Emotions and Embodiment

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The most wasted of all days is one without laughter. ~ e e cummings

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[Jana]

I pulled the emotional subdiscussion over here if you wish to join.

According to Randolph Nesse and George Williams in Evolution and Healing, most mental illnesses are emotional disorders. “…each emotion is a specialized state that simultaneously adjusts cognition, physiology, subjective experience and behavior, so that the organism can respond effectively in a particular kind of situation. In this sense, an emotion is like a computer program that adjusts many aspects of the machine to cope efficiently with the challenges that arise in a particular kind of situation.” The suggestion is that emotions are Darwinian algorithms of the mind that where shaped over the course of evolution by recurring situations that shape specific patterns of preparedness and response. We respond positively and negatively to different situations with the underlying biological motivation of maximizing the transmission of our genes.


The limbic system is the seat of value judgments, rather than the more advanced neocortex. Receptors for neuropeptides and neurotransmitters are also on the cell walls, showing an intimate association between emotion, health, immunity and well-being. Subconscious denial, limiting beliefs or disconnection from emotions cause the suppressed emotional charge to lodge in the tissues. This reduced energetic flow of consciousness builds to construct the armor of the ego, a process in which sentience is reduced through numbing, pain and contraction. Energy is conserved, so that which is used in building ego-armor is not available for communion with Spirit. This armoring constitutes the first leg of the individual and species journey…that of the descent of spirit into Matter. Awakening, enlightenment and spiritual exercise represent the second leg of the journey, the return of consciousness to Spirit.

[Francis]

Evolution is about adaptation to the environment. Those that are best adapted to the circumstances in their environment and can therefore best compete for the available resources are the most evolved. If the circumstances change, those that can readapt (evolve) the fastest are the most ‘fit’. This is my impression of the idea of evolution as I understand it based on Darwin’s study of Galapagos finches and other species. 

This brings up an important point: evolution favors those that can adapt the quickest. That is, when circumstances change dramatically (which happens from time to time), adaptability makes the difference between survival and extinction.

As Sapolsky points out, we seem to have an important survival mechanism (fear) that bathes the brain in stress chemicals. Fear causes stress, right?  Too much fear response is bad, but not enough is perhaps even worse. For example if you’re being chased by a lion, the stress chemicals include adrenaline that helps give your muscles quick energy, which could help save your hide. This is the problem that Sapolsky’s work seems to be alluding to. It seems that modern man is poorly adapted to his modern world. Now that we can fashion the environment to partially conform to our wishes, we still have these old fashioned, anachronistic and automatic responses.

Fear is the big emotion on campus. Joy is the other player. Or perhaps it’s ‘longing for joy.’ Either way, people are manipulated by emotions during every second of every day. Good topic.

[Jana]

"It seems that modern man is poorly adapted to his modern world. Now that we can fashion the environment to partially conform to our wishes, we still have these old fashioned, anachronistic and automatic responses."

I am reading Up from Eden after finishing the Fall. The Introduction is so lofty I will leave that till the end. Written in 1980. Man that dude can write. The exquisite charm of words.

It is apparent that we cannot play dumb anymore, and we are going to have to shape our culture up to conform to our evolutionary needs. To do otherwise is species suicide.

This is why I was disappointed with the Obama speech...for it was old paradigm; some soundbites come directly from CIA brainwash training. America is still in its sickness and is more dangerous now as the cancer has gone underground.

[Francis]

Emotion is initiated when action is inhibited ~ Pribram

The only way this fits with my model is if we think of emotion as a prism that divides the Prime Impulse into three channels: fear, longing and bypass. Bypass is uninhibited primal discharge, no second thoughts, just act. Fear and longing both activate all kinds of side channels, the upshot of which, is a series of thoughts and secondary feelings. The secondary feelings and the thoughts intermingle in a tangled mass, eventually coming out as affected, partially-inhibited behavior.

Needs some work but I like it.

[Jana]

Yea this hints at "no mind" and yet most of us are light years away from Flow.

One could say the ego IS conflict or dissonance. Stress occurs when the body's normal homeostasis has been disturbed. Synchronized and rhythmic action potential discharge (around 40Hz) may increase the postsynaptic impact of neurons, increasing their punch without necessarily altering their firing rate. This whole brain synchronization might be one of the components of Flow. On could say that Flow is when there is adequate integration and freedom from conflict/stress that the instrument of consciousness is given over to pure experience.

Negative emotions are associated with cortisol, adenosine GMP and monoamine oxydase (MAO) which breaks down serotonin.

In regards to stress or injury, the function of adenosine is primarily that of cytoprotection preventing tissue damage during instances of hypoxia, ischemia, and seizure activity.
cGMP is a common regulator of ion channel conductance, glycogenolysis, and cellular apoptosis. It also relaxes smooth muscle tissues. In blood vessels, relaxation of vascular smooth muscles lead to vasodilation and increased blood flow.

