Fate vs Freedom: What Biology Reveals About Our Power of Choice

It has been a longstanding belief of mine that we are the true creators of our own reality. This is as
opposed to the idea that we are a victim of our circumstance, and in some way helpless to the
unfolding of our lives. In my more passionate moments, you’ll catch me talking about the Law of
Attraction and the power of thought and intention. I believe that intuition is key, and joy a guide to
our success. I refrain from sharing my ideas too openly because I am aware that many still consider
them unconventional. I have felt that I had little concrete evidence to back me up should somebody
ever challenge me– but yet I couldn’t help but know intuitively that I am my own creator, meaning
that possibility is endless, should only I learn to harness my emotions and direction of thought. 

I was ecstatic when, recently, I discovered that there is concrete Scientific evidence that backs what
I believe, and this is thanks to the teachings of Dr Bruce Lipton. Dr Lipton is a developmental
biologist and author of ‘The Biology of Belief–Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter &
Miracles’ (first published in 2005.) He is a dominant instigator of the concept that our biology
(more specifically, our cells) are shaped by their environment. This understanding comes from
Lipton’s newfound research into the true workings of cells, and overrules the old way of thinking,
which is that DNA affects our biology.
I’m not much of a Science-brain, so it took me a while to get my head around these concepts. Bear
with me as I explore them in the way I understand.

I’ll begin with cells. Cells are the basic building blocks of all living things; human beings are made
up of trillions. Cells consist of cytoplasm enclosed within a membrane, which contains many
biomolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids. It was initially thought that the brain of the cell
was the nucleus, the nucleus being DNA. Dr Bruce Lipton concluded from his studies that the
nucleus is not the brain of a cell, for cells can survive without the nucleus for many weeks. If the
brain is removed from an organism, immediate death would ensue. DNA, therefore, does not
control the life of the cell. Dr Lipton deduced that the most important building blocks of cells is
protein, meaning you could say that human beings are made up of 70-90,000 protein parts. Dr
Lipton asks, ‘if protein is the machine, so what creates the life?’ In a word, his answer to this is
static electricity. Protein is made up of amino acids, where each protein contains a different set or
sequence of amino acids. The basic concept behind static electricity is that everything in the
universe seeks balance or neutrality. Opposites attract, and those that are alike repel. The protein
that is our cells seek balance in the same way. They will look for and attract complimentary charges,
and reject those that are uncomplimentary. It is this movement of the proteins (as they seek to
balance) that creates life, and the varying combination of amino acids that make each protein
unique. The movements that are generated by the shape-shifting of proteins create our biological
behaviour.

There actually isn’t sound evidence that DNA (our genes) affect our biology. Since the breaking of
the genetic code in the 1950’s, Scientists have favoured the concept of genetic determinism, which
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says that the expression and fate of an organism are pre-determined by it’s genetic code. I was
surprised to learn that genetic determinism was actually a hypothesis to begin with, and became
“truth” over time, despite the lack of supporting evidence. It is widely accepted (particularly in the
medical field) that certain behaviour or illnesses are a result of our genetic lineage and, on occasion,
spontaneous mutations. As Dr Bruce Lipton explains in his documentary ‘The Biology of
Belief’(2005) genes cannot self-activate, for the nucleus (which contains our DNA) has no
intelligence. The nucleus is only needed for the blueprint (which is just a pattern.) If a person were
to develop cancer, for example, it cannot be blamed on their genetics. The individual may have the
cancer gene, but the gene will remain dormant until it is activated. If genes were able to self-
activate, then the individual with a cancer gene would develop cancer from day dot. A gene is only
activated when it is needed. According to Lipton, there are no functions in our bodies that were not
already pre-existing in the biology of the single, nucleated cell (including digestive function, the
musculoskeletal system, and even the equivalent of a brain.) This means that each cell has the
potential for numerous manifestations, and I believe this is why some describe each individual cell
as containing ‘infinite intelligence.’ 


What activates a gene?

