I began writing this article to share what is happening in the teenage brain and how we can support our teens as they develop themselves through this quickening of radical brain growth. however, deeper truths about awakening came out....as well as research on buddhist monks, the role meditation and art plays in the mind, and how to have discernment within the eastern subculture. (who would of guessed!)...so instead of editing it to be one way or the other.... I am posting it as it came out. I hope it is informative and enjoyable.
The Teenage Brain;
The frontal cortex goes through a huge wave of growth just before and during puberty. There are two primary waves of growth that happen in brain development. One is in the womb through 18 months of life. The other is during puberty through a young adult. There is an over production of cells during both these times. The second wave of over production right before and during puberty happens in particular in the frontal cortex part of the brain.
The second wave of over production manifests as a thickening of grey matter in the front parts of the brain. The “experts” used to say that the largest brain growth (therefore most of the changes) happened within the first 3 years of life. We now know through science that this is not true and there is a second wave. At age 6 the brain is 95 percent of its adult size. We know that the human brain has a window during these first years of enormous capacity of learning. However, the grey matter , or thinking part of the brain, continues to thicken through out adolescent life. Brain cells continue to grow and make extra connections.
The neuro-pathways in the brain during the teen years are doing two things. Some pathways are actually getting strengthen and others , that are not used , are getting shut down entirely. It’s a “use it or loose it” time in brain development. There is a growth and a pruning happening at the same time. Whatever pathways/connections are stimulated and developed during this time will be hard wired into the brain. Whatever is practiced and nurtured at this time will consolidate the wiring in certain parts of the brain and whatever is not nurtured the pathways/connections actually wither and die. This is natural. This is human brain development. There are techniques that can create new pathways in adults. Practices that actually flood the frontal cortex with energy. But the organic time of this second wave of brain growth happens in our teens. It could be said that this is a refinement process of the human ego. That the totality of experience within the first 11-12 years begins a major overhaul and transformation on the onset of the teens years. Refining itself, strengthening itself, pruning itself, exploring itself and developing itself with enormous vigor. The human brain is getting upgrades.
The pre frontal cortex is used in decision making, planning behavior, use of strategy, cognitive flexibility, organizing, understanding of consequences, as well as many other mental processes. This part of the brain is also responsible for emotional equanimity. Profound experiences of contentment and unity. A massive amount of energy is rushed to this area of the brain in order to fully develop into an adult. The over production (over actively) of this part of the brain in teens is an activation of the frontal cortex that is not yet consistent which explains a lot about teen behavior. This explains mixed emotions, mood swings, unclear decisions, the inability to foresee consequence of behavior, and the general awkwardness of teenagers all together.
we all know teens are learning and growing. We can visually see the metamorphosis they are undergoing. They are beginning to understand themselves on deeper levels. They are starting to dramatically individuate at human beings. They are learning about social dynamics and dealing with their bodies giving them hot and cold signals, so to speak. Everything is firing on-and-off on many levels, internally. The subjective experience of this is complex and difficult to navigate, naturally. Teens desperately need an increased about of nurturing and understanding during this time to match the level of change that is occurring within them.
Unfortunately human beings rarely get parented in a truly healthy way that encourages healthy ego development as well as expanding brain function during this vulnerable time. Teens are growing at such an accelerated rate, internally....naturally their behavior is not always going to be smooth and agreeable externally all of the time! They are going through a torrent of brain growth. Many parents deal with this in a purely narcissistic way, which is unfortunate. There is a tendency to butt heads with their teens ....taking a “me vs. you” approach.....rather then having empathy and compassion about the complexity of what the subjective experience IS of their teen. Education, as usual, is a huge key to healthy understanding.
