Mental health: the relationship between your brain, body and spirit

There are 85 billion nerve cells in your brain, only slightly fewer than the number of stars in the galaxy! But the real work is done by the connections between them.

There are around 100 such connections for every brain cell. Every time a tiny packet of a chemical messenger crosses one of these connections, something important happens in your head. These 185 billion connections firing constantly can monitor your temperature, move your thumb, or make you seethe with resentment.

Whatever your ‘soul’ or ‘spirit’ is, it is intimately connected with this activity in your brain – we are whole beings, not independent spirits hitching a ride in some passing flesh. Christians believe that the psyche (your self) is more than just your brain, but our minds are intimately connected with our brains. Those brain cells are important to your health.