Neuroscience and Self-Esteem: Low Self-Esteem Can Cause Memory Loss

Self-esteem discussions can stir up debate, as there is no one hard and fast definition for what healthy self-esteem is or how to attain it.  From my perspective, self-esteem is the value or sense of worth that you have about yourself, your being, who you are. 

Most people still look to the opinions and judgments of others for this value they impose on themselves.  Also, commonly people look to their external accomplishments to define their worth as a human being.  I believe, to truly feel empowered in a long-term stable way, one has to have a sense of worth from their very core, regardless of outer appearances. 

This is really a spiritual quality.  Regardless of its source or how you define it, if you do not like yourself, or if you believe that old adage that “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”, you are more likely to have a smaller brain and degenerative forms of brain disease as you age. 

An interesting study was cited in the BBC News Online version, November 20, 2003 which connected low self-esteem with memory loss and a 20% smaller brain mass.  The lead researcher was Dr. Sonia Lupien of McGill University in Montreal. She is quoted as saying the she believes (as I do also) that if those with a negative mind set were taught to change the way they think they could reverse their mental decline. 

This is one reason why I have chosen to focus my work on building inner self-esteem and confidence.  If you stop and think about it, how you perceive yourself runs your life.  If I think I am unworthy of whatever it is, I will generate feelings and thus ultimately words and actions that sabotage my ability to obtain those very things. 

It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.  Understanding the neuroscience behind it makes it easier for your logical brain function to process this new information and thus to be open to understanding and using it.  Dr Lupien is also quoted as saying this very thing. 

She said “the fear of memory loss may be a self-fulfilling prophesy as anxiety leads to negative thinking which leads to mental impairment.  If you always think it’s normal to lose something, then you will never work to increase it because doctors have always told you that.  I’m saying that it is not normal”.  I could not agree more. 

And, this applies not just to memory, but also to your general health, finances and relationships.  Your thoughts and feelings rule your life.  Your level of self-esteem is based on your awareness or consciousness and this is a direct function of your thinking. 

There is an old proverb that says “as a man (person) thinks in his heart, so is he”.  As you can see this wisdom is ancient.  I did not need science to tell me this.  Science has its place and I find it to be useful when it can support these ancient universal principles, but I decided long ago that I do not need science to dictate to me what I can or cannot believe for myself. 

For me, the proof is in my outcome that I experience. If it is a principle, it will work whether or not they can conduct a double blind, long term study or not.  You could find yourself at the end of your life if you wait for all of the “scientific facts”.  Science is limited by the paradigm of the day. 

Neuroscience however, is certainly, to its credit, starting to show signs of progressive thinking.  The sooner we all can understand the importance of self-image and its role on our quality of life, the better off society, and our planet, will be.

The link to the original article is here