Emotional Identifiers
When you live in reaction, you give your power away. Then you get to experience what you gave your power to. N. Smith
The appearance of things change according to the emotions and thus we see magic and beauty in them, while the magic and beauty are really in ourselves. Kahlil Gilbran
There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread. Mother Teresa
The possibilities are numerous once we decide to act and not react.George Bernard Shaw
Feed Opportunities: Starve Problems
What is passion? Why do we equate (intangible) love and feelings with the mechanisms of the (tangible) heart? What does an emotion or passion look like? What is the source of a heart beat? Is a ‘heart attack’ a sign of a broken heart? The Ancient Egyptians conveyed to us through hieroglyphics that the heart was considered the most powerful organ. At death, the heart was measured on a scale against the weight of a feather. The lighter the heart, the greater the ruler. Why is the heart and emotion so important?
Preceding the motor states are emotions, the execution of behavior. Most people, like Bambi, would love to become Twitterpated (smitten with passionate love, the most VIBRANT emotion experienced by humans). Vince Lombardi said that he preferred hiring PhD’s: Passionate, Hungry and Determined people. But some individuals build their emotional life on others weaknesses. In the modern age, Vulnerability is claimed to be a sign of weakness. Safety (guns), security (locks on doors) and happiness (consumption) come from an external sources rather than an internal engine. When the inner world of emotions is negated in a society, humans develop Defense Mechanisms- denial, apathy and intellectualism- that enables them to cope, live and function in a violent, dysfunctional world rather than feeling with compassion and empathy. Unfortunately, the modern world still adheres to the Puritan perspective that the emotions are the product of ‘irrational’ women suffering from PMS.
But the emotions are power systems that fuel the organism. These concepts and theories have all led to inappropriate displays of emotion, sublimating them until one explodes or self-destructs or drugging them into oblivion. If a loved one is on death’s door in the hospital, can one function at work, school or daily life without worry, dread or distraction? In this economic climate, individuals are worried about losing jobs, losing homes, losing savings, losing a way of life, which takes its toll on the emotions (which in turn affects the immune system, physical health and well-being). Under all fear, anger, rage and negative feelings are hurt and hurtful scars from unmet needs to be loved, recognized and understood in a safe, secure environment.
In this hurry-up, materialistic, superficial society, lack of real love- time spent, quality and quiet moments, one-on-one relationships are rare occurrences. More seriously, children, condemned to the prisons of learning and baby-sitting institutions at earlier ages, never develop bonding or nurturing experiences that establish the framework and foundations of feeling safe and secure throughout life. Studies show that infants prefer a soft, nurturing body to food. The emotional health of a human being begins from the time of conception onward affecting every other system.
Scientific Data On Matters Of The Heart
- The heart has 2.5 watts of electric power (radio waves); 40 x 60 times more than brain
- Emotional pain can be deferred just as physical pain by drugs and methodology but never goes away
- Fears are the weeds that choke the seeds of intelligence.
- Fear does not co-exist with co-operation.
- People can see the same thing, disagree and still be right
- Between stimulus response, humans have the ability to choose with a response based on values and feelings.
- Feelings of love, care, compassion lead to more coherent ECG spectrum. Electrical energy is being radiated to every cell in the body.
- Electrical waves like radio waves transmit to others. Two people arguing ripple emotions to everyone in the room!
- Repeated episodes of anger and frustration cause nervous system imbalance detrimental to heart, brain, hormonal and immune system. Even recalling an episode causes stress. Happiness and joy increase white blood cell counts for healing and defend against pathogens like cancer and virus infected cells. Immunogloglobulin (IgA) A is an immune system antibody and line of defense against flu, infection, cold of respiratory and urinary tracts. It is found in saliva, blood, lungs, digestive and urinary systems. One five minute episode of anger and frustration depletes the body takes 6 hours to restore IgA represses the immune system for an entire day!
- One 5 minute episode of care and compassion, increases IgA 34% followed by return to baseline. IgA gradually climbed above baseline in 6 hours. Learning to manage the moment can improve quality of life.
- In the Barocypter System, every depression to the immune system forces the body to age.
The techniques perfected at HeartMath are liken to a time-out at a baseball game:
- Slow down for a clearer perspective
- Switch momentum
- Recover lost energy and recharge
- Regain composure; reevaluate by focusing on pleasant and happy thoughts
Childhood Transformation: Seek First to Understand Then To Be Understood
Are problems emotional or physical? Where is the dividing line? Bobby, at age 8, was diagnosed as anorexic. Over time, he refused to eat and lost a majority of his body weight. In the relaxed setting of a child psychologist’s office, the truth about his symptom unfolded; he noticed that after he ate, his stomach cramped and gave him intense pain. To relieve the pain, he stopped eating. This started a power struggle between Bobby and his dad at meals which extended beyond the table. After hours of conversation, something Bobby alluded to enabled the therapist to grasp the problem- he was allergic to milk, which was offered to him at every meal that later evolved into a power struggle with authority figures. With removal of milk and milk products from the diet, Bobby’s eating disorder as well as his negative relationship with his dad diminished and eventually vanished. Had an astute therapist not recognized the issue, Bobby would have been placed on drugs or long term therapy for what seemed to be anorexia.
It is not what happens to us but our response to what happens that makes the difference. Emotional Identifiers maintains Equilibrium.