Module 2 THE BRAIN AND THE MIND

MODULE 2: THE BRAIN AND THE MIND

The human mind is made up of different levels of awareness and attention. It has areas dedicated to information processing, our daily decision making processes. It is intelligent, realistic, logical and geared negatively. However, it can only deal with a few things at any one time and is easily overloaded.

The subconscious mind is primarily concerned with our survival. It reigns over our emotions, imagination, and memories as well as our autonomic nervous system which in turn controls our internal organs. These functions are closely linked. The mind affects the body and the body affects the mind. It has a strong desire to function based on patterns established many times in early childhood and reinforced throughout our daily lives via our internal an external environments.

CONSCIOUS MIND

This is the part of your mind that gets to figure things out. This is the part of the mind that sometimes has a hard time walking and chewing gum at the same time.

The conscious mind holds our short-term memory, it is logical, analyzes our environment, is self-aware and the one that makes decisions.

In order to make positive changes and become mentally fit you must be consciously aware of the need for change, be motivated to get better, understand what has prevented the change until now and believe you can achieve the goal. We all know that getting your body into shape involves more than merely thinking about going to the gym. Mental fitness calls for the same level of dedication. In order to make these positive changes, the process of hypnosis is utilized to bypass the negative conscious mind and bring the suggestions directly to the subconscious mind which always hears, always pays attention and is anxiously awaiting instructions on how to help the proper way.

SUBCONSCIOUS MIND

We often use self-suggestion in everyday life in the form of spontaneous thoughts or observations. Thoughts such as "I cannot stop smoking no matter how hard I try", or "I’ll never be able to do this" are often powerful but very negative self-suggestions.

The subconscious mind holds our long-term memory. It is approximately 95% of our thoughts and beliefs. It is the most powerful computer ever devised. It is capable of running multiple tasks simultaneously, it does not judge, criticize, analyze or reject. It acts quickly but many times not properly. It is emotional and unaware. It does not understand nor have a sense of humor and takes everything literally.

Our subconscious mind also seems to be innocent and naïve. It wants to help us as much as possible and tries to help in the best way it knows how. However being on the intelligence level of a four year old child many times does not help us the proper way and needs to be directed but the adult mind.

Once something becomes familiar through exposure and repetition, it becomes adopted by the subconscious mind. We do so many things subconsciously each day that we do not even realize.

Some examples of subconscious activities that become habits:

1. Recite the alphabet - If you were to recite the alphabet it would probably only take you a few seconds and many people even sing it as a song as they recite it. You don’t even have to think about it consciously. However if you were to recite half the alphabet... every other letter... it would take you a much longer time because you are not accustomed to this and have to think of it on a conscious level, even though you are only stating half of the letters.

2. Simple addition and math - Example... As quickly as you can, answer these questions. What is 2 +2 = ?, 4 + 4 = ? , 2 x 2 = ?, 5 x 5 = ? Those were all very easy and you didn’t even have to think about them. They were stored in the subconscious mind for retrieval when needed. Now lets do one more... 86 x 374= ?

This one you have to do consciously.

3. Remembering your phone number or D.O.B. - Think about how fast you recite your phone number or your birthday because it is in the subconscious ... now think about how quickly you remember your friends or families phone numbers and dates of birth.

4. Driving. Think of the first time you sat behind the wheel of a car. You probably moved slowly as you adjusted the mirrors, the seat, put on your seatbelt and out the car in drive. Is this how you drive today or do you find yourself multi-tasking as you get in the car and begin moving?

EARLY PROGRAMMING

The initial programming of all language occurs from the womb to the 7th year. During this time a child's brain is running on Delta, Alpha and Theta brainwaves. Because the child must learn so much during this time, the brain acts as a sponge, taking in whatever it experiences around it as "truth". Before children turn 3 years old, they’re already forming 1 million neural connections every minute. These connections are formed by a combination of nature and nurture, especially “serve and return” interactions.

This is also the time we take in the information to help us develop our attachment style that will influence future relationships (secure, anxious-insecure, anxious-avoidant, disorganized). Children under the age of 7 have a difficult time recognizing sarcasm or irony, therefore they take things literally. This is the mapping system that lays out the rest of the person's life as it makes up the 95% of the unconscious mind.

Pretend play is a big part of how they develop their mindset of what is possible.

BRAINWAVE FREQUENCIES

Throughout the day and night your brain is producing a complex mix of electrical patterns or waves depending on your physical and mental activity. There are basically four main and several not so commonly used brainwave states corresponding to certain frequency ranges of the brainwaves. Your brain is constantly producing all the brainwave states simultaneously with one state being dominant over the others depending upon your mental and physical activities at that time. The following is a list of the brainwave states, brainwave frequencies, activities, and experiences that are associated with the given states.

