" ...the body and mind belong to the same system and  they work together and influence each other."   (NLP Presupposition)

You Have Three Brains!

Recent research has discovered that we have three brains – the one we are so familiar with - in our head, and another one in our heart, plus one in our gut.  All three "brains" are memory storage and thinking centers. 

The Abdominal Brain.

The abdominal brain, or the "gut", which consists of two centers called the myenteric and the submucosal, has 100 million or so neurons – more than the spinal chord. It is a separate functional brain that plays an important role in emotional responses such as anxiety, and in processing information during sleep.  Research shows that the brain in the gut learns separately from the brain in the head and creates it's own daily routines which often override decisions we make with our conscious mind.  It may be an aspect of our unconscious or subconscious mind.

The Heart as a Brain.

It is easy enough to understand that the huge area of neurons in the gut forms a separate center for feeling and emotion.  For some people using their "gut feel" is a highly developed ability.  On the other hand, we usually think of the heart as a muscle and not as a potential thinking organ.

The development of heart transplants has afforded a remarkable way to study the role of the heart as a memory storage organ and a thinking organ.  Researchers in the field of energy cardiology have found that nearly all heart transplant recipients report experiencing memories and emotional responses that seem to come from the heart donor's personality.  The heart actually creates thinking hormones of the type created by the brain in our head.

Most of these memories and emotional responses are minor.  Some have been dramatic as in the instance of a psychiatrist's recount to Dr. Paul Pearsall of a patient, an eight-year-old girl, who received the heart of a murdered ten year old girl.  The eight-year-old recipient had memories of the murder (including the time, the place, the weapon, and the clothes the murderer wore) and all of her impressions and memories turned out to be completely accurate.  The information was used by the police to apprehend and convict the murderer.

The Internal Guidance System, (IGS).

We are only beginning to get a glimpse of the usefulness of this knowledge to help us navigate our way through the adventure of this human experience. The emotions we feel in our hearts and in our gut are related to thought.   We can use thought and emotions as an Internal Guidance System (IGS) – similar to the way we use a GPS or (Geographical Positioning System)..

To demonstrate the practicality of this information, take a few moments right now to recall a time when you felt especially capable and strong.  Actually re-live that time or that experience. Notice the pleasant feelings you are having in your heart area and your gut area as you continue to enjoy this experience.  Could you feel fear or anxiety at the same time you are reliving this experience?  Absolutely not!

Where was this pleasant memory stored?  From where did you retrieve it – your head brain – your heart brain – or your gut brain?  Notice where you feel the feelings in your body.  Is that where the memory is stored?

Positive memories are powerful tools we can use as we get ready to take some action or make a positive change in our lives.  They reactivate our most resourceful states.  Feeling resourceful and strong will empower us to be more capable with new challenges. 

Your Attention To It … Activates It

What a magnificent guidance system, our emotions – our IGS. It's not something that has to be translated by another.  It's not something that has to be written in a book and studied for years to be understood.  It is right there within – fully available every moment and wherever we are  – just by turning our attention to it.

So our GUT FEELINGS and HEART-FELT TRUTHS  are not just "metaphors of speech".  They are referring to two of the key organs in which human awareness is seated. 

The next time you are pondering a decision , ask your heart what it "has to say" and check your "gut feeling" to balance what your "head tells you".  Then, Follow The "Good Feelings" – using the wisdom of the heart and the feelings in the gut to take action consistent with your own personal values!

"As You Are in a Place of Feeling Good, You are in a Place of Allowing Good."

                                   Abraham – Science of Deliberate Creation

Bolstad,R and Hamblett,M. "Updating Our Model Of Neurology"

in AnchorPoint, Vol. 15 No. 2, Feb 2001. 

Pearsall,P. The Heart's Code, Broadway, New York, 1998

Gayle North  offers Personal Coaching for Positive Change using recently developed empowerment technologies to clear mental and emotional blocks that keep people stuck in unhealthy habits and prevent them from performing at their highest potential  in school, sports, relationships, work and finance. Call 406-837-1214 to learn how you can STOP SMOKING IN ONE HOUR and for coaching in person or by phone.

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