298(14): 1685-7) Negative or toxic thoughts are often the result of an underlying disease process not the cause of it. So, if our brain is not as healthy as it should be, this can directly affect the gut, and thus our digestive system. After all, as you correctly pointed out, it transcends all understanding. I expect that most of your regular audience do not carry the necessary training or depth of scientific background to sort through your assertions. NEW TRAINING SESSION WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON! 364(9438): 937-52. You say, I have a feeling youve read about these illnesses in books, but youve never suffered from them. Its such a shame you didnt read my books before you wrote that comment. Id like to see the page and book where you found this quote. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Hilariously ignorant of what shes saying. There is high-level evidence to show this to be true [26-28]. Its really no different to an article that I read the other day from a group of gut researchers [21] The gut is really your second brain, Greenblatt said. Caroline Leaf stops by the Valuetainment studio for a sit down with Patrick Bet-David. And not evidenced based in the powerful word of God , the author of science. Expertise comes from years in training and practical experience. Christianity is libertarian, or sometimes deterministic in a theistic way. That the result is reversed confirms that neonates and infants require adequate stimulation of both fear and love pathways to grow into an emotionally robust child, because the brain is pre-wired for both but requires further stimulation for adequate development. Again, please give your resource references for Dr Leafs quotes as I would like to see what she said. Arnold, C. Gut feelings: the future of psychiatry may be inside your stomach. Lisa Teurset? This about the fact she makes more money than you do and she has a bigger following and is more famous, right? Its like if she uses scientific language and talks really fast that no one will notice. I am sure a practitioner like you has to invest quite a bit o energy to keep up even for you! If Dr Leaf had minor errors in her teaching that were still being debated amongst members of the scientific community, then I wouldnt be so worried, because youre right, no ones perfect and were all prone to error. It is equally important to detox the mind, as toxic reactions to stress can also lead to toxins in the brain. First, it is important to note than women generally only live a few more years than men. 5(7): 583-9. Wu, Y.L., et al., Risk factors and primary prevention trials for type 1 diabetes. Go look up the CDCs ACE study on trauma and stress causing diseases. This reinforces healthy dendrite growth and helps you change the connections in your brain. Thanks for your comment. The desire to share her immense success from her private practice more widely, Dr. Leaf authored over 18 books in 22 languages and developed the Leaf Mind Management (LMM) scale, a validated psychometric tool, to measure the significant results that the Neurocycle is able to facilitate for users. I just attended one of Dr. Leafs speaking events with my daughter last night. viii, 243 p. 20. A recent paper showed that the corticosterone response required to learn fear is suppressedin the neonate to facilitate attachment, but with enough stress, the corticosterone levels build to the point where amygdala fear learning can commence [24]. In this final episode of a series with Dr. Caroline Leaf, she illustrates her 5-step process to properly deal with emotional trauma, so you can make it through the difficult times with a healthy perspective. Leaf of the Neurocycle Method. Not only do our choices create real, structural changes in the brain, but they also affect the overall health of our brains, which impacts how the brain and body function on a day-to-day basis, while, if our brains are not healthy, its hard for our minds to be healthy and for us to make healthy decisions. This is about everyone who struggles with mental illness. Recheck: an editing process to check for accuracy. Thanks to both Dr. Caroline Leaf (and her husband), Dr. C Edward Pitt and others for openly stating your research and opinions. Can you clarify which of Dr Leafs peer-reviewed articles have definitively shown the academic improvement in the cohort of 100,000 students, as you and your referee have stated? As you have heard me say many times before, how we choose to use our brains affects both our mental and physical health. I have only listed a small fraction, and only on some of the points she raised. . Thats it just ten cases. You would never have need for medication if you were controlling your thoughts. By Dr. Caroline Leaf on July 04, 2018 We all know it is good to stop and smell the roses every once in a References please. The data will be used to identify needs and priorities, benchmark against various population characteristics, evaluate programs and policies, plan for services and programs, and advocate for resources. Perhaps you would like to further elucidate how ACEs cause disease. While Dr. Construct validity with blood measures also revealed significant relationships between the toxic stress and anxiety subscale and homocysteine levels and DHEA/cortisol ratios. Data is analyzed by an independent research and analysis consulting firm, Elite Research, LLC (, The study will provide a detailed picture of changes in mindfulness, mind management skills, and mental-health-related issues in adult populations. John 3:16; Romans 6:23, 12:1-3; Galatians 1-6. The detection of irritation is most prominent here. She said she started praying for her son, but she also said prayer was not enough. The goal of this step is to focus on and embrace what you are inputting into your brain through your mind by gathering