By Brian Germain 

There is mounting scientific evidence to support the conclusion that the parts of the brain that allow us to engage in logical cognitive processes are inhibited during a fear response. This may be due to the channeling of resources toward the structures of the limbic system that gear us up to act with an empowered physical response. It is also possible, albeit thus far unproven, that the reason for this shifting of the balance of power of cognitive capacity is for another reason entirely.

            It may be the case that our logical minds are the source of doubt and other disempowering thought processes. The left prefrontal cortex is crucial for our appraisal of our abilities to cope with a given circumstances. When this part of the brain is de-emphasized during an intense fear response, our thinking processes become somewhat more illogical and therefore less limiting. If I look at a situation from the perspective of what has occurred in the past, I find myself limited in what I believe I can do. If however, I let go of these limiting thoughts and simply act without thinking, I may be able to crash through barriers that otherwise would have be insurmountable if I took the time to think about the situation from a purely logical standpoint.

            It may be that it is this softening of the logical governance of behavior that allows for possibilities beyond the given sense of self that has been formed by experiences of the past. I am able to redefine myself when I stop thinking that I know who and what I am, and thus I am able to expand. This is why it is so important to use emotion to our advantage, rather than throw it away entirely in favor of "colder" kinds of thought processes. If I allow the emotion to dissolve my sense of self in order to act without doubt, I can become more than I have been.

            Fear is a double-edged sword. When we allow the emotion to escalate, the alteration of our consciousness' toward negative expectation and repulsive thought patterns inevitably draws us deeper into negative situations because we are no longer focusing our minds on the creation of the best possible outcome. If, however, I use my powers of attention to focus on my internal experience first, soothing myself from the bottom up, while letting go of the thoughts that are making me afraid, I can then bring my attention toward constructive, solution-oriented thoughts. I can use the power of my emotion to my advantage.

Knowing what I do not want is the beginning of avoiding it, but the process is not complete until I use the power of my feelings to motivate my thoughts and actions toward solving my problems and creating a better situation. This process is made easier if I do not harbor doubt. This may be the reason for the de-emphasis of the parts of my brain that say "maybe I can't" and opens the door for "maybe I can".

            Logic has its place. If we are unable to think clearly, we can make choices that bring about things that we do not want. Nevertheless, it is the integration of our logical processes with our emotions that creates a whole human being. By letting go of the reins of logic enough to consider that something new can happen, we can become more than we have been. We cannot be great unless we allow ample emotion into the thought process to align our thinking self with our feeling self.

            It is possible that evolution has discovered, through the process of trial and error, that logic creates too many limitations to be the sole source of information when it comes to making decisions.  The brain has evolved with two separate halves for a good reason, although we are just now scratching the surface of why this is the case. If we are to use all that we are to become all that we are capable of becoming, we must allow our emotions to speak to us, and let the unsettling, seemingly illogical processes do their part to help shape our decisions. Without emotion, we are simply computers that are only capable of recreating the past. If we do not like the way we have acted in the past, we must use the emotion to shake our foundations sufficiently to transcend our limiting thoughts to create an entirely new set of possibilities.