We are Only Recognizing 10% of Our Potential...and it's not what you think! (part 2)
Last article we got into the idea of modern society’s fascination with the mind and how this narrowed focus of attention can be detrimental to our well-being as it dismisses a large part of our internal experience. This segment extends this further by examining the history of our neuro-biological development, as well as addressing some of the cultural factors we currently are encountering which may be contributing to a deeper estrangement from our bodies.
Back to the Basics -- Reconnecting with Our Instincts
“Lose your mind and come to your senses.” ~ Fritz Perls (German psychiatrist)
This disconnect from our bodies has not always been the case. In fact, back in the hunter-gatherer era of humanity, only a few centuries ago, we relied on our instincts for survival. Without having access to this critical bodily-based sensory information, our ability to successfully track prey and/or protect ourselves from possible predatory attack would be compromised. Getting lost in one’s head meant death.
For the majority of us who live more-or-less sedentary urban lives, it may seem like these survival-based needs have become obsolete and non-relatable. Perhaps we may look back on our ancestors with an acknowledgment of gratitude for their perseverance (making our existence possible!), but that tribute quickly gets overshadowed with ‘real-life’ problems—such as ensuring we secure that next job promotion, figuring out between buying or renting a house in a bubble-market economy, and whether or not to jump on the constantly updating health-trend in nutrition guidelines (are eggs good for me or not!?). While the concept of going on a wilderness retreat to reengage with our primal nature may sound enticing, it can seem for many to be a quaint getaway from their pressing responsibilities.
So how does this information translate to the present, you may ask?...in more ways than you might think.
Our nervous system is finely tuned to our environment, informing us on whether to approach (fight), retreat (flight), and when all else fails, to shutdown (freeze). These subliminal impulses that stem from our instinctual-feeling programs are what characterize our likes and dislikes, our passions and irrational fears. They are the material which direct our internal compass for all actions that we make. This complex telecommunication system which is constantly running in the background, underneath our conscious awareness, is the unsung hero of managing our lives.
The good thing for us is, while many of us have become out-of-touch with this primal connection, I assure you it is not lost. A quick example of this would be when deciding upon going out to a restaurant. Do you do Italian or Mexican food? On the surface, it may seem to be a process of rational thought analysis, but in reality you are evaluating from your felt-sense of need and desire. This can present itself as one night craving Italian, while another night feeling ‘in the mood’ for Mexican. Another more meaningful example could be when you just ‘knew’ that your partner was ‘the One’, or that it was time to make a career change. Sure, one could take a methodical approach to this by writing down the pros and cons to any decision, but, speaking for myself, the joy and clarity that sets in after coming to these realizations is when you have an internal experience of it just feeling ‘right’. It needs no explanation.
Possible Reasons for the Growing Disconnect
So if our instincts, or mind-body connection, are such a primary compone