In Theology, “inspiration” is defined as “a divine influence directly and immediately exerted upon the mind or soul; the divine quality of the writings or words of a person so influenced.” My latest article is below on inspiration, the science behind it, and how it connects you back to Spirit.

Inspiration is an essential part of creativity and the creation process. Inspiration gets us moving in the right direction, especially when we are feeling stuck. In fact, we need to feel inspired to find the motivation to create something new.

In the emotional sense, inspiration comes from getting excited about an idea that’s new or different – something that makes that “light bulb” come on and motivates us to try something new.

But where does inspiration really come from? And how does it work?

In the physical sense, it all starts in your brain. It has a lot to do with the way your brain was designed to work and the science of neuroplasticity. This Lifehacker article discusses the science of neuroplasticity and how it connects back to inspiration, new ideas and creativity. In short, every time you have a new idea, your brain literally restructures itself and creates new neural pathways to support the fulfillment of those new ideas. And the more often you encourage this process to happen, the more you will experience new ideas and inspiration, because you are mentally and emotionally used to the process of neuroplasticity.

Another interesting post in The Creativity Post discusses two studies that looked specifically at the parts of the brain involved in insight and getting that “aha moment.” In this study, published in PLOS Biology, the anterior superior temporal gyrus (aSTG) in the right hemisphere of the brain showed an increase in activity when the participants of the study were engaged in activities that forced them to create new connections between information that was not previously related in their own mind, (ie. problem solving), allowing “them to see connections that previously eluded them.”

It’s truly not surprising to find that inspiration originates in the right brain. As we all know, the right brain is more active when it comes to activities that involve using your imagination, intuition, or artistic abilities.

Understanding how the brain processes and responds to new experiences and information as well how new ideas are created is an important part of understanding the science behind inspiration and creativity, but there is an entire spiritual side as well that is equally as important to incorporate into the process of creating.

New ideas have to come from somewhere, after all….

If you ask me, it’s not as simple as how the brain works. I believe the brain and its processes are simply the mode through which the information is passed to us. In short, I think both the physical and spiritual play a part in the process of creativity and inspiration, or else I wouldn’t have created an entire website about it. Without Spirit, where would divinely guided inspiration come from? I know personally, I would feel lost and probably somewhat depressed on a daily basis if I didn’t have new ideas and inspiration to get excited about.

After all, what is the point in existing if you don’t have anything to get excited about?

Part of living is creating. The more spiritually aware we are and mindful we are of our experiences and emotions and how they connect back to our spirituality, the more we will allow for new experiences and creations because we will be more likely to allow Spirit to create through us.

Science is even finding now that there is a connection between the neurotransmitters in the brain and an individual’s level of spirituality. In this Psychology Today article, there is a mention of a study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry about how individuals who have more acceptance for spirituality in their lives also have more serotonin receptor activity in the brain, indicating that “the serotonin system may serve as a biological basis for spiritual experiences.”

What this means is that there truly is a connection between your physical body and your spirituality. They are not two entirely separate things and it gives meaning to what the French Philosopher, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, said: “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”

Your spirituality is very much a part of you and should be acknowledged and honored.

To discount those ideas, insights and inspirations is like closing off a huge part of who you are. It’s not only shutting down your creativity, it’s also blocking you from experiencing the full capabilities of your own spirituality and what it has to offer you.

When that light bulb turns on and those ideas and insights come through just when you need them, Spirit plays a very clear hand in the process, either in the form of your Soul, your Spirit Guides, or other beings stepping into help you create and achieve what you want.

Remember, Spirit is always there waiting to give you the inspiration you need to succeed.