Have you ever wondered if your future is set in stone by your genes? Since the discovery of genetics in 1866, many have believed that our genes dictate our health and life path. You’ve probably heard someone say, “This disorder runs in my family,” suggesting that our genes are to blame for diseases.
Take the BRCA1 gene, for instance, which is linked to breast cancer. About 50% of women with this gene develop breast cancer, which can be distressing news. However, the other half do not, prompting us to ask: why the difference? The answer lies in our environment and mindset.
While some rare diseases appear at birth, over 99% of health issues arise later in life. Our surroundings shape our thoughts, and these thoughts produce chemicals that influence which genes are activated. Thus, while genes are related to disease, they don’t solely cause it or control our biology.
Understanding this, we realize we’re not just victims of our genetics. We have the power to change our mindset and, consequently, our destiny. As Einstein famously said, “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” To change our path, we must start with a new mindset.
In the Gaia series “Rewired” with Dr. Joe Dispenza, we explore how to develop new thought patterns, reprogram our genes, heal our bodies, and enter a new state of being. You’ve likely heard the phrase “as above, so below,” which reflects a truth found in research. What if you could create a mental experience with more energy or emotion than a past experience? Could this shift your body’s response to a new mindset?
Patients who created such powerful inner experiences were able to change their bodies’ futures, effectively altering their genetic destiny. In previous discussions, we explored brain waves. Now, we’ll discover how your mind can change gene expression.
Let’s dispel the myth that genes are our fate and introduce epigenetics, a new science. This knowledge can help you improve your life from the inside out.
Think of your body as a protein-producing machine. Different cells produce specific proteins essential for various functions. The expression of proteins is the expression of life, as proteins are crucial for your body’s structure and function. For a cell to produce proteins, a gene must be activated or regulated.
Genes are like a library of potentials. After mapping the human genome, a myth arose that genes cause disease. However, research shows that less than 1% of people are born with genetic conditions. The other 99% is influenced by lifestyle, behavior, and choices.
Epigenetics reveals that genes don’t create disease; rather, the environment signals the gene, potentially leading to disease. Consider two factory workers exposed to the same carcinogen: one develops cancer, the other doesn’t. This suggests an internal order in the body that surpasses environmental conditions.
It’s not genes that create disease, but our reaction to the environment. Our perspective influences our emotions, which play a key role in signaling genes to activate or deactivate. Genes can be likened to Christmas tree lights, turning on and off based on environmental instructions.
When the environment signals a gene correctly, it produces healthy proteins. Conversely, if the environment sends signals that limit cellular functions, it downregulates, producing lower-quality proteins.
If the environment signals the gene, and the end product of an experience is an emotion, can we signal the gene ahead of the environment? The stronger the emotion from an experience, the more it alters us internally, focusing on the cause and freezing the memory. People think neurologically within past experience circuits and chemically within emotional boundaries. How you think and feel creates your state of being.
If someone wakes up daily seeking familiar feelings, they stimulate the same genes in the same way, leading to genetic destiny. Without new environmental information, they remain stuck in patterns.
Consider identical twins with the same genome; one may die at 54, the other lives to 86. Their interaction with the environment, choices, and stress responses significantly impact their health outcomes.
When mapping the human genome, scientists expected a one-to-one gene-to-protein ratio. However, we express about 23,688 genes, meaning one gene can have multiple variations resulting in different proteins.
If people live in predictable routines and are emotionally tied to their past, their lives influence gene expression. Once a gene is signaled, living out of balance can lead to ill health or disease.
Research shows that changing one’s emotional state can upregulate genes. For example, exposing people with type 2 diabetes to an hour of comedy activated over 20 genes in just one hour.
This led to a study where participants changed their gene expression in four days by thinking differently, making new choices, and elevating their emotional state. In just four days, genes responsible for cellular repair and regeneration were activated, along with genes that suppress cancer growth and promote hormonal balance. This demonstrates that we are not doomed by our genes; we are our own genetic engineers.
In workshops, individuals have reversed serious health conditions, including Parkinson’s disease. A study in Palm Springs, California, asked participants to meditate for at least 60 days. They measured telomeres, protective DNA caps that shorten with cell division. Stress accelerates telomere degeneration, affecting biological age.
Results showed that 20 out of 27 participants lengthened their telomeres, potentially adding days to their lives. One participant significantly increased their telomere length in just four days.
This suggests that by changing internal states, individuals can influence their health and potentially extend their lives.
Highly charged emotional experiences can change emotional states and brain structures, allowing individuals to select and instruct new genes. An inner experience with more energy than past conditioning can lead to biological changes.
For example, a 72-year-old woman with Parkinson’s disease experienced a profound inner event during meditation, leading to significant changes in her condition. After years of therapies and medications, she found herself able to speak, chew, and swallow normally after just one session.
