in our lives. My grandmother had glaucoma, as did her sisters. Then my mother developed it, and I thought from everything I had read that it was genetic. So my eye doctor was on the lookout for that condition in me and sure enough, I developed it a few years ago. And fortunately, since he was looking for it, it was caught early and has been treated, and I’ve been very fortunate. However, I have to believe that genetic conditions exist and ARE passed down through the generations. I have no children, so this won’t be passed down to them.
Our only inheritance is from the Divine. We only have Divine heredity. What happened to our parents, grandparents, etc. , has nothing to do with us. We create your own lives.
I appreciate these reminders about body, mind, emotions, environment and nature vs. nurture. My mother passed from Alzheimer’s and my father from cancer so I am considered ious about attempting to minimize stress through my choices and internal dialogue. As well, I am experimenting w plant based eating lately. Today’s segment is a good reminder…🙏
I have received Numbers 19 on tuesday, but notting after that. I don’t understand.
Is that normal?
I have received Number 20. Thank you very much. I’m so happy. Beautiful experience!
I just remember a book I have read 20 years ago. Alchemie of life by Fitienne Guille . He explains relation of our dna with 12 planets and 12 metals and our beleives as a engine to dna conformational change. Shape is function and ourt inner world is combining with planetary distribution and dna shape shifting. Nice that you mention it too…..
So interesting that I would receive this message late in the day. (I normally get the emails by 8AM or so.)
I was waiting for a client today, who has been diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. One of the things we are working on are her belief patterns. While I was waiting for her I drew a card from my own intuitive deck that I made using my art. The card was Your DNA. I contemplated that for a while, and then when in session with my client, it came about that we began to work on her DNA.
This understanding that such a small percentage of our DNA is responsible for many of our so called disease related illnesses is a huge break through. The more we take responsibility for our own thoughts, actions and behaviours the more control we have of our destiny and future. We become less of a victim in life and more the hero in choosing our future.
Listening to 2 of Dr. Lipton webinars, I understand how stress and environment and our mind needs to be altered. I had studied Carolyn Myss archetypes for 2 years and now I pay attention to any thought processes that need to be worked on and alter my thoughts and words. Thank you for bringing awareness to us. Grateful for your work!
This is all so wonderful and clarifies so very much. You are able to get to the heart of all your topics and by practicing the meditations allow the peace and truth to unfold within. Thank you Eben and Karen. Beautifully done. Would also like to know if at any time your latest book would be translated into French, as I have a friend in Switzerland who would like to read it.
About healing, do you know The Life Code, written by Alexander Loyd and Ben Johnson?
Everything is so interesting. Will it be possible to have your new book in french soon?
We have just learned the French edition of Living in a Mindful Universe will be published March 2018.
Dear Karen and Eben,
I’ve ordered your book (Amazon), “Living in a Mindful Universe” on Jan. 1, 2022.
The book has not arrived yet (I am residing in Seoul, South Korea). I was wondering whether the Korean translation version of the book is available to date? With total love and blessings, JW
How about the Korean translation of the book, “Living in a Mindful Universe?
JW in Seoul
This maybe a duplicate but I did not press Send and the address still appears
My comment was intended to state how your discoveries verify Christian Science. The only difference is that you don’t give God the credit for the process. Science gets the credit. It matters not the belief system. The thought process is the core of the cure.
Alexander gives credit to God in the way Eddy defines God: „God is Mind“.
I agree. There has been nothing in any of Eben’s writings that have suggested that there is anything else but “All that is – God”, and not the ego mind (us).
Mary Baker Eddy did not understand the reason as stated by the science of DNA but she
understood that “ knowing” prayer produces healing, not hoping for healing with prayer.
How renewing to overcome anything so called incurable, so called disease. Take it as an issue, a task. Learning also by suffering, that may be a way to exactly know how beautiful Life is. There is no death, just transitions. What we take in is what we have. So we are responsible for anything we transmit to the next level of our transitions. Fortunately we have the capability of decision. TV is out of my life since 10 years. News and Radio are carefully receipt. Even taking the Newspaper- I prepare myself before reading.
And right now: What beautiful truth, the tree infront of my window, dancing slightly in the wind and making sounds of whispering waves. Countless little leafs turning yellow. Red is Purpur and pure. Breath in- breath out- how grateful to be here.
How beautiful. You are inspiring also.
Wow, Tascha, you said so much in so few words! Here’s a poem from a novel written by a Chinese historian.
We are but visitors from who knows where
Say not, ” I’m from here, I’m from there ”
I’m happy with what I’ve got & what I’ve not
The plum trees flower everywhere.
This being so, that we can control our DNA then we have more power than we think or led to believe. Unfortunately, we have so much going on in our individual lives and the lives of our community, country and the world, that we get lost in. We put so much importance in surface projections, our needs as we see them, we cannot see the wood for the trees, as the saying goes. We do not understand our own standing in this world. I had already made up my mind a few days ago to take more notice of what my body tells me and apply accordingly. Much love, as usual, Margaret.
this is a daily practice of living! it is hard work and worth it every effort!
Once again I would like to refer to Chinese philosophy which posits the concept of pre-natal and post-natal qi. In western terms this would be the idea of genetics and epic-genetics. In other words, what you inherit from your parents (pre-natal qi) is modified by your environment and behaviour (post-natal qi).
And whereas our inherited genetic makeup make provide certain limitations, we have the opportunity in our lives to cultivate the good parts and diminish the bad.
After my breast cancer battle in 2005 (it wasn’t inherited) and a car accident 5 years later my favorite saying is: if you want to die well take a good care of your body so you won’t suffer. Open your mind and listen. Everything else is taken care off. LOL
I love this Bozenna.