THINK - FEEL Yourself Sick- and Well!
In his book, Descartes' Error, neurologist Antonio Damasio says: "There is a particular region in the human brain (prefrontal cortex) where the systems concerned with emotion/feeling, attention, and working memory interact so intimately that they consititute action."
Would this mean emotions are merely generated by synapses within the brain?
Neurotransmitters serving as stimulants for nerves, which in turn cause impulses to trigger organ secretion, blood vessels to alter their size or shape, and muscles to contract or relax?
This would mean emotions are the result of bodily reactions to stimulants perceived by the brain, thus, thoughts and external input may be the primary source of a brain's reactions.
That's a deep thought!
He also notes that person's with prefrontal lobe damage seem flat emotionally.
That's a scary thought.
Dr. Arthur Janol, in his book Why You Get Sick, How You get Well: Healing Power of Feelings, explains that it is important to better understand the functionof the prefrontal cortex of the brain, so we can begin to better explain emotions.
He suggests that emotions and feelings are memories, saved within our bodies as if they are bits of trivia; tossed aside thoughts.
For example, traumatized child may later in adulthood remember a resurfaced, intense sorrow and pain as unexplained depression.
Emotions also may directly effect the immune system.
Candace Pert, former chief of the Section on Brain Biochemistry of the Clinical Neuroscience Branch of the National Institute of Mental Health, discovered the actual chemical receptors that travel between the mind and the body.
In her interviews with Bill Moyers in Healing and the Mind, she states, "Everything you do is run by your emotions."
Her discovery is that thoughts and trauma do effect our brain, thus effecting our emotional responses and body process.
Very negative feelings may be in some way suppress the immune system.
"Chemicals that are running our body and brain are the same chemicals that are involved in emotion. And this says to me that we'd better seriously entertain theories about the role of emotIons and emotional suppression in disease, and that we'd better pay more attention to emotions in respect to health".
David Felton, Ph.D, professor of neurobiology and anatomy, discovered the nerve fibers that physically link the nervous system and the immune system.
He says in a Bill Moyers interview, "Studies show that the brain knows how to manipulate the immune system."
He may be referring to Robert Ader, Ph.D, director of the Division of Behavioral and Psychosocial Medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine.
He conducted an experiment which showed how mice, given a drug to suppress their immune systems, continue suppressing their immune systems after the drug was taken away- suggesting that humans could do the same.
Felon continues: "Loneliness keeps showing up in the studies as a predictor of diminished measure of immune responses."
Another behavioral scientist, Margaret Kemeny, Ph.D., at the University of California, agrees with Felton.
She states in a Moyers interview, "if humans could learn to alter emotional states, we might be able to have some positive impact on our body's ability to fight infections."
Okay, I"m convinced!
What is one to do with this information?
Emotional gurus, like Deepak Chopra, have described ways to harness our emotions for the betterment of our health.
Dr. Chopra, in The Path To Love describes riding our emotions as if they are waves.
By "letting go" and allowing our emotions to wash over us until they 'consume our being' we let go of suppressed fear, trauma and negativity.
Once released, we are able to feel the 'full power' of their effect on our bodies.
He says, "We make the mistake of believing that someting 'out there' makes us afraid, angry, depressed, anxious and so on.
"in truth, the cause of every emotion is 'in here' which means that inner work can heal it!
In her book The Inner Dance , Diane Mariechild says:
"Healing comes from the recognition that the person we can change is ourselves and we have the power to change."
Positive affirmations may be healthier than we think!
Take the time to FEEL yourself well. The Secret has been around for a long time lol.
( I wrote this article in 1996 for a newspaper I was a weekly columnist for called the Richmond Register, Richmond, KY)
Light!
Fawn