awareness of the emotional and physical warning signals, as well as the behaviors and perspectives, you are manifesting. I was searching for peer reviews to support a formal research proposal. The researchers conducted face and content validity assessments to ensure a strong initial approach to question selection. Caroline Leaf is a communication pathologist and cognitive neuroscientist with a Masters and PhD in Communication Pathology and a BSc Logopaedics, specializing in cognitive and She has helped hundreds of thousands of students and adults learn how to use their mind to detox and grow their brain to succeed in every area of their lives, including school, university, and the workplace. Other than appearing on Sid Roths program (a red flag for me), I dont have any specific knowledge as to whether their teaching is legit. I was doing research on Dr Leaf when I found this blog post of yours. Some of the latest stress statistics causing illness as a result of toxic thinking can be found at: http://www.naturalwellnesscare.com/stress-statistics.html These websites not peer-reviewed, and both suffer from a blatant pro-stress bias. By your logic, we should dispense with all scientific knowledge that we cant cross-reference with the Bible, but the Bible and science are not mutually exclusive. Dr. However, referencing a journal on genetics from 1979 is the equivalent of attempting to use the land-speed record from 1979 to justify your current preference of car. This electromagnetic field that she claims is gravity that is the mind, (I cant believe Im saying this), this electromagnetic field would cease. Leaf does not teach a prosperity based, name-it-and-claim it gospel. Again, there was a study in which pre-diabetics were given an intensive lifestyle intervention, kind of like what you describe your lifestyle as, and still, despite the best diet and exercise, 11% of them developed diabetes anyway (Tuomilehto J, Lindstrom J, Eriksson JG, et al. Caroline Leaf Nickels, S., et al., Evidence of gene-environment interactions between common breast cancer susceptibility loci and established environmental risk factors. Thanks Elroy. NOTE: This is NOT a substitute. In maintaining a level of transparency, I also allow a level of general accountability. Coincidentally, I was thinking earlier today, in a completely different context, about the possibility that a body of learning and practice that had pseudoscientific foundations, might nevertheless be demonstrated scientifically to be helpful to believers in it, in some cases. Soomro, G.M., et al., Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) versus placebo for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). I have to say that I have been unable to follow you o Caroline at the pace of the exposition, etc. Dr. Im always suspicious of anyone who claims someone is a heretic and I figured I read about what you had to say. My micronutrient levels were all well above average with the exception of a slight deficiency in biotin. By the way, unless you live in Flint MI, or you eat a lot of fish, heavy metal poisoning is very low and only a few heavy metals actually cross the blood brain barrier. These include the following. Scriptures are super clear about fear and the power of our thought lives. This challenges the brain to move into a higher gear and introspect more deeply, which is what it is designed for: deep, intellectual thinking! Its no different to Dr Leaf and her teaching, which is scientifically baseless and not only will I not support people using it, but I will also actively discourage people from using it. She basically says Howard Gardner only made a low level theory and her Geodisic one is superior etc Then she proceeds to write the entire rest of the book using his SEVEN theories of multiple Intelligience with repeated questions such as Do you like to paint? Science is deterministic, in a material way. If the mind controls the brain and not the other way around as Dr Leaf suggests, why do anti-depressant medications correct depression or anxiety disorders? I think the key is that there is scientific knowledge, scriptural knowledge and spiritual truth. It bothers me that you are quick to show your references in other books, but not hers. I know a thing or two about narcissism and psychopathy. As for being wired for optimism, the brain is likely pre-wired with a template for all actions and emotions, which is the theory of protoconsciousness [22]. As I had intended, and as Mr Leaf requested, I published his reply, complete and unabridged (here). If the brain is truly wired for optimism and only fear is learned, then positive emotional reactivity should be the same in both groups and the negative affect should be enhanced in the institutionalised cohort. There are more neurons in the GI tract than anywhere else except the brain. The heart as a mini-brain and the gut as a mini-brain are both figurative expressions. 1. Globally, mental health concerns are growing. Dr Pitt..Ive spent the past few hours going through your material about Dr. Caroline Leaf. A study by the American Medical Association found that stress is a factor in 75% of all illnesses and diseases that people suffer from today. She fails to reference this study. And exercise and eat good food, lots of veggies, a glass of red wine every now and then. Most of us will never gain expertise from listening to you or to Caroline. On the subject of evidence, disparaging your critics is not a substitute for answering their criticism. You also ask, even (if) she references a 1979 article and may have errors here and there, what is Dr. Available from At one point when the host of the event was doing a short interview with Dr. on She teaches at academic, medical and neuroscience conferences, churches, and to various audiences around the world.Dr. One further thing. , Please note, comments must be approved before they are published. I too, am always very skeptical and I shy away from prosperity based theology however I feel this is much different. 