Quantum Brain Gym - Article Library
The Source of Your “Gut-Level” Feelings By Dr Jill Ammon-Wexler
© 2004 All Rights Reserved
Ever had a sensation something wasn’t quite right? Or perhaps an odd feeling a situation was somehow dangerous? Or have you had “butterflies” in your stomach just before an important meeting or situation?
That was your *second brain* in action.
“My second brain?” you ask.
Yes. Unknown to most people, we actually have two physical brains. You’re intimately familiar with the brain encased in your skull. But did you know you also have a second brain in your gut?
Get ready for a shock. You actually have as many brain cells in your gut as you do in your skull!
Actually, over one half of your nerve cells are located in your gut.
And you may be even more surprised to learn that your second “gut brain” contains neurons and neurotransmitters just like those found in your skull.
And here’s something that may come as even more of a shock
Just like your primary brain, your “gut brain” is also able to learn, remember, and produce emotion-based feelings.
The expression “gut-level feeling” isn’t just a “saying.” We really do have feelings in our gut.
Our two brains communicate back and forth via a major nerve trunk extending down from the base of your brain all the way down into your abdomen.
Because of this connection, your two brains directly influence each other.
When one brain becomes upset, the other joins right in.
That’s why your stomach might get “fluttery” from anxiety before an important meeting. Or why a late night spicy snack that’s hard on your stomach might also give you some nasty nightmares.
** The Mystery of the Second Brain
How do we happen to have two brains?
During early fetal development both your “gut” (esophagus, stomach, small intestine and colon) and your primary brain started to develop from the same clump of embryonic tissue.
When that piece of tissue divided, one piece grew into your central nervous system (your brain and cranial nerves). The other section became your “gut brain.”
During a later stage of fetal development, these two brains then became connected via a massive nerve: the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is the longest of all our cranial nerves, and creates a direct connection between your brain and your gut.
Because of this direct brain-gut connection, the state of your gut has a profound influence on your psychological well being.
** How it Works
Your “gut brain,” known to scientists as the enteric nervous system (ENS), is embedded in the sheaths of tissue lining your esophagus, stomach, small intestine and colon.
And, nearly every brain-regulating chemical found in your brain has also been discovered in your gut brain -- including hormones and neurotransmitters.
In his book, The Second Brain, Dr. Michael Gershon, a professor at New York City’s Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, refers to the entire gastrointestinal system as “the body’s second nervous system.”
“The brain is not the only place in the body that’s full of neurotransmitters,” Dr. Gershon explains.”One hundred million neurotransmitters line the length of the gut … approximately the same number found in the brain.”
Actually, the total of nerve cells in your gut is *greater* than the total nerves connecting the rest your body to your brain. This complex circuitry allows your “gut brain” to act totally independent of the brain in your skull.
**Your “Sleep-Gut Brain” Connection
As research on the circuitry between our two brains progresses, neuroscientists are understanding more and more about how we act and feel.
For example: Our brain and gut are so interconnected that both have natural 90-minute “sleep cycles.”
In the brain, slow-wave sleep is interrupted by periods of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep during which dreams occur. The gut has corresponding 90-minute cycles of slow-wave muscle contractions.
But as with the brain’s REM sleep intervals, these cycles are interrupted by corresponding short bursts of rapid muscle movement.
** Your “Stress-Gut Brain” Connection
Hardly anything need be said about the connection between stress and our gut. In many ways, this may be the most visible brain-gut problem of our times.
Anyone who has ever become emotionally upset knows the immediate effect on their gut. Your stomach “ties itself in knots,” rumbles and growls, and stops digesting.
The results include chronic indigestion, ulcers, and a whole host of unpleasant conditions. And if the stress is chronic or intense enough, your colon may even go into spasms.
**Your “Pain-Gut Brain” Connection
But our “gut brains” also help us in some amazing ways. They are a primary source of pain relief. The “gut brain” naturally produces chemicals (benzodiazepine) found in many pain relievers, and in anti-anxiety drugs like Valium.
And like your primary brain, your “gut brain” also has opiate receptors.
“Drugs like morphine and heroin also attach to the gut's opiate receptors,” pain management specialist Dr Michael Loes tells us. “And both brains can become addicted to opiates."
