#130 - Thinking Makes it So

The body, the limbic system, and changing the narrative

A thought is a powerful thing.

Think, the night before, that you’ll wake up tired. And you will.

Likewise, think you don’t have much energy. And you’re right; any left will seep away.

We have thousands of thoughts a day; a constant stream.

To a casual observer these thoughts may seem harmless. A mere background commentary.

But it’s not our lives directing the thoughts. It’s the thoughts directing our lives.

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The Body

Let’s start with the body.

Say you’re hungry. You imagine a wonderful meal. You’ll literally begin to salivate. 

This is your body preparing digestive mechanisms for the incoming food. Not only this but billions of other cells will leap into some action or another. 

Isn’t that remarkable? The simple thought of food can change your very physiology. 

Imagine, next, your greatest fear. Perhaps a spider, a snake, or looking over the edge of a tall building.

Fear wells up within you. Hairs stand on end and your heart beats faster.

These reactions are brought about by a simple thought. And one thought no less! What of the thousands we have in a day?

We’re not tuned into our bodies so we miss the truth; all these thoughts have an impact too. Every one sends a cascade of messages through us. 

We are far more directed by our thoughts than it first appears.

Every thought starts a cascade of activity

The Limbic System

This is front of mind for me. 

My most recent finding, in the journey to restore my healthy, is the part of the limbic system.

Our limbic system governs our emotional and behavioural response, including our fight or flight mechanism.

When effected by chronic illness the limbic system can become impaired; stuck in a permanent state of fight or flight. This leads to worsening of symptoms and negative thought patterns, further compounding the issue. 

I certainly got into a habit of thinking I’d never recover; a narrative that I was an ill person and always would be. 

The issue with that is that thinking makes it so. Spend all day telling yourself this and your body will accommodate.

Changing the Narrative

My job now is to change that narrative. 

I’ve started a programme called DNRS. It’s a visualisation technique aimed at using neuroplasticity to rewire the brain.

It came recommended by someone who’d healed from a similar condition. She swears by it; by far her most important part of recovery. Do some digging and you’ll find hundreds of similar testimonials.

The programme is taught over a 15 hour video course during which you learn the techniques. Your task then is an hour a day of visualisation for the next six months. The visualisation largely consists of imagining yourself well and energetic, rewriting your brain’s narrative.

It’s a rather remarkable thing.

After just a couple of weeks I find myself in a much improved frame of mind, and able to bounce back quicker when symptoms arise. It’s amazing, when you look for it, just how often the mind can drift to negative thoughts. One can be consumed by nothing else.

The implications of this are far reaching. Thinking really does make it so. 

So what plays across your mind all day? What are you thinking into reality?

Perhaps it all sounds too American for us Brits. We love a grumble and wince at anything too woo woo. But clearly there’s something here. Our thoughts have a demonstrable impact on our bodies, and therefore our lives. 

What you think is, therefore, important. Change your thoughts and you really will change your life.

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What I’ve Been Reading 📚

Ulysses by James Joyce

This was quite the experience. I found it completely incomprehensible in various parts. And yet funny and touching in others. Won’t be my last reading of it. I expect I’ll get more out of future efforts. Full review on 1st September.

This is book one in a new book club with Hec A.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (In progress)

Such a wonderful book! Made all the more readable by proceeding Ulysses. It’s a brilliant tale, and amazingly gripping despite its length. I can barely put it down.

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A Final Thought 💡

“Keep my word positive. Words become my behaviours. Keep my behaviours positive. Behaviours become my habits. Keep my habits positive. Habits become my values. Keep my values positive. Values become my destiny.”

– Mahatma Gandhi