9(1): 6-22. As you have heard me say many times before, how we choose to use our brains affects both our mental and physical health. 29. The World Health Organization (2022) has reported that there was a 13% rise in mental health conditions and substance abuse disorders from 2007 to 2017. And while there are many leaders in the evangelical movement who are preaching a false gospel, we need to be careful not to lump all unconventional teachers in together and call them guilty by association. I plan to be equally forthright. As for whether Dr Leaf is qualified to teach anything its not whether she is qualified or not, its what she is actually teaching that is more important, and if you read through my book and blog posts, I think youll see my position on the quality of her teaching. She took part in some of the initial research on neuroplasticity back in the late This is why it is important to take the time to be creative: draw, paint, build, write, playmake time to do what you enjoy doing, and watch your brain health improve! The same can be said for recent research to show that medications which enhance NDMA receptors have been shown to improve the extinction of fear in anxiety disorders such as panic disorder, OCD, Social Anxiety Disorder, and PTSD [29]. Fight By Dr. Caroline Leaf Access to extensive helpful resources from Dr. Caroline Leaf. By I appreciate your forthright opinion. She was one of the first in her field to study how the brain can change with directed mind input (neuroplasticity). But I was intrigued by your comment that No matter how bad things get or how sick we are, the peace of God which transcends all understanding is the reason we will not be overcome. How is the peace of God related to our thinking? Dr Leaf extensively references pseudoscience, and even then, misquotes or incorrectly paraphrases it. I would love to research this further as part of my MPH capstone. Whatever the diagnosis, there are many diseases that occur in people despite the best care that they can give themselves. Study 1s findings suggested that these 20 questions forming the Leaf Mind Management (LMM) survey tool have both structural validity and consistent reliability across both samples. Each of the six factors represents a set of knowledge, attitudes, or behaviors related to self-regulation and control. While on this subject, Im not your treating doctor and I dont want to start giving you lots of medical advice as it certainly isnt my place. This fear will cause more damage in the brain than no sleep at all, and can impact your mental and physical health. For instance, when it comes to connecting with others, oxytocin is an important bonding chemical, and is released in greater amounts when couples first come together. Lets continue to pray, serve and work to break all of the human chains that keep us bound in sin. I fear that epigenetics is being grafted onto such mysticism such that not only can positive thoughts heal, but that they induce permanent (or at least long-lasting) changes in our genome through epigenetics. I hope to provide factual knowledge so that people will have accurate information and the opportunity for informed choice. Did you attempt to collaborate with her and she rejected you? Landers, M.S. I find it odd, that we are comfortable taking mind altering, drugs that have a laundry list of side effects, but we are not comfortable following the advice of someone who recommends a prescription of prayer and meditation both of which the people of the Bible did without fail in order to experience peace and the presence of God. You did qulify your older writing nby adding: In fairness, the fields of neurology and neuroscience are vast and rapidly expanding, and it is impossible for one person to cover all of the literature on every subject. Amen. When it comes to our biology, it is so important to remember that everything is connected,and that we should always take a holisticapproach when it comes to our mental and physical health, and avoid magic bullets and one-shot wonders. Of course, you are not going to resolve everything perfectly by the time you go to bed, but you can choose how you want to go to sleep. Lewinsohn (1981) studied a group of participants before any of them became depressed, and found that those who later became depressed were no more likely to have negative thoughts than those who did not develop depression. So I sought alternative opinions, on the merits of Dr Leafs new doctrines, or enhancement to old doctrines. It does not determine our health. Nat Rev Neurosci, 2004. At the end of each of my posts, I list the references I have cited. Rev Diabet Stud, 2012. 5 Simple & Scientific Steps to Detox Trauma and Toxic Thinking But, something she said was quite disconcerting. Its always interesting to hear how people react to Dr Leaf the first time they hear her. Have their origin in the feebled thoughts and behaviors of mankind. These results strengthen existing research that has established the same relationships. And so on so on! The more than do, the quicker the truth can resist her lies, half-truths and fake science. Im not quite Pitt the Younger any more, more like Pitt the middle-aged (My sister, the unofficial family historian, as tried to find a connection from William Pitt to our family but hasnt come ups with anything definitive yet). Unfortunately Dr Leafs teaching runs contrary to any number of basic scientific principles and basic scriptural interpretation, things which an expert in their field would know and not get wrong. My daughter and I were conversing later in the evening about the day and something didnt set well with us this kind over matter business? Ive