Due to evolution
we have developed three main strategies for survival that, although very useful
for the survival of our species, do have an emotional cost and make us suffer.
Firstly, our
parietal lobes in our frontal cortex create the feeling of our separateness
from the world. It creates the sensation of a boundary between us and the
world, and also between one mental state and another, this together with socially
learnt verbal descriptions that define “good” or “bad” mental states, with each
being quantitatively separate from the other. That is to say, us separated from
the world and our own internal private events also separated from each other.
Secondly, our body
struggles continually to maintain stability. Homeostasis is our body’s way of
maintaining optimal levels, if we are hot; we are driven to find shade, if we
are cold to find shelter. If our levels of energy and nutrients drop below a
certain point, then we are driven to find food. This is a very complex
balancing act, in that we must remain open to inputs from the external environment,
but also our system must remain centred around an adequate set point, not too
hot, not too cold. This balance is achieved by two systems within our central
nervous system, the limbic system, which arouses and our prefrontal cortex
which inhibits.
Thirdly and again
related to our limbic system and our prefrontal cortex, is our impulse to
approach opportunities and at the same time to avoid threats. Chasing carrots
or avoiding snakes. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter that is activated when we
encounter things that have been associated with reward in the past. Why a glass of cold water tastes so damned
good on a hot sunny day, dopamine is setting up a reward system for future
associations. The desire part is created by the cingulate gyrus, which gives us
the motivation to do something rewarding, and the dopamine is what rewards us
after.
Each of these
survival strategies works well in most cases, but they do have costs when we
consider three important facts about the world in which we live:
1)
Everything is connected: we form part of the food chain, the energy
that enables us to eat comes from the sun, trees provide us oxygen and we
provide them with carbon dioxide. Our ability to interpret facial expressions
and language means our path is inextricably entwined with that of others. Our
bodily sensations become thoughts feelings and memories all intertwined in a
stream of continuous consciousness. Our attempts to separate ourselves from the
environment and our consciousness are frequently frustrated.
2)
Everything keeps changing: on an internal level our neural system is
changing continuously at the rate of about 5 to 8 times a second. Our stream of
consciousness must be temporarily parted to allow for the formation of a single
thought as neural synapses is organised into some sort of coherence. A moment
or an experience that we desperately try to hold onto is gone in a moment and disappears
from our consciousness as though sand through our fingers. Any sensations we
may have of being able to control continuity, both internal and external are
just fleeting moments.
3)
Opportunities are routinely missed and many
threats are unavoidable:
We regularly fail to take advantage of opportunities, or those that we achieve
loose their shine quickly and fail to satisfy us as we expected. Studies show
that even lottery winners, very quickly return to a baseline level of
satisfaction. Things that previously motivated us, very quickly bore us. Lastly,
some threats are just unavoidable. Getting old or dying are good examples of unavoidable
threats. Our attempts to avoid threats, creates a generalized background of
anxiety, which at times and for some people can be intense and unpleasant.