[Francis]

Thalamo-cortico-thalamic circuits consist of looped neural pathways that connect the thalamus to the cerebral cortex, and connect the cerebral cortex back to the thalamus. Some researchers propose that such circuits allow the brain to obtain data on its own activity, making self-awareness possible.

The thalamus also plays an important role in regulating states of sleep and wakefulness.Thalamic nuclei have strong reciprocal connections with the cerebral cortex, forming thalamo-cortico-thalamic circuits that are believed to be involved with consciousness. The thalamus plays a major role in regulating arousal, the level of awareness, and activity. Damage to the thalamus can lead to permanent coma.

The cerebral cortex is a structure within the brain that plays a key role in memory, attention, perceptual awareness, thought, language, and consciousness.
The circuitry of the basal ganglia is often divided into two major pathways, the direct pathway and the indirect pathway:

Direct: Cortical activity that excites cells in the striatum that participate in the direct pathway leads to inhibition of areas of the GPi and SNr, which in turn removes their tonic inhibition from the thalamus. I.e. activates the thalamus

Indirect: Cortical activity that excites the striatal cells in the indirect pathway is thought to inhibit the thalamus (by inhibiting the disinhibition). I.e. deactivates the thalamus.
~ wiki

Inhibiting the disinhibition!! What a way to say "inhibits" anyway this is perhaps the "bypass" route I'm hypothesizing.

[Jana]

Inhibiting the disinhibition! Yes this is the means by which the rejection-shock response anaesthetizes the bridge between the hemispheres in times of social or survival stress, to ensure that the analytic, strategic planning faculties are not rendered numb by sharp emotional response. It is the constant triggering of this mechanism in the course of our daily life in a stressed, competitive society that shuts our higher human capacities down - decapitating our spiritual, visionary and creative lives. Our automatic, innate protection from hurt then becomes our prison that ties us helpless to the ocean of collective dysfunction. As each person sends out their barbs, we can remind ourselves to be compassionate for them because they are shitting in their living-water. But the practicalities of this type of behavior is that they will hate you for giving them the experience of poisoning themselves. So I am not sure what the correct response is to abuse, other than to defuse the chemistry in oneself through running and compassionate understanding of the sickness that pervades the species in certain cultures.

A girl who is doing my workshops said: "With the society being so neurotic (in my eyes), it's so easy to fall away from oneself."

GABA provides fast inhibition of the forebrain, while Glutamate produces fast activation of the forebrain and NMDA is slightly slower and important for plasticity.

[Francis]

Action is not the only way in which an organism can achieve variety in control. The possibility exists that he may cope by exerting self control, i.e., he may make internal adjustments with his neurological system, adjustments that will lead to reequilibration without recourse to action. My thesis will be that it is these internal adjustments that are felt as emotions….

The results suggest that the organism has at least two ways in which he can internally adjust to control his uncertainty, neither of which entail behavioral action. One way is to increase the rate at which he processes information, the other is to decrease the rate. One mechanism ‘opens’ the organism to input, the other restricts input. Coping by way of internal control can thus be attempted in at least two ways: either through enhanced monitoring of the external environment or by minimizing the external and focusing on internal configurations. ~ Languages of the Brain pp 208-211

Jana, you must be doing something right. Pray tell: How do I get more girls in my workshop?

 

[Jana]

Develop a modality that involves Tarot and the body and feeling and you will get all the 20s girls you want. This age group are the most awake here in town.
Your modality has to be a genuine advancement that arises from body-grokking, I am sure you could arrive at something. You might want to look into Judith Stone and her body dialogue
www.voicedialogueconnection.com/boulderconnections.htm
She has a CD for sale in the bookstore. There is a foundations course coming up in April if you want to do that you can stay with me.

[Francis]

Just kidding, of course. Reminds me of a quote: "There's nothing wrong with the look that's in her eye, but I had to learn the hard way to let her pass by."

[Jana]

Nope not saying you should have it with me, I am too gross for that
I am saying you could develop a form of inner tarot body communication like Voice Dialogue with the body...similar to Rosen therapy by more psychological.
Judith Stone would be the best person to get started with, then combine that with Rosen Method, and your own intuition, then you have your own modality.

[Francis]

I'm sure I've done worse. Beautiful people are wretched anyway. I'm not sure if I want to try to attract people with my body language. Not a bad idea though.

By the way, your quote 'Our automatic, innate protection from hurt then becomes our prison that ties us helpless to the ocean of collective dysfunction.' Inspired my latest new thread, see Jung & the Restless. Great insight Jana, as always.