This goes back to Dr Lipton main point, which is that it is the perception of environment that affects
a cell. The cell is controlled by environmental signals that indicate what individual proteins are used
in response. The brain of the cell is the membrane, which is much like our skin. It is that sensitive
outer layer that acts like an antenna, picking up signals from the environment. These signals are
received via the cell walls (the receptor) and the proteins take shape in response, resulting in the
output (this being the behaviour, or the manifestations.) A gene is activated, therefore, when it is
called upon to create the cell protein. This is demonstrated in the table below:

[Source: Simone Matthews, universallifetools.com]

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 Our cells are adaptive, and we all have genes whose purpose it is to overwrite other genes. This
means that if you don’t have the right genes to handle the circumstances that are being perceived,
then your genes are able to be rewritten in an effort to adapt to that environment. Remember,
everything in the universe seeks to balance. We therefore have a greater ability to change and adapt
than we give ourselves credit for.

The important thing to understand– hence the ‘belief’ in ‘The Biology of Belief’– is that the picking
up of signals is based on perception. Dr Lipton says, “perception controls behaviour” and
“perception controls genes” (2005) It is our beliefs that are selecting our genes, and thus,
determining our physiological behaviour. Lipton refers to a camera, which I agree makes a good
metaphor for this concept. Imagine that you are looking through the lens, where the environment is
what you see, and the filter is our learned beliefs. We will view the environment as per the filter we
choose to view it through, which is our perception, but also our choice. The outcome is the picture,
which will compliment the environment that you are perceiving through the lens. Life has
everything in it, yet we will only see what we have perception filters to see.

Our biology seeks to balance at all times, and wellness is our natural state. Illness or disease will not
manifest unless there is imbalance in the environment.
What creates the environment? The environment that the cells live in and therefore respond to is
made up of the neurochemicals and hormones in our bodies. A neurochemical is a small organic
molecule or peptide that participates in neural activity, where the neural activity is the information
transmitted around the body via electrical and chemical signals. The endocrine system is
responsible for releasing chemicals and hormones in our bodies, and the frequency and amounts
released is tightly monitored by the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS.) The workings of the ANS
are unconscious, and are more tightly linked with the emotional and survival parts of our brain than
the rational, conscious mind. We can conclude that the 50 trillion cells in our bodies are regulated
by the ANS and that the neurochemicals in our body create the environment for our cells.
It is the balance of these neurochemicals that determines the overall health of our cells. This doesn’t
mean that we can blame the environment, for it is not the environment’s fault, but the perception
that is to blame. Most of us are born with genetics that are perfectly apt for living a good life. Our
issue, as Dr Bruce Lipton points out, is that most of our genetic rewriting is negative. In other
words, humans have a tendency to get themselves out of whack. To go back to the cancer example,
apparently 95% of cancer has no hereditary linkage. That must mean some serious reprogramming
of a cells natural expression goes on.

How we can ensure a healthy environment for our cells is simpler than you might think. For
starters, we can trust that the cells of our body are individual consciousness, and they know how to
achieve balance; it is a matter of allowing their natural ability to do so. We can do this by
developing awareness of our perceptions (our beliefs, emotions and thoughts.) We have the power

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to choose and to make adjustments. 

Earlier, I referred to my belief in the relevance of intuition and joy. Joy is a compass, for it directs
us toward our individual alignment to wellbeing. Ever heard of the adage, ‘live in love, and not
fear’? This provides for a simple rule to follow when it comes to ensuring an environment in which
our cells can thrive. Cells react in one of two ways to environmental stimuli: they grow (move
towards) or they seek protection (move away.) When cells perceive themselves as living in a good
environment, they will thrive. This will result in predictable cell behaviour and healthy expression.
Cells that perceive themselves as living in a bad environment will suffer, resulting in disease and
unpredictable behaviour. You cannot thrive when you are in a state of malnourishment, deprivation
or protection. The following diagram outlines the mental and physical environment that is created
as a result of our chosen response to stimuli:

REPULSION - growth + vitality ATTRACTION +

In conclusion, we have a choice. We are not broken, but we may feel so, and this is simply because
we are disconnected from the harmony and wellness that is our natural state. Science points to the
fact that we have an innate ability to heal, and this healing can begin with an awareness of our
perceptions in determining what kind of environment we are creating for ourselves.

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