The Belief blueprint: rewire brain circuits that shape perception
Taking some breathing space and having a quiet, rested mind for once, I can't help but notice the residual thoughts and beliefs that shape my reactions. A couple of years ago, I dedicated over a year to working through my limiting belief systems—it was intense, and I thought once they were gone, I wouldn’t have to deal with them again. While a year is a long time, it’s not enough for a complete rewire, especially with the constant pollution from the external world. From the moment we enter life, we are immersed in a web of cultural norms, familial expectations, and societal rules that shape our perceptions and behaviours. These belief systems, often operating beneath our conscious awareness, script the narratives of our lives, influencing how we see ourselves and interact with the world. Over time, these foundational beliefs become so intertwined with our identity that distinguishing them from our true selves becomes a challenge. Add a stressful environment and exhaustion to that mix, and thinking about what you are thinking about becomes the last thing on your list.
The Science of Entrenched Beliefs
Your thought formation is highly influenced by early caregivers—not just by what they say, but by the energy they exude. This first sense of safety shapes the environments we unconsciously seek as we grow. Our brains are wired for familiarity. Neural pathways associated with long-held beliefs strengthen over time, making alternative perspectives harder to access (Klemm, 2010). This neurological rigidity explains why deeply ingrained beliefs resist change—our brains prefer the status quo (Gazzaniga, 2008).
When confronted with evidence that contradicts our core beliefs, cognitive dissonance kicks in, triggering discomfort and a defensive response. Studies using fMRI scans show that challenging personal beliefs activates the brain’s default mode network (DMN)—the region linked to self-reflection—alongside the amygdala, the hub of emotional processing (Kaplan et al., 2016). In short, changing beliefs isn’t just intellectual; it’s deeply emotional and neurological.
System Justification & Workplace Stagnation
Why do people defend broken systems? System justification theory explains why individuals uphold workplace hierarchies and inefficiencies, even when they are personally disadvantageous (Jost & Banaji, 1994). Familiar structures provide a sense of predictability, reducing cognitive uncertainty.
Take the corporate world: many industries still cling to outdated spreadsheets, software, and workflows despite rapid technological advancements. Why? Because proper employee training takes time and resources. Investing in new hardware and software isn’t a priority when things seem to be moving fine. So, we wait—until we hit a breaking point and change becomes absolutely necessary.
The Illusion of Quick Fixes: Psychedelics & Transformation
In the pursuit of rapid personal growth, some turn to psychedelics, expecting instant enlightenment. While substances like psilocybin can momentarily dissolve entrenched neural patterns and offer fresh perspectives (Carhart-Harris et al., 2012), without integration and ongoing self-reflection, these insights fade, leaving core belief systems largely intact. Genuine transformation requires persistent effort, not just one-off revelations.
The Reality of Spiritual Growth: Embracing Discomfort
Contrary to popular belief, spiritual practices are not all about blissful states. Buddhism’s Four Noble Truths begin with recognising suffering (dukkha) and acknowledging that attachment to transient things fuels this suffering (Rahula, 1959). True growth involves sitting with discomfort—facing limiting beliefs head-on rather than bypassing them with feel-good affirmations or fleeting highs.
Having immersed myself throughout my life in various spiritual practices, I can confirm that true transformation is rarely a walk in the park—it’s often painful but profoundly effective.
Breaking the Spell: How Beliefs Can Change
Despite their grip, beliefs are not immutable. Neuroscience shows that neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to rewire itself—allows for transformation with deliberate practice. However, shifting beliefs requires more than logic; it often demands a disorienting experience, one that forces us to reconsider long-held assumptions (Seitz et al., 2024).
Change happens in two ways:
Gradual Rewiring – Through repeated exposure to new ideas and experiences, the brain slowly updates its neural pathways.
Sudden Disruptions – Transformative experiences (psychedelic therapy, major life events, radical shifts in perspective) can accelerate belief change but require integration to be lasting (Nayak et al., 2023).
The Cost of Stability Over Change
The brain craves predictability. Established beliefs and routines provide cognitive stability, even when they no longer serve us. This bias towards familiarity explains why people rationalise problems rather than change their beliefs. Cognitive dissonance plays a key role—if there’s a conflict between a belief and new evidence, the brain often modifies its interpretation of reality rather than relinquishing the belief itself (Kaanders et al., 2022).
Workplaces operate on a similar principle: outdated systems persist because institutional inertia is easier than change. Employees accept inefficiencies because questioning them is disruptive. In fact, people often defend dysfunctional systems more aggressively when they feel threatened—a paradoxical reaction driven by the need for certainty (Jost et al., 2018).
Rewriting Our Mental Scripts
To break free from entrenched beliefs, we must engage in conscious disruption. This means:
✔ Identifying outdated beliefs that shape our decisions.
✔ Seeking out discomforting perspectives to challenge mental rigidity.
✔ Integrating new insights through deliberate, repeated practice rather than expecting instant transformation.
Your Turn: Reflection Exercise
Think of the most frustrating situation in your life right now. Write down how it makes you feel and your immediate thoughts.
Tomorrow, I’ll take you through a structured belief excavation process—so you can start breaking these patterns where they begin.
Let’s rewire!
References
Carhart-Harris, R. L., Erritzoe, D., Williams, T., Stone, J. M., Reed, L. J., Colasanti, A., ... & Nutt, D. J. (2012). Neural correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies with psilocybin. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(6), 2138-2143.
Gazzaniga, M. S. (2008). Human: The science behind what makes us unique. HarperCollins.
Jost, J. T., & Banaji, M. R. (1994). The role of stereotyping in system-justification and the production of false consciousness. British Journal of Social Psychology, 33(1), 1-27.
Kaanders, P., Sepulveda, P., Folke, T., & De Martino, B. (2022). Humans actively sample evidence to support prior beliefs. eLife, 11, e71768. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.71768
Kaplan, J. T., Gimbel, S. I., & Harris, S. (2016). Neural correlates of maintaining one’s political beliefs in the face of counterevidence. Scientific Reports, 6, 39589. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep39589
Klemm, W. R. (2010). Free will debates: Simple experiments are not so simple. Advances in Cognitive Psychology, 6, 47-65.
Nayak, S. M., Singh, M., Yaden, D. B., & Griffiths, R. R. (2023). Belief changes associated with psychedelic use. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 37(1), 3–14. https://doi.org/10.1177/02698811221131989
Rahula, W. (1959). What the Buddha taught. Grove Press.
Seitz, R. J., Paloutzian, R. F., & Angel, H.-F. (2024). Manifestations, social impact, and decay of conceptual beliefs: A cultural perspective. Brain and Behavior, 14(4), e3470. https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.3470
