Jay Shetty & Dr. Joe Dispenza ON the Consequences of Stress and Overthinking

In this On Purpose episode, Jay Shetty welcomes Dr. Joe Dispenza, a renowned teacher, lecturer, and author.

He authored New York Times bestsellers, amongst which Becoming Supernatural. How Common People Are Doing the Uncommon. This week's episode discusses neuroscience, epigenetics, and quantum physics and how these disciplines relate to healing and personal evolution.

The Power and Danger of Repetitive Thoughts

Jay Shetty and Dr. Joe Dispenza examine the dual nature of repetitive thoughts. According to Dr. Dispenza, we think the same thoughts 90% of the time, which can be problematic when these thoughts become limiting beliefs. Unconsciously accepting a negative thought, such as unworthiness, can lead to a cycle of negative experiences and emotions.

Dr. Dispenza explains to Jay Shetty, "The process of change really requires becoming conscious of your unconscious thoughts." He notes that stopping this cycle may be uncomfortable, as it breaks away from the body's conditioned responses. Yet, it is a necessary discomfort on the path to change.

To confront and change limiting beliefs, you can start reconditioning the body and mind by becoming conscious of these negative thought patterns. Intentionally cultivating positive thoughts can hardwire new beliefs into our brains. Dr. Dispenza argues that by rehearsing how to act in certain situations, we condition our bodies to respond differently to external stimuli.

Dr. Dispenza told Jay Shetty that we could teach our bodies to feel emotions such as worthiness, gratitude, and love before they manifest in reality. He added, "You're actually changing your life by becoming worthy, you're generating abundance, you're generating love, you're creating an elevated emotion."

When we feel these positive emotions, our bodies believe we are already living the experience. This signals our genes to adjust to this new state and removes the feeling of lack we are trying to overcome.

Dr. Joe Dispenza reveals to Jay Shetty the incredible power of our thoughts and emotions in shaping our reality. With consistent practice, we can consciously shape our thoughts and generate the feelings needed to create a life of abundance, love, and healing. With consciousness and deliberate action, you can change your thoughts, emotions, and, ultimately, your reality.

Unraveling Stress: The Roadblock to Personal Change

Jay Shetty explains how stress can throw our well-intentioned plans off course. "If I'm trying to be a kind, loving, compassionate person, but I'm stressed out, I'm likely to be snappy, rude, and condescending," he told Dr. Dispenza.

Dr. Joe Dispenza elaborates on the relationship between stress and emotions. He points out to Jay Shetty that emotions like anger, frustration, jealousy, insecurity, guilt, and shame are all by-products of stress hormones. This disrupts our mental homeostasis and creates a self-fulfilling cycle where we focus on the stressors, preventing us from being fully present.

According to Dr. Dispenza, the only way to overcome this is by fully disconnecting from our bodies, environment, and predictable past to sink into the present moment. "If you are willing to see that thought is just the thought in your brain, and you're curious about what's on the other side of that thought, you're going to feel uncomfortable. But if you had some tools and skills to apply, and you were able to take your attention off your cell phone and settle your body back down into the present moment, that would be a victory," Dr. Dispenza explains to Jay Shetty.

Unleashing Your Inner Energy

Meditation is the key to achieving this state of present-moment awareness. Dr. Dispenza's extensive research has highlighted the transformative power of meditation in reconditioning the mind, enhancing brain function, improving gene expression, and increasing energy levels.

"We've discovered a formula that makes it very easy for people to do it; you practice it, you'll get good at it, just like anything else you practice," Dr. Dispenza shared with Jay Shetty. He further explains that to reprogram ourselves, we must disconnect from our bodies and environment and forget about time. This is the "eye of the needle" where we can make the most significant changes.

Dr. Dispenza conveys that we are greater and more powerful than we think. He explains that our nervous system is the world's best pharmacist, capable of creating better drugs than those in a drugstore. This includes our bodies’ ability to produce anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic chemicals, and pain relievers.

"Nothing is left to conjecture. Nothing is left to superstition or dogma, or even in spiritually old traditional words. New science is the contemporary language to demystify that process," says Dr. Dispenza.

Furthermore, he highlights the incredible transformations he has witnessed due to meditation, from people beating terminal diseases to others regaining lost sensory capabilities.

The Transformative Power of Inner Experiences and Consistent Practice

Dr. Dispenza argued that humans could influence their health and well-being through constant mental practice. He details the tremendous potential of the human mind-body connection to heal from various health conditions, even terminal illnesses.

Dr. Joe Dispenza told Jay Shetty, "People do the best with what they think is available." This statement underscores the idea that our belief in the potential for healing and transformation often dictates our outcome. His work primarily focuses on how our emotional state impacts our physical health. Participants at his retreats, fully immersed in an emotionally charged environment, can experience significant changes in their health conditions.

However, Dr. Dispenza warns of the temporary nature of these transformations if one returns to old habits and thought patterns. He emphasizes the need for continued practice to ensure sustained health benefits, telling Jay Shetty, "If they stopped showing up and doing the work, they would really not believe it was possible."

The Impact of Heart Rate Variability on Health and Anxiety

Dr. Joe Dispenza discusses with Jay Shetty the impact of breathwork on heart rate variability (HRV) and how it can influence our mental state, particularly anxiety. This discussion is vital as it provides practical techniques that listeners can implement daily.

Dr. Dispenza explains to Jay Shetty how the brain's attempt to predict and control life events can create stress. According to him, the key is to create coherence in the brain and heart through focused attention and regulated breathwork, even if it's just for one minute. Stress causes the brain and heart to function "incoherently," negatively affecting our emotional state and well-being.

When we focus on our heart and control our breathing, we change our body's signal to the field around us. This shift results in a more coherent brain and heart, allowing us to feel the emotions of our future before it happens. This process can manifest positive changes in our lives. By creating coherence in the brain and heart through practices like breathwork, we can reduce stress, improve our health, and change our lives in magical ways.

The Primitive Nervous System

Dr. Joe Dispenza explains to Jay Shetty the role of the primitive nervous system. It is designed to alert humans and respond to immediate threats or challenges. However, he notes that a continual state of emergency can drain you of your energy, leaving little for growth, repair, or long-term projects.

Dr. Dispenza emphasizes the power of choice in difficult situations: you can either let external circumstances control your feelings and thoughts, becoming victims, or choose to manage your reactions and become creators. This shift requires effort, challenging thousands of years of survival-based programming. However, with continuous practice, you can start making positive changes.

There are various tools that individuals can use to change their reactions to stress, including multiple types of breathwork and meditations. These techniques aim to help us reach a state of calm and focus, irrespective of external conditions. Although lapses are not a failure but an indication of further practice needed, persistent efforts lead to transformative changes.

Empowerment Through Inner Transformation

When we successfully alter our thinking and feelings and start seeing positive changes in our lives, we believe in our ability to create our reality. This belief is empowering, Dr. Dispenza asserts, and it's something no one can take away from us. Every individual, despite their past or present circumstances, possesses the capacity to transform their life. Once these changes occur, it becomes challenging to revert to old habits.

Jay Shetty emphasizes that every achievement and milestone we reach results from disciplined efforts to make incremental improvements. Using the analogy of riding a bike, he explains how minor adjustments in balance and pace can lead to significant transformations. Experimentation and avoiding the trap of repeating the same actions to achieve different results is crucial.

Cultivating Presence and Rewiring The Brain

Jay Shetty attributes his ability to be fully present in his personal life to his training as a monk. He emphasizes that it's not about being special or having superpowers but rather about training oneself to be present in every moment. Moreover, he highlights the impact of presence, explaining that our state of being affects all aspects of our lives. Yet, Jay cautions the listeners against selectively being present in emergencies and emphasizes the importance of maintaining presence consistently.

Dr. Joe Dispenza acknowledges that stress is a natural survival mechanism but points out that many people spend most of their time under stress. He encourages listeners to recognize the impact of stress on their lives and make conscious choices about how long they want to remain in that state. Dr. Dispenza provides an example of individuals undergoing health transformations who experience subtle changes but are not fully healed. He emphasizes the role of emotions and suggests that consciously choosing elevated emotional states can lead to profound transformation.

Jay Shetty shares a practical exercise he implemented to rewire his thoughts and responses. He wrote scripts for various emotional challenges, crafting positive and empowering statements to counter unhealthy thoughts. This practice played a tremendous role in rewiring thought patterns and promoting personal growth. Therefore, changing our thoughts and emotions is crucial to creating meaningful change.

Both Shetty and Dispenza emphasize the possibility of change and the importance of breaking free from the belief that we are stuck in our habits and routines. They encourage listeners to embrace the discomfort of transformation and ask themselves how they want to feel. Individuals can embark on a journey of personal growth and fulfillment by consciously choosing elevated emotions and challenging programmed responses.

Helpful Techniques

Dr. Joe Dispenza reveals the profound impact of breathwork in our lives. Through specific breathing exercises, individuals can tap into their creative life force energy and elevate it from the base of their spine to their brain. Regularly practicing these breathwork techniques increases brain energy, coherence, and consciousness. It allows practitioners to simultaneously attain a state of relaxation and wakefulness, unlocking many benefits for their overall well-being.

For those unable to attend his live events, Joe Dispenza offers accessible options to learn and apply breathwork techniques. The online progressive workshop course allows participants to grasp some of these powerful breathing exercises. Additionally, his book, Becoming Supernatural offers detailed descriptions of the techniques, allowing individuals to dive deeper into their practice. The website also provides helpful tutorials for those seeking guidance in their breathwork journey.

Jay Shetty and Joe Dispenza emphasize cultivating community and meaningful connections. Shared experiences and synchronized heartbeats within families, couples, or communities contribute to unity and well-being. By prioritizing community over individual survival instincts, individuals can foster healthier relationships and a stronger sense of connectedness.

"When we work on ourselves and find inner peace, we become better equipped to connect with and support others," Dr. Joe Dispenza highlights.

More From Jay Shetty

Listen to the entire On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast episode on “Joe Dispenza ON: Why Stress and Overthinking Negatively Impacts Your Brain and Heart & How to Change Your Habits on Autopilot” now in the iTunes store or on Spotify. For more inspirational stories and messages like this, check out Jay’s website at jayshetty.me.