Season 3. Ep 71. The Healing Power of Stories

Video Version

Audio Version

Timestamps

0:30 A Story from My Life

3:00 The Power of Story

4:30 Physiological Effect of Storytelling

12:45 We Are in God’s Story

15:00 John’s Story of Meeting Jesus

18:45 The Authors of Our Story

21:00 Writing & Sharing Our Stories

24:15 Integrating Story & the Examen

25:00 Story Writing Worksheet

30:00 Sharing Your Stories

33:30 Praying with Your Stories

Episode Description

This episode of Physically Spiritual explores the healing power of stories.

Notes

Different styles of storytelling releases Dopamine, Oxytocin and Endorphins in the listener - “The Magical Science of Storytelling” | David JP Phillips | TEDxStockholm - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj-hdQMa3uA


“something happened in your brain just now when you heard that description of the setting for the commedia’s opening scene.  Neuroscientists have found that the telling of a story, no matter how simple, lights up parts of our brains that lie dormant when we process language.  In fact research has shown that the brain reacts to stories in the same way it responds to actual events.  When a story fully enters into your imagination it is as if you experience it yourself.  The more vivid and sensual the descriptions within the story the more powerfully its lessons, moral and otherwise lodge in the brain” Rod Dreher, How Dante Can Save Your Life, Ch. 6 - https://www.amazon.com/Dante-Save-Your-Life-Life-Changing-ebook/dp/B00T0GIBTC


“Our dreams and stories may contain implicit aspects of our lives even without our  awareness. In fact, storytelling may be a primary way in which we can linguistically communicate to others—as well as to ourselves—the sometimes hidden contents of our implicitly remembering minds. Stories make available perspectives on the emotional themes of our implicit memory that may otherwise be consciously unavailable to us. This may be one reason why journal writing and intimate communication with others, which are so often narrative processes, have such powerful organizing effects on the mind: They allow us to modulate our emotions and make sense of the world.” Daniel J. Siegel, The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are - https://www.amazon.com/Developing-Mind-Second-Relationships-Interact-dp-1462520677/dp/1462520677


John 1: 35 - 39 - “The next day John was there again with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about four in the afternoon.” https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/1


“God is not bound by time, nor is our story. We desperately want our situation to be solved. We want resolution. But, God unfolds the plot in His own time. It is in our months or years of waiting that our story comes to maturity. It is over a lifetime of stories that he turns our desire toward Him.” Dan B. Allender, To Be Told: Know Your Story, Shape Your Future - https://www.amazon.com/Be-Told-Story-Shape-Future-ebook/dp/B008TSC09O


“We have to begin by admitting our limit, that we are not the experts of our own life.  God who was there, God who is all knowing, whose mind doesn’t have the limits of our minds, God knows our story better than we do.  As we try to approach the stories of our lives, it's not a matter of recalling our stories, it's a matter of allowing God to tell us our stories.  It's not entering our past alone, it's entering into our past with God and sometimes with others.  Go to God to hear the truth about yourself.”


Story Worksheet - Adam Young Counseling - https://adamyoungcounseling.com/free-documents/

The Place We Find Ourselves | Podcast - https://theplacewefindourselves.libsyn.com

Andrew Reinhart

Andrew is the Parish Manager at Rosary Cathedral in Toledo, Ohio and has spent more than a decade in full time ministry. He holds a MA in Catholic Thought from St. Meinrad School of Theology and a BA in philosophy from the Pontifical College Josephinum.

http://PhysicallySpiritual.com
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Season 3. Ep 72. Ask Me Anything #5

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Season 3. Ep 70. Journaling & Healing