Every experience, including a psychological trauma at a tender age, affects the neural structures, architectures, scaffolding and activity patterns that influence future behaviors. For example, the neural activity of a young brain who gets their needs met will develop a neural pathway to feelings of safety, security and trust in their environment. Patterns in the brain activity become patterns in our life activity. Their future is “set up” to be fulfilling when they know what fulfillment feels like. Imagine what happens in the young brain who only gets their needs met after suffering. They will develop a neural pathway to feelings of insecurity, fear and mistrust of their environment. One brain expects their needs to be met and they develop patience, calm and self-soothing mental activity. The other brain doesn’t know what to expect because life has been unpredictable. They develop impatience, irritation and self-aggravating mental activity. They don’t know how to soothe themselves in a healthy way and lack the skill for delayed gratification.
Neural pathways in the brain have a direct effect on how we navigate the pathways of life. Patterns in the brain reveal themselves as habits and routines in our daily lives. What we expect from life affects how we perceive and what we receive from life.
