5 Signs of Spiritual Brain Rot
You might have heard the term “brain rot”.
It can be used by younger generations, labelling their friends as digital zombies or mentally unaware.
AS words are important and share NOT only the language of the day but also reveal societal shifts, it is interesting to note that Oxford released the word of the year to be “brain rot” – the symptoms of constantly being online, with cheap dopamine hits and endless connections, leading to mental numbness, stunted cognitive growth, and immature social skills. (1)
But what does brain rot do to the soul?
Let’s consider…
ONE: Shortened Attention Span
With the endless amount of information at our fingertips, our brains will naturally rewire the trillions of neurons to crave short-form content that stimulates us.
This means we have a difficult time staying calm or embracing “boredom”. Real-world activities, duties, and chores become problematic. The joys of pausing to develop problem-solving skills and solutions are not activated because we do not experience the satisfaction of the instantaneous.
Spiritually speaking, we have difficulty hearing God’s voice.
We lose focus, or as the Bible calls it, to “pay attention” (2), meaning, we are distracted by the “now” and cannot hear God’s Word through the “Spirit of Truth.” (John 14:17; 16:13)
TWO: Cheap Entertainment Loops
When this occurs, we desire entertainment – information that makes us, keeps us, and brings us happiness. This is the “feeling” of cheap dopamine… hits from reels and short-form videos where our brains feel relaxed, and yet, they are not.
In fact, our brains are trying to sift through the millions (if not billions) of bits of information bombarding us each day, and in return, our brains are limited to focus (or to pay attention) on what keeps us “happy” and entertained.
And yet, these meaningless entertainment loops hinder us spiritually.
God’s Word, for example, is DESIGNED to make us whole, not just happy.
In reality, God’s Word forms us and shapes us for PURPOSE, RENEWAL, and TRANSFIGURATION (into the image of Christ). Information that is TRANSFORMATIONAL.
God is not for our entertainment, but JOY is - JOY in the LORD. (3)
THREE: Mental Fogginess
In addition, mental fog sets in. This means there is difficulty concentrating on creative intuition, relational skill sets, and healthy personal coping techniques, and a lack of focus on delayed tasks (as opposed to the instantaneous).
We EXPECT, because of brain rot (including spiritual rot), that God should ANSWER all of our requests, needs, wants, and desires NOW.
But this is NOT the case or the reality.
Relationships are not DESIGNED for the NOW (4)
This is WHY delayed gratification found in prayer, solitude, and digital deferral is imperative for hearing God’s voice in a constantly distracted, noisy world.
FOUR: Fatigue
All of this digital stimulation keeps our brains firing at full throttle. Our brains cannot rest, cannot process the massive amounts of information (which is categorized during sleep) we consume, and continue to “switch” from tasks we are being entertained with.
This causes not only mental fatigue but also physical fatigue.
With our research on Infobesity (5), high levels of digital consumption increase anxiety, mild forms of depression, and even self-harm due to our cognitive reasoning decreasing from always being “on” in digital spaces.
This includes our souls. Fatigue sets in. We are off-centre. We become confused and agitated. We isolate.
Ironically, Jesus INVITES a weary and burdened soul to a light and ease that is experienced when we re-center our souls to Him. (6)
FIVE: Boredom from the REAL
And last, we are bored with the real.
Real relationships.
A Real God.
Real life.
We rely on the NOW, the digital, the cheap entertainment, the constant information, and the artificial intelligence to navigate our way.
AND YET,
We are still lonely.
Isolated.
Craving the real…
This is WHY Jesus came to bring life and life to the full (7). A life that is NOT just about heaven but a life to empower people to reach their FULL potential on Earth.
If not, we are just following the brain rot of the day, which, in essence, leads to spiritual rot.
The soul breaks down.
So, where do we go from here?
Three thoughts for YOU.
FIRST, practice a digital sabbath.
Give your fingertips a break.
Turn off your digital device.
Go for a walk.
Pray and listen to God in Creation.
Develop a plan to read the Word of God – information that will inspire and empower you, not cheapen you and entertain you.
SECOND, practice consistently going to a community of faith.
Go to Church.
Get involved.
Build healthy relationships.
LONG TERM…
In this way, you will experience the BEST this world has to offer you.
Even the Psalmist, a person who practiced the Sabbath and Biblical community put it this way,
“taste and see”… (8)
Taste and see that life is good.
Taste and see that God is good.
LAST, get the book, Infobesity: How to be Followers of Jesus in an Information Overload World HERE.
Taste and see…
(1) https://corp.oup.com/news/brain-rot-named-oxford-word-of-the-year-2024/
(2) The Bible speaks of paying attention over 125 times.
(3) Joy is one of the most important characteristics of a follower of Jesus, even in difficult, trying, pressuring moments of our lives. Joy sets followers of Jesus apart through the historical narrative of the Church, which includes the indwelling joy of the Holy Spirit within a believer (see Galatians 5:22-23)
(4) What I mean is that relationships are not digital. People, including God, are NOT digital units, numbers, or bots to be entertained, consumed, and/or bought into our own selfish wants and desires. Relationships are designed to be deep, organic, messy, beautiful, and rich to bring out the BEST in us, not the WORST.
(5) Get the book from AMAZON.
(6) See Matthew 11:28-30
(7) See John 10:10
(8) See Psalm 34:8
