Stress: Why does 'deep down' keep showing up?

Deep down - in our subconscious, our amygdala, our unconscious, we have a primitive brain that functions like our animal friends’ brains.  We react.  Without thinking.  (Thinking is higher up.) 

Our emotions predominate.  It’s  our ego barrier - subliminal defense mechanisms that make it hard to accept that we might be wrong, or at risk.  Our fears rule - the seeds of stress.

Your higher-up you is not aware of your lower level you.  That’s why its called subconscious or unconscious (below the conscious level).  So we don’t even realize that fear of not being enough, fear of not being loved, fear of so many things in these deep parts of us, makes us instinctively vulnerable or attacked.

The neocortex part of your brain is the higher-up part that is responsible for higher-order brain functions - thinking and learning.

As your deep hidden motivations (fear responses) are in control,  it’s impossible for you to logically understand what “you” are doing.  

Even the most intelligent person is wired this way.  

“There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections.”     ~ John Lennon

What to do?

• First understand what is happening - primitive subconscious vs. neocortex.
• Then begin to listen more than reacting, to understand you might be wrong, and try to hear more information.  
• Don’t worry what others think of you.  That usually triggers fears. Think instead of getting enough information to find out what you need to know to make good decisions. 
• Remember that if two people disagree, one is most probably wrong.  Could it be you? 
• Meditation can enhance higher-level perspective and dim your deep-down reactions.
• Gratitude reduces deep-down fears. 

​You can get better and better at this stuff.  And that will make you happier and happier.

Dr Chris Baker (center), with a group of seminar doctors at a local dental office.  
​Photo by Claude Hammond © 2017

TOP PHOTO: Thunderstorm photo by Catalin Fatu at the English language Wikipedia,

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​For further reading.