Dr. Joe Dispenza has an impressive background — studying biochemistry at Rutgers University with a focus on neuroscience, graduating magna cum laude with a Doctor of Chiropractic Degree from Life University in Georgia, and postgraduate education spanning neuroscience, memory formation, cellular biology, and aging and longevity.

He’s a New York Times bestselling author and a featured expert in the films What the BLEEP Do We Know?!, Down the Rabbit Hole and newly released, The People vs The State of Illusion and the Heal documentary.

After an accident involving a sport utility vehicle during a triathlon, Dispenza is also known as the man who miraculously regrew six shattered vertebrae of his spine by using the innate intelligence of his body — without the help of conventional medicine.

His physician told him he would never walk again if he didn’t opt for surgery. Dispenza declined.

Instead, he used the power of his mind, along with diet and physical therapy, to regain his health. Within ten weeks, Dispenza had completely healed himself and was back to work, a new man.

“Meditating is a means for you to move beyond your analytical mind so that you can access your subconscious mind. That’s crucial, since the subconscious is where all your bad habits and behaviors that you want to change reside.” ~ Dr. Joe Dispenza

The Incredible Power of the Mind to Heal the Body and Soul

In the 1990s, neuropsychiatrist Eric Kandel discovered that connections in a neural bundle can double with repeat stimulation. The finding earned him a Nobel Prize. During later experiments, he also found that if neural connections aren’t used, they shrink in as little as three weeks.

This is the basis for the concept of “neuroplasticity” — where, instead of the brain having certain developmental cycles (mainly in childhood) and a “set” structure, our brain is actually reshaped by the signals passing through our neural network at any given time in our lives.

“In the same decade that Kandel and others measured neuroplasticity, other scientists discovered that few of our genes are static. The majority of genes (estimates range from 75 to 85 percent) are turned off and on by signals from our environment, including the environment of thoughts, beliefs, and emotions that we cultivate in our brains.

“One class of these genes, the immediate early genes (IEGs), takes only three seconds to reach peak expression. IEGs are often regulatory genes, controlling the expression of hundreds of other genes and thousands of other proteins at remote sites in our bodies.” [source]

This is believed to be the reason for seemingly miraculous healings that have taken place throughout the ages, where our thoughts, emotions and beliefs are supportive of ultimate health and harmony.

Writes Dawson Church, Ph.D., author of The Genie in Your Genes:

“Joe is one of the few science writers to fully grasp the role of emotion in transformation. Negative emotion may literally be an addiction to high levels of our own stress hormones, like cortisol and adrenaline.

“Both these stress hormones and relaxation hormones like DHEA and oxytocin have set points, which explains why we feel uncomfortable in our skin when we think thoughts or countenance beliefs that drive our hormonal balance outside of that comfort zone. This idea is at the very frontier of the scientific understanding of addictions and cravings.” [source]

Dr. Dispenza’s research shows that, when we purposely translate a thought into a positive emotion, we can positively influence our health and healing. He explains that it all begins with an intention created in the frontal lobe of your brain, which triggers the release of chemical messengers, otherwise known as neuropeptides.

These messengers then send signals throughout the body, that in turn, are like keys turning genetic switches on and off. Take for example “the cuddle hormone” — oxytocin — a neuropeptide that is stimulated by touch, as well as feelings of love and trust.

With a little practice, we all can learn to efficiently adjust our set points — lowering our stress hormones, while increasing our healing hormones. Cutting edge researchers have named the sequence Dispenza outlines as self-directed neuroplasticity (SDN).

“The idea behind the term is that we direct the formation of new neural pathways and the destruction of old ones through the quality of the experiences we cultivate,” says Church. “I believe that SDN will become one of the most potent concepts in personal transformation and neurobiology for the coming generation.”

Stories of profound — sometimes miraculous — healing are peppered throughout Dispenza’s latest book, You Are the Placebo

Case studies involving spontaneous healing of multiple sclerosis, cancer, Parkinson’s disease, Hashimoto’s and more illustrate the incredible power of the mind to heal the body.

Take for instance a double-blind study that found participants were cured of crippling depression that had dogged them for years after taking, what they thought, was a strong pharmaceutical.

Incredibly, after the study concluded, a woman who believed she was “cured” by the antidepressant was told she was actually in the control group and had never received the drug, but, instead, had been taking a placebo.

Another study was conducted on a group of elderly men who were to receive knee replacements. After they went through the surgery, all had typical recoveries and improved mobility.

The thing is, not a single knee had been replaced. The surgeon had only made an incision to make it look as though they had undergone the surgery, when, in fact, they had not. The patients range of motion, mobility and freedom from pain matched those who had received actual knee replacements.

Even for those skeptical that such profound healing could come from changing our thoughts, Dr. Dawson Church reminds us:

“You have nothing to lose by throwing yourself enthusiastically into the process and dumping the thoughts, feelings, and biological set points that have limited your past.

“Believe in your ability to realize your highest potential and take inspired action, and you will become the placebo that creates a happy and healthy future for yourself and for our planet.” — Dr. Joe Dispenza, You Are the Placebo