A Beautiful Mind

Way back in 1983 I had my first encounter with a real human brain. After a year of dissecting a formalin-preserved body in second year anatomy, our class was treated to a morning of fresh brains to slice up.

Multiple layers and folds of a soft rubbery grey blob lay ready for scrutiny. This brain did not look particularly beautiful, lying splayed out on a table.

The power of the human mind is immense, the wonder of this structure is beyond measure and I have to admit that I finally have come to acknowledge that the mind is indeed beautiful.

Your brains control the entire physical functioning of your body; it has the capacity to reason, to think, to feel and to create. We may speak of the power and wonder of the human mind, but its beauty is so apparent when we begin to delve into its mystery.

Notwithstanding the accomplishments of modern science, there is an enormous amount that we as yet do not understand and I will not even attempt to delve into this vast realm.

Rather, let me share with you what we are capable of accomplishing with this powerhouse, other than exercising it with thoughts on how stressed, underpaid, overweight, unappreciated, overwhelmed and tired we are.

Your thoughts, desires, likes, dislikes, fears, judgments, prejudices, hopes and aspirations (all going on in your headspace) make up your worldview. The importance of these perceptions is that they not only affect your mind but also your body. They become encoded into your physical self. Every time you have a thought, a chemical messenger in the form of a nerve protein (neuropeptide) is produced. When your thoughts are critical, angry, judgmental and bitter, the nerve protein produced actually depresses your immune system. When your thoughts are loving, empowering and positive, the neuropeptide produced has the capacity to boost immunity, in turn activating healing and wellbeing.

This has allowed us to understand why chronically depressed people are four times more likely to become seriously ill, or why following retirement the incidence of cancer or a sudden heart attack quadruples in men.

The mental state (what goes on in that rubbery grey blob) gets converted into chemicals that can either heal or destroy the body. The reality is that the mind and body are not separate entities, but one complete design. Viewed through the lens of 21st century science, your thought patterns and emotions affect your body as clearly as obesity and physical fitness. The brain is the source of these states and is the gateway to all the organs of the body.

The real complaints and maladies of our ‘age’, including fatigue, exhaustion, and depression often caused by huge overload and stress, are really intense symptoms of the mind-body channel. Yes, there are many physical illnesses and conditions that may have nothing to do with the mind, but how your mind processes the experience can worsen or help heal the condition. This does not mean you can control your 80 000 thoughts a day – that’s impossible. Nevertheless, you are able to transform some of the ramblings of your mind.

By utilizing a simple technique to quiet what I call the F-ing state (fast, furious, frazzled, frenetic, frenzy), you can begin to achieve not only peace of mind but also a robust body. In fact, it is also the basis of sexual fantasy and you can use it to enhance your libido. Haven’t you heard that joke, what is a woman’s most erotic zone? It’s true, you do process the sexual experience, very powerfully, through your mind.

These are some of the reasons to learn a technique in the field of reflective technology. It does not have to be a complicated process. Simple breathing exercises, visualizations, yoga, Tai Chi and especially transcendental or mindfulness meditation. One can even use programs such as biofeedback (a technique using signals from your own body) or what is called autogenic meditation (similar to self-hypnosis – learning to put oneself into a relaxed state). These techniques are designed to induce relaxation, release muscle tension, clear your mind and enhance your body’s healing potential.

So continue to use that grey blob for work and creative endeavors, but choose to fill it too with refreshing, inspiring, stimulating and beautiful thoughts.