A New Technique You Can Try
I have been a student of psychology and neural learning for the last 20 years, because communications is dependent upon the processes of the brain. I’ve developed a number of communication techniques to capitalize upon the known workings of the mind, but it only recently occurred to me that the most important messaging of all is the internal conversation we all have on a regular basis.
As adults, we like to think that all of our thoughts and viewpoints are entirely our own, but that simply cannot be the case unless time has been devoted to thoroughly examining each and every one of them. Many of our most basic ideas were imposed by experiences and authority figures such as parents or other significant influencers from our past. Unfortunately, that doesn’t guarantee the ideas have any validity or applicability in our present day lives, and that can be a real problem.
These concepts, which can include basic and intrinsically personal beliefs such as the perception of self-worth, have been reinforced for decades and are virtually invisible to our conscious processing. A woman I spoke to last week inspired this article when she said she felt like she was becoming her mother. She probably is, because her mother significantly influenced her basic neuronal network, and she often reacts instinctively to situations rather than deliberating her response.
Every time we learn something, a physical connection is formed between neurons in our brain. These connections are reinforced with use and can become so strong that the neuronal sequence fires without any conscious effort at all. Typical accounts include riding a bike or typing.
However, the reverse is equally true. When a neural sequence isn’t used for a long time, the connections between neurons wither and disconnect. Examples of this include overcoming a bad habits such as smoking or swearing.
The most important aspect of these neural networks is their ability to trigger the hypothalamus, pituitary and other glands in the endocrine system. These glands send very powerful chemical signals everywhere in our bodies that can radically alter our mood, behavior and even the DNA of other cells. This capacity is what makes addiction possible, because the cells of the body become accustomed to these chemical releases and tell the brain to release more. It’s analogous to the signal the stomach sends when you’re hungry.
Road rage, which should probably be renamed temporary roadway insanity, is representative of the above process at work. Somewhere along the line, the road-rager learned to respond to routine traffic events in an irrational manner. As these situations are common experiences, the neural network was reinforced regularly and continued to stimulate the release of amino acid chains and hormones. As the cells of the body become habituated to the chemical release, it may seem as though the brain has lost control because the experience seems to be an entirely visceral reaction from the individual’s perspective.
But the brain hasn’t lost control. It’s just that the neural network triggering the thought sequence has become so strong and fires so fast that it takes conscious effort to prevent it from firing. This can happen with any set of thoughts that are routine, but not all sequences are innately attached to emotional responses involving the endocrine system.
Our internal conversations are therefore very important managerial tools for our happiness. However, there are thousands upon thousands of base-level neural associations that have accumulated over the years, and many are likely to have dubious value. It’s improbable that anyone could possibly detangle all of these logical connections for individual examination during the course of a lifetime or that there would be much purpose in doing so.
Is it okay to have a turkey club sandwich for breakfast? From the body’s perspective, it makes very little difference, but we’ve been trained to eat “breakfast foods” and any other choice seems strange and unacceptable. Some will even choose to deny the body’s basic nutritional needs rather than alter the pattern even once. That said, it’s implausible to suggest that eating a turkey club at dawn would make a difference in our level of happiness or peace of mind.
But what of the bigger questions such as your abilities as a worker, family member and friend? What about the appropriate response to being late, a perceived snub or being delayed by another driver in traffic? These and many more important daily decisions having a direct influence on our health and well-being are often left to the auto-pilot of prior experience without any conscious control on our part. Worse yet, these pre-learned responses can be downright crazy and dangerous sometimes.
The good news for us human beings is that the frontal lobe is the ultimate arbiter. By actively engaging the frontal lobe in any set of thought processes, the neural connections can be changed. This takes time and practice however, because the earlier neuronal network has become very strong with repeated use.
I’ve developed a procedure that’s showing promise in early tests. It basically forces the user to create a new neuronal network by stimulating the use of the frontal lobe. The process creates a fresh neural network rather than trying to break an older one, because the brain will not permit two mutually exclusive ideas to take hold. One or the other must survive. Repeated use of the method ensures the survival of the new concept sequence, because the frontal lobe has the superior authority. The subjects who have used the system have all reported higher energy levels and an improved sense of optimism.
People interested in trying this practice in their own lives are encouraged to learn more. You may email me to ask questions. In time, this initial offering may be expanded to include a clinical trial. There is no charge for using the system in exchange for your reports of its effectiveness.
Are you looking to command your thought processes? Have you ever wondered where a disturbing or uncharacteristic thought came from? If so, this could be worth a try. Contact me now.
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Is what you’re suggesting a form of brain washing? That what is sounds like to me.