This phenomena of the expression of teen life is not only in our current teens of today ....but it can be seen in the history of teen behavior through out time. Each generation has a funny expression in the world due to this brain activity. Look at the teens of the 1960’s, 1950’s, the 40’s and so on. Each generation has always had some unique offering (or perspective) that is given to the world as a result of this phenomena that happens in brain development. It is the essence of teen rebellion. It seeks to expand and offer new perspectives. It is healthy, natural, trustworthy, and brilliant in its own right. It is not that teenagers simply “won’t comply” with the social norm...or follow rigid rules without questioning them...or that they refuse to understand real consequence.....it is not that they “won’t”.....they actually can’t. The brain is still being developed and is shooting signals on-and-off that make the teen feel, behave, and speak in many conflicting ways. It also gives the teen mind an increased activity that can be harnessed and expressed as exquisite art, unique philosophy, dramatic artistry , enhanced writing, musical genius, dance and all true expressions of individuations in the world. It is precious time....our children’s teen years. There is a lot to give and receive.
This natural phenomena that is happening in the teen brain is also why it is vitally important that we honor them while simultaneously protecting them. They have so much to offer the world through this time in their life. They are also extremely vulnerable to being injured, damaged emotionally, or even exploited...because they physically don't have all the brain that they will one day have. They are literally growing it! Growing the part of the brain that is responsible for good decision making and equanimity at the same time.
Our challenge as parents of the teen is to give them the healthy boundaries and limits that protect them, while allowing them the freedom to explore themselves and the world around them. If we as parents rise to the occasion we will be able to see into the sprit of the child, to be able to see their brilliance emerging, and be able to nurture and reflect that brilliance back to them. We will help them nurture their natural skills, abilities, interests, and gifts....therefore addressing the development of the neuro pathways that are being hardwired during this time. That’s our job.
While that is happening we also have the extraordinary task of being something very firm that they can push against to test their healthy boundaries. We must help them learn deeper about responsibility. About looking into the future. About decision making. About discernment. and about discovering and uncovering their natural place in the world.
Parenting at this stage of child development is about helping teens grow into a well-rounded-human-being who understands that; in order to have Freedom we must be Responsible. We can teach our teenagers that freedom and responsibility actually go hand-in-hand and you truly can not have one without the other. This is essentially what we are doing as parents at this stage. We are supporting and breathing life into both aspects of this understanding of the human reality. As we look around this planet we can see that most grown adults know every little about this truth. Most grown adults have been acculturated in our society to un-link these two things. Our modern culture has un-linked freedom and responsibility in the human psyche. To un-link freedom as something that is separate and stands on its own is completely irresponsible as a culture....because, in truth, we can not separate these two realities. They are one. Responsibility is the other side of the coin of freedom. They can not be separated. It would take an entire article to discuss the many reasons why. There are real reasons why this happened in this culture and they are important to look at and correct if we are to continue life on earth. We are out of balance and the planet is dying because of this imbalance. There is something that happens in this sacred change from a teen into an adult that has been missed in our modern culture. It is truly a natural rite-of-passage as a human being and it is worthy to view the teen years this way. To honor the teen years this way, as well as , dealing with the mundane reality of life can be expressed and manifested in so many ways.....
It Is Sacred and do your dishes....It Is Sacred and speak your emotions...It Is Sacred and put your clothes away.
It is highly possible to parent in this way...I am doing it as are many many others! I feel honoring our teens in this way will raise a generation of leaders like we have not quite seen before on planet earth....at least in modern times. The teen years are the natural years to get this understanding about freedom and responsibility as the brain development is requiring it at this time. The frontal cortex is trying to understand this during the teen years and develop itself in a healthy way. It is natural brain development and maturation that will unfold if nurtured......But something obviously got lost along the way in our culture. What would our planet be like if each and every one of us received healthy nurturing, guidance and mentorship during these vulnerable teen years? What if this time was honored as a rite-of-passage? How might we be different? How might we relate in the world as adults?
In order to do this properly we must both; know who our children are at profound levels while foreseeing what challenges might arise in their unique path. This takes sacrifice on behalf of the parent. Too many to list! But essentially it is taking the time to Know our children's strengths and weaknesses. Knowing there the rubber hits the road for them personally in development in so many ways. We are there helping them navigate healthy choices and learn clear thinking because we are the ones with the adult mind! We must step back a little as parents and stand side by side with our teens rather then being out front as the trail blazer for them in the world. They learn through their mistakes , as we all do. As adults of teen children we need to have the wisdom to know when to let them learn through making a series of “mistakes” and know when to intervene.
