The recent merger of evolutionary neuroscience with psychology has shed a lot of light on how our brains work and the reasons for our emotions. In a previous article on this website, Mindfulness Meditation – How to Kill Your Inner Dragon, we look at the fears often generated by the primitive “lizard brain”, always on the lookout for threats, both real and imagined. In this article, we look at the emotional dimension of a later evolutionary structure, the subcortical region inherited from early mammals, and suggest practical ways to keep that little creature in us happy.
Knowing your inner menagerie
This acknowledgment of emotional legacies from previous evolutionary states, and the endearing animal analogy that accompanies it, was most effectively popularized by Dr. Rick Hanson and Richard Mendius in their 2009 book, Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom, although the basic concept did not originate with them. The brain can be seen as three layers. The deepest layer, the brainstem, corresponds to the earliest reptile brains and is primarily concerned with avoiding damage. (Remember that dinosaurs had notoriously small “pea brains”?) Later evolution of early mammals added the layer we now call the subcortical region, an area related to oncoming rewards; that is, to get food. The final layer, the cortex, came with the development of later mammals and primates, adding a concern for attachment to a group. So, in the analogy that can easily be taken too far if we’re not careful, there’s a small menagerie on our heads consisting of a scared lizard, a hungry squirrel, and a sticky monkey. We must be attentive to each of your needs to spend a nice day at the zoo!
Why should we be nice to that squirrel?
A squirrel with a good stash of nuts is a happy squirrel. Feelings of joy, accomplishment, and satisfaction lower our stress levels, boost our immune systems, increase our resilience, and make us more generous and considerate of the needs of others. One of Dr. Hanson’s recurring themes is that thought patterns literally rewire the brain over time and therefore we should try to program ourselves for greater happiness. I would go further and add, certainly in a metaphysical vein, that positive emotions tend to engender experiences that reinforce them. If you’re looking to experience more abundance in life, feeding that inner squirrel is exactly what you need to do to protect yourself from poverty consciousness that can trap you in a death spiral of diminishing opportunities and worse outcomes.
Mindfulness Meditation on Abundance
In order for that inner squirrel to feel “fed”, we must be aware of situations during the day where our basic needs are met. Rhonda Byrne Readers The secret You’ll notice the emphasis on cultivating an “attitude of gratitude” in these suggestions:
- Mealtime is, of course, one of the most obvious: be grateful for the food that nourishes your body, and recognize that literally millions of people, but not you, will go to bed hungry tonight.
- Breathing exercises are a classic form of mindfulness meditation. With each breath, be thankful that all the cells in your body are getting the oxygen they need.
- An appreciation for oxygen can remind you of other basic substances that we usually take for granted. When you take a drink (no soda please, that’s poison), be thankful for the water without which you would quickly die. I like to contemplate the fact that the earth is the most remarkable planet in the solar system due to its abundance of water, the prerequisite for life. (And if you really want to go to the city, you can think about the unique properties of the water molecule that make ice float on top of water, keeping rivers, lakes, and seas from freezing over and becoming inaccessible to us.)
- Once you begin to think of the earth as an exceptionally hospitable environment that meets our needs surprisingly well, you can derive feelings of comfort and security from the presence of plants and animals, the clouds in the sky, the warm sun on your skin, the floor. under your feet
- You may also be more aware of the man-made benefits that are all around you, meeting your needs. If you live in a hot climate, like I do, appreciate your air conditioning and refrigerator that protects your food from spoiling. If you have a car, think about how it saves you having to walk ten miles to the grocery store.
Hopefully reading this short list of suggested mindfulness exercises will get you thinking about your own. It’s quite remarkable how quickly these exercises can change the way you feel. Even if you are going through hard times, like so many people are right now, there is still a lot to be thankful for if we just shift our focus. Some people need a near death experience to learn this lesson; all we needed was a little squirrel.