On the other hand, individuals with traumatic pasts may take longer to break free from genetic patterns. However, consistent effort can lead to remarkable changes in health and gene expression.
This work shows that health and wellness can be as infectious as disease. Now that we’ve explored how genes can be reprogrammed, the next question is whether it is possible to heal the body by thought alone.
Join us in the next episode as we delve deeper into this extraordinary potential. Thank you for exploring this original Gaia presentation. You can start your free trial to Gaia and stream the complete series “Rewired” with Dr. Joe Dispenza by clicking the link in the description. We hope to see you again soon!
Engage in a seminar where you will explore the concept of epigenetics. Discuss how environmental factors and mindset can influence gene expression. Prepare a short presentation on how lifestyle choices can impact genetic outcomes, and participate in a group discussion to share insights and perspectives.
Analyze a case study of identical twins with different health outcomes. Examine how their different interactions with the environment and lifestyle choices may have influenced their genetic expression. Present your findings to the class, highlighting the role of non-genetic factors in health.
Participate in a mindfulness and meditation workshop to experience firsthand how altering your mental state can potentially influence your genetic expression. Reflect on the experience and write a brief report on how meditation might contribute to changes in health and well-being.
Engage in a role-playing activity where you assume the role of a genetic engineer. Develop a plan to help a fictional character change their genetic destiny through lifestyle modifications, mindset shifts, and environmental changes. Present your plan to the class and discuss its potential effectiveness.
Conduct a research project to investigate the impact of emotions on gene expression. Review scientific literature, gather data, and analyze how emotional states can upregulate or downregulate genes. Present your research findings in a poster session, highlighting key insights and implications for health.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
—
**Are We Victims of Our Genetics?**
Is your destiny predetermined? Ever since the principles of genetics were discovered in 1866, there has been a notion that genes determine the future of your health and the character of your life. We’ve all heard someone say, “This disorder runs in my family,” which stems from the idea that diseases are caused by genetics.
For example, there is a gene called the BRCA1 gene, which is associated with breast cancer. Approximately 50% of women with this gene end up developing breast cancer. Finding out you have this gene can be upsetting news, as many perceive it as a death sentence. However, half of the women with the BRCA1 gene do not get cancer. This raises the question: what is the difference between those who develop cancer and those who do not? The answer lies in environment and mindset.
While some rare diseases manifest at birth, over 99% of illnesses, diseases, and disorders appear later in life. Our environment shapes our mind, and our mind produces chemicals that influence which genes get expressed. Thus, while genes correlate to disease, they are not the sole cause of disease, nor do they control biology.
With this understanding, we are no longer victims; we have the power to change our mindset. We have free will. By using our conscious mind, we can rise above our subconscious programs and create a new destiny for ourselves. As Einstein said, “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” If we want to forge a new path, it starts with a new mindset.
In this episode of the original Gaia series “Rewired” with Dr. Joe Dispenza, we will explore how to develop new thought patterns, reprogram your genes, heal your body, and step into a new state of being.
You’ve probably heard the expression “as above, so below.” This reflects a truth discovered in my research. What if you could create an inner experience in your mind that carries an amplitude of energy or emotion greater than a highly charged emotional experience from your past? Could this cause your body to respond to a new mindset?
I realized that patients who could create an inner experience greater than their past experiences were able to change the future of their bodies, effectively changing their genetic destiny. In the previous episode, we discussed different types of brain waves. In this episode, we will discover the power of your mind and how it can change your gene expression.
I want to dispel the myth surrounding genes and introduce you to a new science called epigenetics. My hope is that this information will help you understand how to improve your life from the inside out.
Let’s begin with some simple biology. Think of your body as a protein-producing machine. Different cells in your body produce specific proteins essential for various functions. The expression of proteins is the expression of life, as proteins are responsible for the structure and function of your body. For a cell to make proteins, a gene must be stimulated or regulated.
So, what are genes? Think of them as a library of potentials. After the human genome was discovered, a myth emerged that genes create disease. However, research shows that less than 1% of people are born with genetic conditions. The other 99% is influenced by lifestyle, behavior, and choices.
The latest research in epigenetics indicates that genes do not create disease; rather, it is the environment that signals the gene, which can lead to disease. This raises the question: how can two factory workers exposed to the same carcinogenic chemical have different outcomes, with one developing cancer and the other not? There must be some internal order in the body that is greater than the environmental conditions.
In essence, it is not genes that create disease, but our reaction to the environment. Our perspective on the environment influences our emotional state, and our emotions play a key role in signaling genes to upregulate or downregulate. Genes can be thought of like Christmas tree lights, turning on and off based on instructions from the environment.
When the environment signals a gene correctly, it produces healthy proteins. Conversely, if the environment sends signals that cause the cell to limit its metabolic functions, it begins to downregulate and produce lower-quality proteins.