As they individuate they need to be heard in new ways then before. They have a need for their value being reflected back and reinforced to them (as true and real) time and time again. Its different then when they were smaller. They need to have their unique input to be honored in a deeper more-active-way in the world. They need to be seen and they need to be heard in different ways then when they were younger. They need the reflection back to them that you indeed see them in all their brilliance! They need you to reflect back to them what-you-hear-them-saying and check in to see if you got it right. When this is done they feel heard.
When this is done the teen responds with renewed openness and they are open to the wisdom of the parent. When this is done the teen mind naturally understands they need to learn from you in profound ways as well as giving their voice to the world. It becomes more of a give and take in relationship then the prior parenting required from womb to 12 years old. Now...in the teen years an adjustment in parenting is required. It doesn’t have to be that big of a deal....its a simple one-step-back. A guiding of the child in a different and more intimate way , actually. Its the joy of seeing them flower as a human being in new ways. And a helping them balance themselves from 12 to 24 yrs old. This is the time they take huge internal heaps of individuation. This is simply the second wave of human brain growth.
It is quite delightful actually...even within the ups and downs of the teen life. It does not have to be horrible. If it is horrible..that is an inclination something is off balance and you need to adjust in some way. Give your teen more freedom or have more control over their processes. Make more sacrifices as a parent or enforce your own boundaries on what you will do and will not do for them. I have found that it is usually a combination of the two that is required. Truly we become the masters of balance as a parent of a teen!
Its a balancing and transmitting of freedom and responsibility. Sometimes as parents standing side by side we gently hold their hand in kind reassurance and other times what is required is a grasp that is so strong it grounds them, tethers them..... to themselves as a human beings. Steadying them...to help them think clearly and coherently. Allowing them and encouraging them to grow in their own unique way while protecting them from harm that has the potential to last the remainder of an entire lifetime.
In closing I think it is important to note that It is scientifically proven that meditation actually enhances the frontal cortex. Scientists have conducted tests on Buddhist monks who have a lifetime of experience meditating to see what is happening inside their brains during their meditation process. I have been researching the brain and meditation during what is called “enlightenment” in eastern culture. It is truly amazing what is happening in the brain. Without going into it much...essentially .....the frontal cortex is highly activated during meditation. Our attention (energy) is drawn way from other parts of brain and floods the frontal cortex. It is a flood that is.... steady, even, and a consistent energy there. This explains the experiences of unity, peace, and happiness in adults while meditating. This part of the brain is responsible for these feelings and experiences of unity and harmony within the human.
I find it interesting that both the teenage brain is trying to develop itself in the frontal cortex and that meditation actually shifts energy to this part of the brain in a steady and consistent way. The teen mind experiences .... stops and starts.... of energy in the frontal cortex. Much like a female body gets stops and starts of hormones in puberty. Estrogen and progesterone do not automatically start flowing in complete balance and harmony in the onset of puberty...it takes a little time for a rhythm and balance to be found in the female body. The teen mind receives energy in the frontal cortex like this that allows for the pathways to be strengthen and grown. In true awakening there is a steady force of energy lighting up that part of the brain....so to speak. So in metaphor it could be said that “awakening” is simply a balancing and maturation of the energy in the frontal cortex much like any natural energy process when it first starts. It could be said that truly becoming an adult carries within it the potential for the natural enlightenment process.
I think here is an obvious benefit to the teenage brain of the equanimity of meditation during this natural flood of growth. A benefit of quieting the active conscious mind to explore oneself at a deeper level that meditation provides. Teens are learning about who they are on multidimensional levels. Deeper connection to themselves....through paths of self discovery is beneficial this it the time they need it most. Meditation and the Traditional Arts gives them the internal resources ( self-soothing-coping skills )to drawn upon during this tumultuous time in development.
