Technology is anything we use repeatedly and intentionally to produce transformation. In that light, prayer is a technology. Meditation is a technology. And gratitude — when practiced with awareness — is a spiritual technology that alters both our biology and our reality. From a neuroscience lens, gratitude is both biological and spiritual:

• It changes the hardware — the brain’s circuitry (prefrontal cortex, reward centers, amygdala).
• It upgrades the software — our consciousness, perception, and emotional regulation.

“Gratitude is the spiritual technology that bridges thought and manifestation.” Ernest Holmes

I remember one of my metaphysical classes when the teacher asked us to think of something for which we were grateful. We all sat there in silence. Then she asked, “Where do you feel that in your body?”
No one could give her an answer. It was in that moment that I realized: simply reciting what we’re grateful for doesn’t change consciousness. Gratitude must be felt to shift our perceptions, beliefs, and ultimately, our experiences.

Gratitude is not just an emotion — it’s a spiritual force that can reshape our brain and our life. Cicero wrote: “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others.” What did he mean by that? I believe he was saying that the practice of gratitude gives birth to a consciousness of virtuous living — not in a moral sense, but as a life lived in love, compassion, and joy.

Ernest Holmes put it beautifully: “When we realize that Life is giving us everything, gratitude becomes the song of our soul.” This is why gratitude is the fourth step of Spiritual Mind Treatment.

The Master Teacher, Jesus of Nazareth, intuitively understood that gratitude unlocks manifestation.
Didn’t he give thanks before calling Lazarus from the tomb and before multiplying the loaves and fishes. His gratitude most definitely preceded the miracle.

Modern research confirms what mystics always knew:

• The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) light up when we feel gratitude — the same regions tied to empathy, moral awareness, and value judgment.
  (Fox et al., 2015, Frontiers in Psychology)
• The ventral striatum and nucleus accumbens (our reward centers) activate, producing dopamine and serotonin — our natural “feel-good” chemistry.
  (Yu et al., 2018; PositivePsychology.com)

Gratitude is your brain’s way of saying, “Yes — more of this, please.” It literally rewires perception toward goodness and well-being.

In a 2022 study, participants who practiced gratitude writing showed less activation in the amygdala (the brain’s fear center) and lower inflammation levels (TNF-α, IL-6; Alkozei et al., 2022). In other words, gratitude moves us from fear to faith — from reaction to receptivity.

When two people share gratitude, their brain waves synchronize.  (Sasaki et al., 2023, Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience) We need more of this today.

Over time, consistent gratitude practice trains the brain to notice blessings before problems.
It “retunes” the nervous system to vibrate with appreciation — gratitude becomes our default frequency.

Neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman found that the most powerful gratitude practices are deep, emotional experiences, not quick lists — reliving or receiving acts of kindness, imagining how someone’s generosity changed you. (Huberman Lab Podcast, 2023)

Let’s try something together. Think of one person who gave you something when you needed it most.
Feel it. Let that memory flood your body. That is gratitude — alive, embodied, and transformational.

Collecting data won’t change your life. Practicing gratitude will.

Try these simple tools:

• Morning Activation: Before rising, name one thing that blesses you and why it matters.
• Evening Reflection: Write one paragraph of felt gratitude — not just a list.
• In Relationship: Speak gratitude directly to someone once a day; it synchronizes hearts.
• When Challenged: Say, “Thank you for showing me what I need to heal.”

“When you are truly grateful, you are no longer in survival. You are in creation.” — Dr. Joe Dispenza, Becoming Supernatural (2017) As we free our energy from struggle, criticism, and judgment — and choose gratitude instead — space opens for joy, creativity, and possibility.

Gratitude is not just a virtue; it is the Law of Mind in action. That’s why it is the fourth step of treatment.
When we give thanks for our blessing before it appears, the brain doesn’t distinguish between thought and event. Once we acknowledge it as already done — it must manifest. It’s scientific and spiritual.

But gratitude is more than manifestation — it’s healing. It creates health in the body by creating a healthier, happier mind. “Gratitude releases dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin — generating joy, calm, and connection.” (Nuvance Health, 2021).Cortisol (the stress hormone) decreases; heart-rate variability improves (Fox et al., 2015; Alkozei et al., 2022).

Gratitude tells your nervous system, “You’re safe now.” And only from safety can creation happen.

“To be grateful is to recognize the Divine as the source and substance of all things.”
— Ernest Holmes

Gratitude brings us into harmony with the creative principle of the Universe. It shifts us from separation to unity, from me to we, from fear to faith. As a spiritual technology, gratitude is both the practice and the outcome of enlightenment. It’s not something we do after life improves — it’s the technology by which life improves. It changes perception → changes chemistry → changes creation.

A Closing Practice

Place your hand on your heart. Take a few deep breaths. When you feel that alignment within, repeat with me: “With every breath, I appreciate the miracle of my life.”

“When you thank life in advance, you pre-program your destiny.” — Dr. Joe Dispenza

Living in Gratitude,

Rev. Dr. Rita Andriello-Feren, Author, Founding Spiritual Director CSL Kaua’i, Founder of the Red Dress Movement, Co-Host of the From Woo Woo to Wow Wow! Podcast
www.cslkauai.org | The Red Dress on Facebook