The ‘Fight or Flight’ Response

Energetically the mind can be divided into the lower mind and the higher mind. The lower mind is our earthly, physical mind that processes everyday cognition and mental abilities. The higher mind houses our intuition and is related to our spiritual energies, connection and higher wisdom.

During the early developmental stages of humanity the reptilian mind was formed. It is strongly connected to our physical survival and the survival of our species. This part of the brain governs our ‘fight or flight’ response and catapults us into survival mode when activated.

The primary emotion that invokes the ‘fight or flight’ reaction is fear and the physiological response is to ‘fight’ or ‘run.’ In prehistoric times, the response was activated to flee from any potentially life threatening situations. Today, the response is still activated but may also include emotionally running (such as social withdrawal, substance abuse, or playing video games.) In either case, once activated the body will be flooded with energy and adrenalin to support the bodymind in moving away from any perceived danger or discomfort.

The higher mind on the other hand houses our calmer, gentler energies and is connected to our intuitive processes & universal wisdom. The primary emotions linked to this energetic level are that of peace, joy, happiness and love. Quiet, meditative states are just one way you can open up and access this inner tranquility & the wisdom held within.

Like anything, the more we activate and listen to our intuition, the stronger it becomes. This process is called self-realization or the Awakening (enlightenment) process. And as we strengthen our relationship with our intuition, other portions of the brain begin to strengthen as well. New neurological pathways are actually created to increase and open up our consciousness to these higher levels of awareness.

When we are in balance we can access great power by taking information in through our lower mind and then ‘feeling’ it against our intuition. All information is meant to be streamed through our consciousness via the lower mind and then relayed back to our intuitive processes to yield complete knowledge. When we can do this, the fear-activated ‘fight or flight’ response will remain inactive.

Unfortunately many people on the planet live in a heightened state of survival every day. When this is occurring we are restricted in our access to universal wisdom and guidance through the higher mind. The lower mind and ‘ego self’ may then get trapped in fear which blocks the flow to universal support, increased insights and awareness. The end result is a vicious recycling of fear keeping the ‘fight or flight’ response in active mode.

The key to maintaining balance is to watch what you are doing with your thoughts. Any time your mind creates fear you’ve just disconnected from great resources and activated the ‘fight or flight’ response. But if you can catch yourself as soon as you feel the fear, you can reverse the process. It’s as simple as redirecting the mind until you find thoughts that make you feel better and bring you more peace. As a result you will be able to disengage from the ‘flight or fight’ response and move towards greater expansion and balance once again.

So make it your mission every day to become more conscious by caring about what you think. Because every thought you have holds the potential to yield great power or great fear. The choice is up to you!


Warmest Regards,
Angela

Health on TV

I find it interesting how we have so many television shows that focus on illness. Just to name a few, there is ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ ‘ER,’ ‘Mental,' etc. It’s almost like we as a society glorify illness. And not too surprisingly, in spite of huge medical advances & amazing technology, the percentage of illness is rising not falling here in the West. Just thoughts to ponder…