If the environment signals the gene, and the end product of an experience is an emotion, can we signal the gene ahead of the environment? We learned that the stronger the emotion felt from an experience, the more altered one feels inside, narrowing focus on the cause and freezing the memory. People think neurologically within the circuits of past experiences and chemically within the boundaries of emotions. How you think and feel creates your state of being.
If a person wakes up every morning searching for familiar feelings, they stimulate the same genes in the same way every day, leading them toward genetic destiny. If there is no new information from the environment, they remain stuck in their patterns.
Consider identical twins who share the same genome; one may die at 54 while the other lives to 86. Their interaction with the environment, choices, and responses to stress play significant roles in their health outcomes.
When mapping the human genome, scientists expected to find a one-to-one ratio of genes to proteins. However, they discovered that we express only about 23,688 genes, meaning one gene can have multiple variations that result in different proteins.
If people live in predictable routines and are emotionally tied to their past, their lives influence gene expression. Once a gene is signaled, living out of balance can lead to ill health or disease.
I became interested in this topic after reading research where scientists exposed people with type 2 diabetes to an hour of comedy. The results showed that changing their emotional state could upregulate over 20 genes in just one hour.
This led me to wonder if a group of people could change their gene expression in four days by thinking differently, making new choices, and elevating their emotional state. We conducted a study with 32 participants, measuring gene expression before and after a workshop.
In just four days, we found that genes responsible for cellular repair and regeneration were activated, along with genes that suppress cancer growth and promote hormonal balance. This demonstrates that we are not doomed by our genes; we are our own genetic engineers.
In our workshops, we have seen individuals reverse serious health conditions, including Parkinson’s disease and other disorders that medical science struggles to address.
I began to explore whether self-regulation and changing one’s inner state could extend life. In a study conducted in Palm Springs, California, we asked participants to meditate for at least 60 days. We measured telomeres, which are protective caps on DNA that shorten with cell division. Stress accelerates telomere degeneration, affecting biological age.
We found that 20 out of 27 participants lengthened their telomeres, potentially adding days to their lives. One participant even increased their telomere length significantly within just four days.
This suggests that by changing internal states, individuals can influence their health and potentially lengthen their lives.
When people have highly charged emotional experiences, it can change their emotional state and brain structure, allowing them to select and instruct new genes. An inner experience that carries more energy than past conditioning can lead to biological changes.
For example, a 72-year-old woman with Parkinson’s disease experienced a profound inner event during a meditation that led to significant changes in her condition. After years of therapies and medications, she found herself able to speak, chew, and swallow normally after just one session.
On the other hand, individuals with traumatic pasts may take longer to break free from their genetic patterns. However, consistent effort can lead to remarkable changes in health and gene expression.
This work shows that health and wellness can be as infectious as disease. Now that we’ve explored how genes can be reprogrammed, the next question is whether it is possible to heal the body by thought alone.
Join me in the next episode as we delve deeper into this extraordinary potential. Thank you for watching this original Gaia presentation. You can start your free trial to Gaia and stream the complete series “Rewired” with Dr. Joe Dispenza by clicking the link in the description. We hope to see you again soon!
—
This version maintains the core ideas while removing any potentially sensitive or inappropriate content.
Genetics – The study of heredity and the variation of inherited characteristics. – Understanding genetics is crucial for comprehending how traits are passed from parents to offspring.
Environment – The external physical, chemical, and biological factors that influence an organism’s growth, development, and survival. – The environment plays a significant role in shaping the behavior and physiology of organisms.
Mindset – A set of beliefs or attitudes held by someone, particularly regarding their abilities and intelligence. – Developing a growth mindset can enhance learning and adaptation in challenging academic settings.
Epigenetics – The study of changes in organisms caused by modification of gene expression rather than alteration of the genetic code itself. – Epigenetics explains how environmental factors can affect gene activity and expression without changing the DNA sequence.
Proteins – Large molecules composed of one or more long chains of amino acids, essential for all living organisms, especially as structural components of body tissues such as muscle, hair, etc., and as enzymes and antibodies. – Proteins are vital for cellular function and are involved in nearly every biological process.
Emotions – Complex psychological states that involve three distinct components: a subjective experience, a physiological response, and a behavioral or expressive response. – Emotions can significantly influence cognitive processes and decision-making in humans.
Health – The state of being free from illness or injury, encompassing physical, mental, and social well-being. – Maintaining good health requires a balance of nutrition, exercise, and mental wellness.
Expression – The process by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product, often a protein. – Gene expression is a critical process that determines how cells function and respond to their environment.
Meditation – A practice where an individual uses a technique such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity, to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm state. – Regular meditation can improve psychological well-being and reduce stress levels.
Experiences – Events or occurrences that leave an impression on someone, influencing their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. – Personal experiences can shape an individual’s psychological development and worldview.
