North Stars and Space. Lisa B. Zaoutis, MD, FAAP, FHM

Transcription

1 North Stars and Space Lisa B. Zaoutis, MD, FAAP, FHM

2 Changing our Minds a rebalancing act Lisa B. Zaoutis, MD, FAAP, FHM

3 Disclosure None Nada Nil Zippo Zilch Bupkis

4 Misfit?

5 PHM Bright future People Misfit?

6 How our brains were designed Overview What s not so helpful about that How changing our minds can change our brains

7 3.5 Billion 650 Million 600 Million 200 Million 60 Million 200,000 Cell Multi-Cell Nervous System Mammal Primate Homo sapiens Evolutionary pressure: SURVIVAL Individual: keeping oneself alive Species: reproduction

8 Priorities for the individual in a hostile world: 1. Sustenance Survival Brain 2. Safety 3. Comfort and pleasure Pleasure seeking < < SURVIVAL

9 Survival Brain

10 Priorities for the individual in a more hospitable environment: 1. Sustenance Survival Brain 2. Safety 3. Comfort and pleasure

11 200,000 Years Ago FOOD Scarce Plentiful Today Survival Brain Much effort Less tasty Easy to get Engineered for addiction Limited variety Ridiculous variety

12 200,000 Years Ago FOOD Scarce Plentiful Today Survival Brain Much effort Less tasty Easy to get Engineered for addiction Limited variety Ridiculous variety

13 200,000 Years Ago FOOD Scarce Plentiful Today Survival Brain Much effort Less tasty Easy to get Engineered for addiction Limited variety Ridiculous variety

14 200,000 Years Ago FOOD Scarce Plentiful Today Survival Brain Much effort Less tasty Easy to get Engineered for addiction Limited variety Ridiculous variety Obesity Epidemic

15 Survival Brain Groomed and well suited for a less hospitable environment Survival Brain Downsides for when things are going relatively well. Bad habits? Bad wiring?

16 Survival Brain Evolutionary Negativity Bias

17 Survival Brain Teflon Velcro

18 Survival Brain

19 Survival Brain

20 How Our Brains Work Example Evolutionary Negativity Bias Attention is biased toward negative Streamlined processing for negative stimuli If it bleeds, it leads Epistaxis ABCs, forget the lashes Negative experiences form memories more quickly How was your day?

21 Evolutionary Negativity Bias

22 How Our Brains Work Example Attention is biased toward negative If it bleeds, it leads. Evolutionary Negativity Bias Streamlined processing for negative stimuli ABCs, forget the lashes Negative experiences form memories more quickly How was your day?

23 Evolutionary Negativity Bias

24 How Our Brains Work Example Evolutionary Negativity Bias Attention is biased toward negative Streamlined processing for negative stimuli If it bleeds, it leads. ABCs, forget the lashes Negative experiences form memories more quickly and easily How was your day?

25 Our Basic Wiring

26 Neo-cortex (new) Limbic System (old)

27

28 Amygdala: 1. Rapid response 2. Enhances our physical reaction 3. Enhances learning

29

30 Amygdala sends fast message to sympathetic nervous system Symp Centers Increased HR, BP, etc.

31 Calls for release of epi, cortisol, norepi and hypothalamus Symp Centers Increased HR, BP, etc.

32 Fast... not discriminating

33 Prefrontal Cortex Neo-Cortex Input

34 Prefrontal Cortex Neo-Cortex Input The Amygdala Hijack Chronic stress: Lowers threshold Augments the response Speeds the process Further limits cortical input

35 Neuroplasticity and Self-Awareness

36 Neural Darwinism: survival of the busiest Increased neural activity causes: Neuroplasticity Epigenetic intracellular changes Synapses become more sensitive New synapses grow... and some new cells! Blood flow adjusts to meet increased demand

37 Experience-Dependent Neuroplasticity Neurons that fire together, wire together. Neuroplasticity Create deeper grooves Patterns, Habits: Adaptive or maladaptive?

38 Experience-Dependent Neuroplasticity Neuroplasticity London taxi drivers: thicker white matter in hippocampus Mindfulness meditators: thicker gray matter in regions that control attention, self-insight, empathy. Externally Applied Internally Applied

39 Self-Directed Neuroplasticity Sometimes you can t change what befalls you Neuroplasticity You can influence where you direct your attention You can reshape your brain for the better If you don t, other forces will External: work, demanding people Internal: harsh expectations or judgments, past trauma

40 Self-Directed Neuroplasticity Neuroplasticity Self-Awareness

41 Rewiring 101 A Skeptics View

42 Rewiring 101

43 Rewiring 101 Science Touchy Feely

44 How do you shape your brain for greater joy? Rewiring 101 Consciously choose activities that counter our evolutionary negativity bias. Deliberate internalization of positive experiences into memory

45 How: 1. Have a positive experience activates Rewiring Enrich it 3. Absorb it installs

46 Rewiring Have a positive experience Create one Do Retrieve Notice one Foreground Background activates

47 2. Enrich it Rewiring 101 Duration: seconds applied attention Stay with this

48 Rewiring 101 How: 1. Have a positive experience 2. Enrich it 3. Absorb it activates installs

49 3. Absorb it Rewiring 101 Intend: Somatisize:

50 Rewiring 101 See one. Do one. Teach one.

51 Rewiring 101 How: 1. Have a positive experience 2. Enrich it 3. Absorb it activates installs

52 Changing our Minds a rebalancing act

53 How our brains were designed: with an evolutionary negative bias Overview What s not so helpful about that: missing out on many of the joys in PHM How changing our minds can change our brains Neuroplasticity and self-awareness is a powerful combination for change

54 Your skepticism is encouraged Motherly Advice Start with observing yourself See if any of this rings true for you (or someone you care about) If you try any of this, start small.

55 Closing: Wise Words Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions, Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny. -- Mahatma Gandhi

56 Credits & Bibliography