COMMUNICATING WITH THE PRIMITIVE BRAIN
IN LENNIE LANGUAGE, AT THE LEVEL OF LENNIE
Still to be edited, but highly understandable and implementable!
Lennie, the primitive lower brain, knows how to communicate with us, in grunts maybe but it makes its point, especially if we don't respond with proper actions... It sends chemical signals that we are programmed to react to for better survival - and if we don't "get" the signal, it amps it up!.
But what about the other way of communicating
1ST REALITY: THE ROAD RUNS BOTH DIRECTIONS
We get jolted by the body, with lots of signals to act or that something is wrong and we better act.
But we often do not realize that the communication lines run both directions.
So we can communicate with the simple brain in ways where it is comforted or directed.
If we allow ourselves to continue to feel anxious, the anxiety itself sent back along the line to the amygdala and its buddies, they get the message that "all is not well, so there must be some dangers or problems to solve", so it kicks into scanning to solve the problems. However, it doesn't do so in a logical way, but only an "associative" way. It coughs up all of the data patterns it has in memory that seem to, or could, have some association in some way. And then it tries one at a time to see what works. Each pattern however has an emotion or a way associated with it that was believed to have worked at the time. So it'll give you a jolt of anxiety or some "better get in gear and handle this" chemical of discomfort to motivate you.
The problem is that we can get into a self-perpetuating, self-worsening loop, that just repeats itself - unless it is interrupted.
"COMMUNICATING" TO GET OUT OF THE LOOP
The best interruption could be the higher brain recognizing that things aren't so bad, so "calm down, I have this under control" is communicated. Another one that can work is the universal solution of interrupting the breathing pattern of anxiety, where we choose to slow down the breathing and to breath deeply (which gives our higher brain more functionality and power). The message is strong, as the primitive brain "knows" that slow deep breathing only occurs when one is safe, so everything must be ok, so there must be no problem, so I'll stop sending my chemicals to solve the problem..."
Another interruption device is to simply engage the higher brain by asking it a question, like "what is the right thing to do right now". Though the question may vary, the reaction is virtually the same, the higher brain fires up to do its thing that has just been requested of it. This, of course, cuts into the Lennie thinking, but it also sends a message to the "scared child" that "I've got this handled", which, of course, means that there is nothing to worry about" or something like that. (Nobody has ever actually climbed in there, so that we must deduce what is happening by following the evidence and what clearly occurs. We can spot the "if I do this, then this occurs" process and verify that is the way it actually happened, so therefore our theory is verified and we have a correct belief.
And then when we review things that are good about us or how we survived similar dilemmas before or how we are not even close to the danger zone since we have so much extra, the feeling we have as we do that is one more of calmness and confidence, which signify, of course, that someone capable is in charge and/or since we are calm that must mean that there is no danger, since calmness is what exists when there is no danger.
TRAINING AHEAD OF TIME
The best strategy, methinks, is to train the elephant, train the dog, and program the computer with what works to get the desired result.
Of course, training always involved repetition since training is simply a way of learning something. Repetition, of course, does the mechanical task of reinforcing the neuronal pathways (aka "cables", "circuits") so that they get stronger and are able to retain the message and all that goes with it (or within it).
WHAT DOESN'T WORK
If we keep being reminded of bad times, when we were poor and had to suffer and pinch every penny, Lennie gets the message and goes on alert and tries to solve the problem (the gap, the open loop, bridging the gap until it is solved).
Let's say we have over time accumulated alot of money such that we are very well off, much more so that others and have a huge protective cushion such that we are safe from every thing. So, now we should be able to relax, perhaps repeating over and over that we are "well off and now we can relax and really enjoy our lives stressfree and maybe treat ourselves to some extras, perhaps even pamper ourselves.
But the husband still is stuck in his old programming, not having used his higher brain to fully think things out and look at the evidence and affirm that things are well. (Yes, he has "seen" the evidence, but he hasn't driven his thinking to the level of actually "getting it" and what it means for life. He, obviously, needs to go through the process, not stopping at a surface "oh, yeah, I see that, but...". His big But is still in the way.)
He still squeezes the nickel until the eagle grins, tries to save pennies and small dollars even at the sacrifice of his valuable time (which he also does not value, just as he does not realize the value of life - and he gives a lousy signal to Lennie who will then focus on the pennies and trying to survive financially - when there is no problem, though...). He even spent day of his life trying to save $100, obviously unpersuaded about his excellent financial condition and flexibility and unaware of the value of life, for surely he could have done something of value to his life and happiness, especially avoiding the anxiety that goes along with the efforts to protect oneself from spending "too much" (in his mind) for something - which would of course reflect on his capability in life, since he still thinks that it means something for survival to have the (no longer needed) great capability of saving a dime (relative to his actual wealth anyway).
He has, through some outer persuasion, set aside enough money to finally buy a quality car. Instead he keeps his "dump truck" (as his wife refers to it) because he can get a few more miles out of it and because it is still perfectly ok and since nobody really sees his car and only sees his nice clothes there's no point in having a nicer care.
However, he forgot about (or was not aware of) Lennie and the role Lennie plays in his life.
The dings in the car, the window that doesn't work right, the trick to open the otherwise stuck door, and all the indicators that things don't quite work right do clearly communicate something at least and are fairly strong as the car is not in the questionable middle but the clear junky level. And it connotes a continuation of the poverty (fear) thinking - so it perpetuates fear where the fear is no longer valid - but Lennie isn't rational and aware enough to "get that". He keeps on fretting or fearing or trying to solve the (no longer existing) problem - which is now held only in his own mind and no longer present in the real world. Lennie keeps on reacting to the mental (false) image held in the brain.
He also is hung up with the belief, which he needs to interrupt and break, that self care or treating himself to something nice is "selfish" and "selfish is 'bad'" and a myriad of beliefs around that. He is stuck in "constrictive, protective" "thinking" (actually "non-thinking"), mechanically repeating patterns that clearly do not work. He is stuck in "not being good enough", the shame-guilt-self criticism syndrome, anxiety and all the other stuff that comes in that bundle of mutually reinforcing (false) beliefs. He doesn't see that the message of having higher standards for a car, standing for himself and his own welfare, being "worth it", taking care of himself is a message that is of "love" (actually positive, progressive thinking) - which offsets the continued fear pattern that is now fully in place - and MUST be broken if one is to reach enduring, ongoing happiness. He is holding onto his "old moldy peanuts" and not letting go to embrace that which will work in life.
Imagine him coming up to his new, nice, self-loving, quality, high standards, beautiful car. Lennie "sees" it, senses at least that he feels less bad (cause Lennie is not getting the signal of a crappy car and poverty any more), and starts thinking that maybe things are ok and that that loop is closed. We need no longer continue our anxiousness and negative thought reinforcing poverty behavior and the poisonous (to happiness) mentality of poverty.