learned if I can get someone to talk enough, theyll spill their beans. Just because they are sharing something new theyve learned or just because they mention the name of someone who is involved in the charismatic movement, doesnt make them dangerous. All diseases upon this Earth. I asked if diabetes can be caused by stress and she said, absolutely. The data collection protocol begins with an email invitation, and non-responders are contacted up to three times by email reminders spaced by 5-7 days each. A little background.. Caroline Leaf said that we could change our body with our mind. She repeated the same statement in her most recent book so it is something she is confident in. Dr Leaf was also involved in a trial of her own program, the Switch On Your Brain with the 5-Step Learning Process in the 2000s . Jonathon Cahn I dont know him, but a quick search of the web suggests that hes making a lot of outlandish claims. Hmm? Im interested in what she said. Similarly, According to W.C Willett (balancing lifestyle and genomics research for disease prevention Science (296) p 695-698, 2002) only 5% of cancer and cardiovascular patients can attribute their disease to hereditary factors. Science is clear that genes play a significant role in the development of cardiovascular disease and most cancers, certainly greater than 5%. Caroline Leaf has spent the last 30 years researching the mind-brain connection, nature of mental health and formation of memory. Caroline Leaf is a communication pathologist and cognitive neuroscientist with a Masters and PhD in Communication Pathology and a BSc Logopaedics, specializing in cognitive and metacognitive neuropsychology. It is heavily researched and thoroughly referenced. WebDr. This step is like a mental autopsy. Here are the 5 steps: 1. Participants feedback revealed that the program made it easy to apply their learning in their work and school lives, and that they desired further future mindfulness trainings via this program structure. Incredible. Gather/input: read, listen, observe. Get hands on personal training from Dr. The other thing I was wondering about is why you blame yourself for your condition? on Also, my cortisol came back almost off the charts. Unfortunately, several churches are using the videos as a small group series directed towards people with no scientific background and frankly its embarrassing and wrong to poach on those who deal with mental illness in particular and claim quantum physics or science says her claims are correct and you can will your way out of a health situation by thinking good thoughts. Berrettini, W.H. Leaf but this would seem to give weight to some of her claims. This was the last lot of peer-reviewed research that Dr Leaf has done. I recently attended a women of influence confrence this last weekend in Anaheim hold with my adult daughter who is a graduate from Books university with s teaching credential. As for Heartmath, they advance the notion of the heart being a mini-brain to give themselves credibility. Alberti, C., Hereditary/familial versus sporadic prostate cancer: few indisputable genetic differences and many similar clinicopathological features. Just like a dirty house is a hotbed for disease, a polluted mind can be very unhealthy! Your writings and information are liberating and open and I thank you. A lay audience does not preclude providing references. Thanks for your enquiry. This is my most popular post by far. Is keeps you anchored in mental peace. This applies to myself and Dr Leaf. 23. 9(3): e1003284. Dr. Caroline Leaf Maybe you and the other doctors should be more concerned about ME as opposed to how much money Dr Leaf has in her account or her fame? How did a year of sheltering in place add to years lost at the end of your life? And dont waste your time on Caroline Leaf. How do I contact the Neurocycle Institute. Medicine and pharmaceuticals are wonderful and at time necessary, but they are not our Savior. Web Caroline Leaf, Switch On Your Brain: The Key to Peak Happiness, Thinking, and Health 4 likes Like Our mind is designed to control the body, of which the brain is a part, not the other way around. She tested my bloodwork, as well as my micronutrient levels and also did a saliva test to check my cortisol. 58 Suppl 2: S33-41. But when it comes to the impact of psychosocial stress and cortisol and health effects, it becomes more complicated, and Dr Leaf makes a number of assumptions that do not align with basic science. WebDr. Indeed, there are several counter-arguments against your assertion that thoughts are in any way connected with low mood or depression. Poor ppl who cant really afford to spend money on her products are buying them. Leaf she asked her to share the story of when her son was put in harms way in Rome when Dr. on Building up the brain is so important: it helps prevent cognitive decline (such the Alzheimers and the dementias), prevent the onset of depression and anxiety, and increase our cognitive flexibility and ability to think well. Blank. Link to this post: https://cedwardpitt.com/2015/07/22/dr-caroline-leaf-still-contradicted-by-the-latest-evidence-scripture-and-herself/ or to the website debunkingdrleaf.com. A critical step for improving mental health is developing non-pharmacological therapies that can treat anxiety and depression effectively without reliance on pharmacological treatments and the accompanying risks for side effects and interactions. Besides, if ANP were really effective at reducing anxiety, then why do people suffering from congestive cardiac failure, who have supraphysiological levels of circulating ANP [19] , also suffer from a higher rate of anxiety and panic disorders than the general population? Leaf and her team are amazing and continue to be very responsive to our questions to ensure we are fully equipped and confident as CFS.