Alternate Perceptions Magazine, March 2016
Career Predisposition or Genetic Memory
by: Jeanne Gripp
We've all had the occasion to meet someone who was a 'Natural' at something - music, painting, writing, sailing, carpentry. These people will often have had little, if any, training in their field of expertise. And yet, these 'Naturals' appear to have a talent which was born to them.
Could this talent have been written into their genetic code? Appearing in them much like eye color or hair color or height or weight? Are we predisposed toward a particular talent or career path because of the experiences of a grandparent or great grandparent?
It has been found that our thoughts, emotions, and outlook on life can influence and have effects on our DNA. And it has also been found that this information can be passed on to subsequent generations. Through DNA! The study of this is called Epigenetics.
Monarch butterflies travel thousands of miles each year to Mexico where they will spend the Winter. Three generations will have been born before the return trip is made in the Spring. How is this possible? Do they have on-board GPS? Or was the route pre-programmed in their DNA?
It is commonly believed that we are a culmination of our experiences and encounters. And while these will surely effect who a person is, there is much more to the equation. Events, Teachings, Encounters in previous generations - and not just one or two generations back, but possibly many centuries - can and may influence behavior. This study is called Behavioral Epigenetics.
Perhaps a person’s fear of water or boats stems from an ancestor who nearly drowned at sea. Or maybe the intuitive way a person can get around in the woods indicates that there were great hunters in the family tree. How much of what we know can be attributed to genetics rather than learned behavior?
But we can re-write our genetic code to suit our needs. The Placebo Effect is a good example of this. By simply changing our thought process we can ultimately change the bad to the good. We can re-write our DNA and any negative footnotes which might be included in it. But it's not as easy as simply saying, "No More!" We must first be in a loving, grateful, positive mental state to begin the transformation. Then, much like a person who is confronting their fears, the person needs to make regular affirmations about the change.
Yes, we are the sum total of our experiences, both good and bad. But those experiences are added to ‘memories’ of the past which are inherited. We have the power to make the necessary changes and over-ride the memories and traits we don’t like, to make ourselves better for the generations to come.
References:
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/genetic-memory-how-we-know-things-we-never-learned/
http://discovermagazine.com/2013/may/13-grandmas-experiences-leave-epigenetic-mark-on-your-genes
http://themindunleashed.org/2014/01/scientists-found-memories-may-passed-generations-dna.html
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/scientists-discover-childrens-cells-living-in-mothers-brain/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/researchers-discover-memories-can-passed-down-through-audy-desaubin
