@Lisa Geath posted:If you eat a specific food, that will cause specific epigenetic changes. If you smoke cigarettes, that will cause specific epigenetic changes. If you use psychiatric drugs, that will cause specific epigenetic changes. Some of these epigenetic changes happen to the gametes. Many epigenetic changes happen to the developing organism starting from the time when the sperm meets the egg ie from the time of conception through one's entire life to the time of death.
Every experience we have impacts our bodies through epigenetic mechanisms which just means that promotor regions on DNA get modified so that DNA is made into protein to affect the structure and function of the body (or to prevent a protein that would otherwise be made from being made) in very unique combinations related to experience. This is necessary so that the organism can survive in the environment that organism finds him or herself developing in.
The genetic make up that we are born with (22 pairs of somatic chromosomes and 1 pair of sex chromosomes) doesn't provide enough variability to allow the human (or any biological organism) to adapt to the environment one finds oneself in. Every experience we have affects us via epigenetics.
Some experiences like the Dutch Hunger Winter have been found to affect gametes. I am not sure that good and reproducible science, has shown completely which of these gamete changes can be reversed by a different environmental experience in offspring.
Also - some people who have experienced trauma do Neurofeedback to attempt to calm down their nervous systems. I would like to suggest, that EVERY EXPERIENCE we have is Neurofeedback and operates ultimately through epigenetics. The most natural neurofeedback that all people are exposed to and the most impactful on the developing human organism from the time the sperm meets the egg up to the age of 3 is human experience.
It is through this human experience that the greatest contribution to "intergenerational transmission" (of behavioral traits) is made.
Brilliant!!!!! 🙌🤓🙌