There is a transmission (of steady-balancing energy) that meditation provides the human being. It provides access to internal resources that are there inside each and every one us. Meditation reveals to us who we are. When we learn this we can draw upon this well of resource inside us as needed. Meditation gives us this steadying energy....as does all of the arts. Drawing, painting, writing, drama, dance, music, philosophy, and all sorts of balancing and enriching activities called the arts. I am not aware of scientific studies done on the human brain while doing artistic expression. I would imagine it might be similar. The profoundness in this research is the effect of calmed, focused, and quieted energy in the human mind that devoted long term practice provides. Or when the human body naturally has rushes of energy in the frontal cortex when it goes through this second wave of growth in the teens years.
however, I think teaching meditation in particular in schools is dangerous and should not be done whatsoever due to the many cultic groups who use the promise of teaching meditation to prey on new recruits. So , it should not be done. But parent who meditate and who have found meditation lineages that are healthy, real, and true might want to share this with their teen at this time to help with brain development. This research on quieted peaceful energy in the brain does point to the absolute vital part that the Arts play for our teenagers. We must fight to keep Art programs alive and well within high schools. We should be investing in The Arts so that all teens have access to art as a personal resource to moving through these developmental years. Teens need to learn from elders and mentors. It should be done in families and within the village that our communities provide.
Could it be that the human brain is actually trying to awaken itself completely during these teen years? That at the end of this second wave of growth in the frontal cortex there should be a consistent energy resonating from there? Could it be that the natural evolution of the human being is to enlighten itself as a natural part of becoming an adult? Could it be that awakening is so utterly simple as human evolution and somehow we lost our way in this understanding about life? This understanding about the interconnection of all living things? This understanding about our place in the world and universe? This understanding about our individuation where we experience our freedom in personal identity .....and how that ties into the responsibility we have to the greater whole of unity as a human race? I think there might be a connection there!
Only more research will answer these questions.....and of course continuing our meditation practice. There is no true spirituality without meditation. Meditation is embodying fully and connecting deeply to our mother earth. It is putting all of your attention into the interconnected body of being that we all share. For those drawn to eastern spirituality meditation has to be a central part of the lineage. If you have “spiritual teachers” who aren’t doing their work...you can bet your last dollar they are not fully awakened. There is no instant enlightenment...there is no super hero they are with the promise of one day you too become. There is no human being who is all-knowing. Enlightenment is more organic and connected to mother earth then that. Essentially “awakening” is literally more down-to-earth. Advaita Vedanta and all of its cultic offshoots are a seriously compromised path to awakening fully in western society. It is not helpful and is rarely practiced in its full integrity as it is in the East. True Vedanta includes serious attention to meditation practice. How ironic that when it came to the west, many baby-boomers turned it into a McEnlightenment fast food spirituality. “Hey, you don’t have to work at this...(responsibility) you can simply have instant Freedom.” Nope, sorry folks, it doesn't work like that. Nothing with any balance works like that. That is not in Mother Earth’s nature.
Enlightenment is the natural evolutionary process which we share with all living beings. It has a physical energy in the mind that can not be mimicked. Nondual understanding is a part of the process but it is not all-there-is in human awakening. It is not that simple. These kinds of reductions and over simplifications in eastern spirituality usually just shut the mind down and makes people dumb.
Your mind is actually your greatest ally in awakening. You don't want to dumb it down but rather awaken it. It is time we heal ourselves and do the work we are designed to do as human beings. Time we take our place in the ecosystem and return balance to ourselves and therefore the planet. A balance that is both honoring freedom in individuation and understanding our responsibility. Who we are within the interconnection of all of our relations. All of our relations must be included, our human family, our plant relations, our tree relatives, animals, oceans, air and sky, sun and moon. We are truly one. An interconnected, interdependent unified Being.....with an individuated responsibility as Human- Beings within that ecosystem.
In blessing for heath, wisdom and balance...cheers to the human brain!
Article written by Sarah Oliver copyright 2010.
