Ep.326: The Brain Game: The Soul of Shame with Dr. Curt Thompson

As we begin our new series on the intersection of Christian faith and neuroscience, Dr. Curt Thompson, joins us. The stories we tell ourselves are often incomplete, incorrect, or clouded by shame. He reminds us we need to retell the stories we believe about ourselves using the framework of the Gospel and the new heaven and earth. He emphasizes the importance of being together in community and how belonging is the antidote to shame. Dr. Thompson is a practicing psychiatrist who writes and teaches about how neuroscience can better help us understand how we function in the world. He also is a practicing Christian and explains how spiritual practices are in fact tapping into the brain in a way that helps us tell these more complete stories. With humor and insight Curt Thompson reminds us that God doesn't expect perfection from us, in our work, our relationships, and especially our parenting, but he does want us to be present and redemptive in our actions. Being together in life, fully known by others, allows us to experience a full life of love and hope. Dr. Curt Thompson's books: The Soul of Shame: Retelling the Stories We Believe About Ourselves The Soul of Desire: Discovering the Neuroscience of Longing, Beauty, and Community Anatomy of the Soul: Surprising Connections Between Neuroscience and Spiritual Practices That Can Transform Your Life and Relationships Curt's podcast Being Known THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR Faithful Counseling We believe the goal of therapy is to increase both psychological and spiritual wholeness, and this can only be accomplished in an appropriate environment. We have also seen proven success in the affordability and convenience of online mental counseling. By bringing together a network of professional counselors who are practicing Christians online, we see unprecedented opportunity to help believers access the help they need, when and how they can best receive it. Sign up for Faithful Counseling HERE.