Your Brain on Drugs: Equanimity
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Do you remember the public service ads? "This is your brain.
This is your brain on drugs." I am reminded of that image when I learn more
about the brain and its many marvels. To
a degree, our brains are always on drugs.
Those drugs are the hormones that regulate everything from perceptions
to emotions, from self-defense to mystical experience.
Last winter I discovered a powerful book: Buddha's Brain, by Rick Hanson and
Richard Mendius. I re-visit the book
periodically, and learn something new each time. I want to share some of those insights over
the next few weeks. I think you will
enjoy the glimpse into the brain, how it keeps us on track, and how to work with
that knowledge to build a better life.
The human brain is designed for happiness. It aims for a dynamic
balance between excitation and repose, between overload and boredom. Happiness oscillates between the energy of DOING
and the inner calm of BEING. Sympathetic
and parasympathetic. Amygdala and
anterior cingulate cortex.
Our evolutionary ancestors were not so happy. They scanned for threats and fought or fled on
impulse. The "reptilian" part of our
brain still plays that role in our lives. It directs the sympathetic nervous
system to protect our interests with vigilance. It pumps cortisol into the system. The primitive brain reacts to those drugs with stress.
Over time, however the human brain developed a cortex-the
seat of mental reflection. With the capacity to observe and evaluate, we grew
the capacity to determine whether a situation truly threatened, or called for
action. The parasympathetic system
makes sure we don't go overboard, fearing imaginary monsters or seeing friends
as foes. It suppresses cortisol and
releases serotonin: a drug that calms the brain, enabling it to respond rather
than react.
Watch the brain mindfully as it deals with your day. Feel the impact when it senses an insult and rises
to the threat. Appreciate the peace that
flows when the cooler mind enters the scene, sizes it up, and declares it safe
after all. The zone of clarity between
reaction and response is known as equanimity.
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