Need a simplified understanding of neuroscience? \u201cThe Molecule of More\u201d explores the dynamics of various chemicals in your brain and how they affect your feelings, perspectives, level of drive, and capacity for creativity. For a basic understanding of what\u2019s going on in our cognition, the authors create two chemical categories, \u201cdown\u201d and \u201cup.\u201d Think of \u201cdown\u201d as the capacity to find enjoyment through neurotransmitters in the here and now. Think of the \u201cup\u201d as the capacity to find pleasure in the future and unforeseen things.<\/p>\n
The authors, a professor of psychiatry\/behavioral science and a physicist, briefly examine the history and study of dopamine, a chemical once thought only to induce pleasure within the body.\u00a0\u201cDopamine delivers a feeling much more influential than pleasure. Understanding dopamine turns out to be the key to explaining and even predicting behavior across a spectacular range of human endeavors: creating art, literature, and music; seeking success; discovering new worlds and new laws of nature; thinking about God\u2014and falling in love,\u201d[1]<\/a>\u00a0argued the authors.<\/p>\n Their goal is to help readers have a basic comprehension of the intersection of psychology, psychiatry, and physiology to better understand our lives, the way we behave, what motivates us, what causes us to desire more, the desire for transcendence, and the way we interact with others.<\/p>\n Have you ever had that feeling of unsatisfaction? No matter how great life is, our relationships genuinely are, the comfort we live in, or the fruitfulness of our lives, some of us still are not satisfied. According to the authors, this boils down to our bodies’ craving for a dopamine rush due to the homeostasis and predictability of everything going on in our lives.<\/p>\n Therefore, it is no wonder why some people cheat on their spouse, quit their job to pursue a new one, buy more and new unnecessary things, uproot their lives and move somewhere new, and pursue chemical addictions to satisfy their mental craving for more. Fortunately, our brains are also equipped with \u201cdown\u201d chemicals that help us to find satisfaction in the present.<\/p>\n The question becomes, which chemical rush will we pursue. God has created this simply-complex cognition and the capacity for control. Or, as the authors urged, \u201cWe are not at the ungoverned mercy of our desires. We also have a complementary dopamine circuit that calculates what sort of\u00a0more\u00a0is worth having.\u201d[2]<\/a> Knowing that our mind\u2019s reaction to its environment and not a conscious choice equips us to step out of our given context and reconsider our impulsive desire for more.<\/p>\n As faith leaders, what an extraordinary opportunity we have to educate people on the beautiful complexity of our thinking and behavior as it directly correlates to spiritual formation. For example, might we consider not just the spiritual disciplines that help people grow to become self-controlled but also the incredibly natural ways by which dopamine can be built up and used in a healthy way, such as exercise, good sleep, basking in the sunlight, and eating healthy.<\/p>\n Pastorally, I thread psychology and physiology into my sermons, finding connections through the Scriptures to give individuals a deeper insight into why they might feel the way they feel, act the way they act, or desire what they desire.<\/p>\n Lieberman and Long recognize that while their book is a helpful introduction to how dopamine influences our behavior, bodies, socialization, and spirituality, they also equip readers with references to an abundance of other resources and readings to help them grow.<\/p>\n