Optimal brain health and the art of non-action

In my obsession with mental health, a driving question is: what does an optimal brain state look like? This article aims to scratch the surface. Let us begin with the basics.

Brain basics

The brain is the thing between the ears, a grey lumpy organ that holds mental activity. It is part of the central nervous system (CNS) which includes the brain and spine. The brain alone weighs about 2% of the body’s total weight yet uses 25% of the body’s daily oxygen.

With nearly 90 billion cells, an interconnected neural network regulates the flow of energy and information throughout the body. The noodle in the skull can ponder the meaning of infinity and has survived thousands of years of evolution in a continuous dance of adaptation.

While the brain is still full of mysteries, science has uncovered some basic clues. Using brain scans, scientists can monitor neural activity and see how different regions light up in different conditions.

An evolutionary picture

To gain a fuller appreciation of our nervous system, we can examine its evolutionary origins. Paul MacLean’s Triune Model shows three main sub-regions that make up the human brain: the hindbrain, the midbrain, and the forebrain.

The hindbrain, aka lizard brain, is the oldest area located at the base. This area is concerned with basic survival response: fight, flight, or freeze. Heart-rate, breathing, and movement are central to the lizard brain’s functions. Our ancestors survived the wild with this crucial brain piece and it is still sitting in our heads. Human behavior is subject to the instinctive reflexes of the hindbrain and it deserves our mindful attention.

The midbrain, or mammalian cortex, holds the emotions center which consists of the limbic system. Feelings and memories are processed here. When you are happy, sad, or stressed, it’s mapped as neuro-chemical activity in the limbic system. In other words, emotions can be viewed as a biological pattern.

Finally, the forebrain, or neocortex, encodes our capacity for high-level reasoning like planning and moral judgment. The neocortex is what distinguishes us from other animals. We can think, plan, and build cities.

Brain areas are specialized and adaptive, constantly communicating and self-regulating. The sum interaction of all the parts emerge as consciousness, the felt-sense of being. Becoming aware of all our natural states is the awakening of consciousness. Knowing who you are and how you are wired is at the heart of personal growth.

Don’t touch it’s hot!

So far we have learned that the brain is an organized complex of connected parts, and mind states are linked to various firing patterns across a vast chemical wonderland. What’s more, each sub-area is uniquely equipped for decision-making. For example, when a person touches a hot stove, the optimal behavior is to swiftly move the hand away, not to think about the personal or cultural consequences of the stove.

Similarly, if a tiger appears in the room, you’re likely to instantly react by freezing in shock or running away. It’s a dire threat. There is no time to think about how you feel about the tiger’s fuzzy orange fur. The fear response from the emotion center yells “Run!” by releasing cortisol, a stress hormone which activates the muscles to ensure survival – fight, flight, freeze.

Regulating emotions

“You will continue to suffer if you have an emotional reaction to everything that is said to you. True power is sitting back and observing everything with logic. If words control you that means everyone else can control you. Breathe and allow things to pass.”
– Bruce Lee

Emotion can be mapped as a biological state. When we’re angry for example, blood moves away from the prefrontal cortex, which processes self-reflection and instead the energy rushes toward the muscles. It’s why we tend to be irrational when anger is triggered. It’s also why punching a bag can help release some of that primal energy. Emotion is life. What is needed is an optimal flow of energy. Mental illness is when a person is stuck in a certain mindset. Healing is the process of releasing pent-up energy to restore balance in the nervous system.

[perfectpullquote align=”left” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”Breathe and allow things to pass.”[/perfectpullquote]

In stressful situations, cortisol is the dominant hormone that runs the show. Interestingly, it also suppresses the immune system to maximize blood flow toward movement. And so, if a person is chronically stressed or angry, immunity suffers. But not every situation needs to be stressful. In fact, if distress is a person’s dominant feeling state, cortisol will inhibit memory and eventually, shrink areas of the brain.

Reacting vs. responding
In high-pressure situations, there are two mind states we can engage: reaction and response. Reacting is a compulsive state of judgment, driven by cortisol. A reactive state lacks logic. Responding, on the other hand, is driven by self-awareness and emotional intelligence. A mindful response balances emotion with logic.

Bruce Lee had it figured out in learning to step back and breathe. It is the art of non-action, what is called WuWei in Taoism. In fact, mindful breathing inhibits compulsive thinking which occurs in the Default Mode Network. Overthinking is not an optimal state.

In 2011, a Harvard study showed that 20 minutes of mindfulness practice per day for 8 weeks increases neural fibers in the Hippocampus, the memory center of the brain. Evidently, deep breathing and slow exhalation activate the relaxation response of the nervous system. In fact, people in the military use slow exhalation to keep cool under pressure.

Conclusion

[perfectpullquote align=”left” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]A healthy brain state is like a good song. There is harmony and connectivity across its various parts.[/perfectpullquote]

Returning to our original question: what does an optimal brain state look like?

A healthy brain state is like a good song. There is harmony and connectivity across its various parts. You know you’re in a healthy place when you like the song that you are living.

An optimal state is one where logic and emotion are seemlessly banded. It is not one where the lizard brain is on overdrive, releasing cortisol and suppressing the immune system. The best state is also not an overactive forebrain, where a person is thinking too much and avoiding action altogether.

A healthy state is one where the hindbrain, midbrain, and forebrain are working in concert with one another to produce the best response for the whole system. What’s present in a healthy brain state is an optimal flow of energy. We don’t have to be in fight or flight mode unless it is necessary. There is a balance between action and on-action in the great dance of energy.