Brainwave States

Brainwaves like all waves are measured in two ways. The first is frequency or speed of the electrical pulses. Frequency is measured in cycles per second (cps), ranging from .5 cps. to 38 cps. The second measurement is amplitude, or how strong the brainwave is which is measured in Hertz (Hz).

Beta - (12-36 CPS): Beta brainwaves are associated with normal waking exercises. At this level, the mind focuses on the five physical senses: Sight, Sound, Touch, Smell, Taste.

Beta waves dominate our normal waking state of consciousness when attention is directed towards cognitive tasks and the outside world. Beta is brain activity that is present when we are:

• Alert • Anxious • Problem solving • Making decisions • Processing day to day information • Studying • Playing sports • Analyzing and organizing information • Performing activities with mental alertness and high levels of concentration

Alpha - (8-12 CPS): Alpha brainwaves are present during relaxation, visualization and creativity. When we intentionally generate alpha waves and go into resonance with the Earth’s frequency. It is the place of:

• Passivity • Relaxation • No worries, fears or frustrations • Intuition • Inspiration • Creativity • Inner consciousness • Limitless time and space • Expanding awareness • Learning

Alpha training is most commonly recommended for the treatment of stress. This is a place of deep relaxation but not quite meditation where we begin to access the wealth of creativity that lies just below our conscious awareness. It is the gateway, the entry point that leads into deeper states of consciousness.

Theta - (4-7 CPS): Theta brainwaves are present during meditation and intuitive work. In Theta, we are in a waking dream or day dreaming, vivid imagery flashes before the mind's eye and we are receptive to information beyond our normal conscious awareness. It can bring you into deep states of meditation.

This is the brainwave where most of us:

• Begin to fall asleep • Control our heartbeat, bleeding, and digestion • Conduct deep meditation • Where brain activity slows almost to the point of sleep • Have access to super-learning • Can re-program the mind • Recall our dreams • Go into self-hypnosis • Increase creativity thought/output • Enhance learning • Reduce stress • Recover forgotten memories • Awaken our intuition and other extra-sensory skills

Delta - (0.5-3 CPS): Delta is the brainwave of detached awareness where healing and recuperation happens. This brainwave dominates during periods of very deep sleep, coma, or unconsciousness. During Delta the body has the ability to repair itself. Effective and constructive control of the mind can lead to psychosomatic health rather than psychosomatic disease. The use of our inner levels triggers intuitive powers and makes problem solving easy by eliminating the guesswork. Studies suggest that people using these slower rhythms of the brain increase their ability to:

• Heal several times faster than the normal rate • Have better control over blood pressure, muscle tension, and digestion • Increase their productivity • Utilize the intuitive powers • Gain greater peace of mind • Learn and recall information better • Maximize their intuition

Delta acts as a form of radar to help us seek out information, reaching in to understand on the deepest unconscious level things that we don’t understand through waking thought process. Delta provides intuition, empathetic attunement, and instinctual insight.

Gamma (36-44CPS): During Gamma brainwaves we are in a state of flow. Discovered when Tibetan monks were observed while meditating. It comes from the thalamus. Waves move from the thalamus to the rest of the brain in a sweeping motion. Compassion meditations can move us into Gamma brain states.

Sense of wellbeing and unity is present. Separation dissipates and we feel like we are one with our world. When we feel like we are in a state of flow or “in the zone”. Allows us to detach from the part of the brain that is responsible for location, knowing where in the world we are, therefore letting us feel like we are everywhere and at one with everything. Gamma brainwaves are responsible for:

• High memory recall and memory creation • Natural anti-depressant • Elimination of the fight/flight/freeze response

Hyper-Gamma (44-100CPS): Same characteristics as Gamma. During hyper gamma brainwaves we access deeper intuition and insight.

Lambda (100-200CPS): Accessed through certain types of deep meditation. Rare brain state. During the lambda brain state the right and left hemispheres of the brain are synchronized. This state allows for self regulation. Bodies can regulate temperature and other physical attributes.

Epsilon (0-0.5 CPS): During the epsilon brainwave nothing is emitted from the brain. This is a state of suspended animation. No heart beat or breath is detected but the body remains alive.

The high of the Lambda brain state and the low of the Epsilon brain state allow for the same state of consciousness. Epsilon takes us into awareness via a very drowsy state and Lambda allows for us to go in fully through a highly aware state.

Module 2 notes: