Creating Your Reality
Self-Brain Surgery™ helps you shape your world with these two powers
The Power of Intention and Attention in Shaping Reality
As I mentioned last week, Niels Bohr was one of the fathers of quantum mechanics. He once observed that in the grand play of existence, we are both actors and spectators. This simple but profound statement carries with it an extraordinary implication: we are not merely passive observers of reality but active participants in shaping it. What we attend to, what we focus on, and what we intend—these are the forces that sculpt our experience of the world.
William James, the pioneering psychologist and philosopher, put it this way: "Consciousness is at all times primarily a selecting agency." Our minds, rather than being neutral mirrors reflecting reality as it is, are curators, filtering and shaping what we perceive. This selective attention determines what becomes real for us, reinforcing certain narratives, beliefs, and experiences while discarding others. This is the fundamental principle underlying the neuroscience of self-brain surgery: the idea that we can take an active role in curating the landscape of our minds to cultivate better thoughts, emotions, and outcomes.
The Anomalon Particle: A Mystery of Observation
In high-energy physics, the anomalon particle remains an enigma. Originally detected as an anomaly in nuclear interactions, its peculiar behavior seemed to challenge existing theories. Some scientists speculate that anomalons may not be fundamental particles at all, but artifacts of how we measure them—suggesting that observation itself plays a role in what appears to be real.
In other words, the way we look at reality changes what we find.
This notion is strikingly similar to quantum mechanics' observer effect, where the act of measurement alters the outcome. If at the quantum level the very nature of a particle is influenced by observation, what does that suggest about our own lives? Could it be that the things we choose to focus on—the stories we tell ourselves, the beliefs we reinforce, the mental frameworks we construct—actually shape the world we inhabit?
Attention as a Reality-Shaping Force
James' insight about consciousness as a selecting agency aligns with what neuroscience now confirms: the brain’s plasticity allows it to adapt and rewire itself in response to our thoughts and experiences. The reticular activating system (RAS) in our brain acts as a filter, highlighting information that aligns with our focus and discarding what doesn’t seem relevant. This explains why, when we set an intention—whether it’s to find hope, cultivate gratitude, or pursue a new goal—the brain begins to notice and reinforce patterns that support that intention.
Conversely, when we dwell on fear, negativity, or limitation, our minds will seek out and reinforce evidence that confirms those perspectives. This is why chronic worry or pessimism can become self-fulfilling. It's not that life inherently tilts toward suffering, but that where we place our attention determines the reality we experience. As I’ve taught you in the ninth commandment of self-brain surgery, we get better at what we’re doing.
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Faith and the Science of Mind-Directed Change
Faith is a key factor in shaping our experience of reality. The Bible teaches us in Hebrews 11:1 that "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Modern neuroscience echoes this: our beliefs and expectations influence the brain’s wiring and function.
Henry Stapp, a theoretical physicist, proposed that human consciousness plays an active role in shaping physical reality through quantum processes. Likewise, my friend Dr. Jeffrey Schwartz, a neuroscientist and psychiatrist, demonstrated in his work with OCD patients that through mindful attention and intention, individuals can physically rewire their brains. His research on neuroplasticity affirms that belief-driven action has tangible neurological effects.
When we combine faith with action, we tap into a profound synergy between spiritual principles and scientific reality. Just as we are encouraged to renew our minds (Romans 12:2), we have the tools to reshape our thoughts and, consequently, our lives.
Intentional Self-Brain Surgery
The practice of self-brain surgery is built on this very premise: by deliberately choosing where to focus our mental energy, we can rewire our thought patterns and reshape our experience of life. The principles of neuroplasticity affirm that our repeated thoughts form structural pathways in the brain, strengthening the neural connections that align with our dominant mental patterns.
So if attention is a scalpel, intention is the guiding hand. When we direct our focus toward faith, possibility, resilience, and gratitude, we reconfigure our inner world, and in doing so, alter the way we engage with the external world.
A Call to Action: Choose Your Focus
Bohr was right—we are both spectators and actors in this unfolding story. We are watching reality play out, but we are also writing the script. James was right, too—our consciousness is always selecting what to emphasize, which means we are shaping the reality we perceive.
If the anomalon particle teaches us anything, it’s this: reality may not be as fixed as we assume. As the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:12, "we see through a glass darkly," meaning there is much more to reality than our eyes show us.
The structures of our experience are more malleable than we realize- your brain anatomy and function bends under the weight of our focused intention. And that means that the choices we make—the thoughts we dwell on, the emotions we cultivate, the perspectives we adopt—are not trivial. They are, quite literally, the tools with which we construct our brains and our lives.
So the question becomes: What will you choose to attend to today? Will you cultivate fear, negativity, and limitation, or will you choose to come alive with faith, possibility, hope, and renewal?
Science and faith alike affirm that our choices shape reality. Now is the time to take ownership of your thoughts, directing them with wisdom and intention—because the life you experience tomorrow will be determined by the focus you choose today.
Lisa and I are praying for you.
Dum spiro spero (While I breathe, I hope),
Lee
Psalm 71:14 ("As for me, I will always have hope.")
From the banks of the North Platte river on Moon River Ranch in Nebraska, USA
Share this message with someone who needs to learn the life-changing power of self-brain surgery, and we’ll get after it together!
We’re going all in on believing that we have the tools to change our minds and change our lives. Living from a mind-down perspective changes everything, and it will help you harness the transforming power the Bible promises in Romans 12.
And the good news is, you can start today.
Be sure to check out the archive of previous posts if you missed last week’s letter.
If you need a treatment plan to help you overcome any kind of trauma, tragedy, or massive thing in your life, check out my latest book, Hope Is the First Dose.
Note: If you purchase a book from links to Amazon from this letter, we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you if you purchase using our link.
Halfway through the book, doc. Just arrived at the treatment plan part. I was blessed to have the personality of Lucky Chuck, and would honestly choose what he did if my life comes to that someday. Can't wait to see my girl again though. Today's post will be saved and shared with someone who I know really needs it, when they are open enough to receive it.
STUNNING.