** Mastering Your “Gut Brain”
Many mystical and natural healing practices consider the belly to be a major center of energy and higher consciousness.
In China, the gentle arts of Tai Chi and Qigong emphasize the lower abdomen as a major reservoir for life energy and health. The belly is considered the “dantian” -- a key center for higher consciousness development.
It’s important to get your “gut brain” operating at its best. Start by paying attention to what’s happening in your digestive system.
Remember, your gut is about a whole lot more than just digesting your food. It also reacts to and digests your inward and outward “realities.”
One Simple, Yet Powerful, Technique
That Drives You Into Actions Every Day
And Helps To Overcome Procrastination
Unfortunately very few recognize the astonishing power of personal success journal. It takes only 10-15 minutes a day to write down your achievements and the tasks you’ve accomplished. But these 15 minutes a day have the power to transform all your life.
Success journal motivates you.
By writing down your achievements you will be able to feel the progress. You will see how by small steps you’re moving closer and closer to your goal.
Success journal eliminates temptation.
It will be easier to resist temptations since you know that you have to write down what you have done tonight.
Success journal simplifies your life.
Things become much simpler when they are written down. A journal makes you more tolerant of life’s distractions.
However you should be aware of three rules of keeping a success journal:
1. Write only what you’ve done.
Don’t write what you still haven’t done and what you have to do tomorrow. List only accomplished tasks and achievements.
2. List even small things.
Everything counts! A phone call, a chapter of a textbook or your decision to pass by the chocolate cheesecake.
3. Make it a daily habit.
Don’t skip days! Even if you’re exhausted make sure you write at least 1-2 sentences in your success journal. Even if the only thing you did was thinking about your goal.
I urge you to take a notebook and list there all your completed tasks. In 30 days you wouldn’t possibly be able to live without it.
I hope this tip will help you on your way to success!
All the best,
Arina Nikitina
P.S. You can learn a complete step-by-step goal setting process by getting your copy of "How to Set and Achieve a Goal" ebook here. Remember, you have absolutely nothing to risk with my unconditional money back guarantee. Click on the link below to get your copy:
http://www.how-to-set-and-achieve-a-goal.com/x.php?action=alink&id=38
Copyright © 2004 Arina Nikitina
Close your eyes (after reading this, of course), and sit for 60 seconds quietly doing the following.
1) – First, say out loud “My consciousness is one, and cannot be divided.”
2) – Visualize linear time (past, present, and future) as a line and see the past and future lines being rolled up into the present. The present point becomes a sphere which cannot be fragmented or divided!
3) – See the sphere of the present as your powerful new symbol for time consciousness. If you wish, see the sphere pulsating or glowing with power and life.
4) – Feel the feelings of connectedness, wholeness, focus, and power that the sphere of the present creates for you!
This exercise may take longer than 60 seconds at first but you will improve with practice. As you go about your day and week use this exercise whenever you need to regain the present.
If you are faithful, you will likely be using it several thousand times over the next few weeks. Fragmenting our consciousness has become a deep habit for most of us. In fact, we actually believed that reality was fragmented.
At first it will take about 60 seconds to do, but, then it will take only 5 or 10 seconds. Do this often throughout the day.
Call me if you have any questions.
Since, due to the circumstances on Thursday I was not able to give you all that I promised, I'm available to deliver you one FREE session that will train your brain to develop immunity to the toxic effects of anger to your cardiovascular system. The session will last about 45 minutes. Although I do normally offer 'house calls',I won't be able to do that for this session. Call me to set up your appointment.
This process has an immediate effect on most people and is designed to protect you from further damage due to the brain's reaction to anger (and some other stressors).
Most of us (if not all of us) have a pathology of deep seeded anger and/or resentment buried below our awareness. For this reason I recommend that you do some mental housecleaning to eliminate the residue. The process that we will do in our session will quarantine the existing anger and resentment, but, the Mental Housecleaning is designed to completely neutralize it...ask me about it.
It would be extremely helpful if you listen to the Gil Boygne session at least once before the session. You can download it here: Use earphones or ear buds.
Some interesting stuff that may help you.
This exercise will be explained in the session
