During the early developmental stages of humanity the reptilian/mammalian mind was formed. It is strongly connected to our physical survival and the survival of our species. This part of the brain governs our ‘fight or flight’ response and catapults us into survival mode when activated.

The fight of flight response is activated by a perceived outside stress. The primary emotion that invokes this response is fear and the physiological response is to ‘fight’ or ‘run.’ In prehistoric times, the response was activated to flee from any potential life threatening situations. Today, the response is still activated but may also include emotionally running (such as social withdrawal, substance abuse, or excessive use of video games). In either case, once activated the body will be flooded with adrenalin to support the body in moving away from any perceived danger or discomfort.

Energetically the mind can be divided into the lower mind and the higher mind. The lower mind is our earthly, physical mind that processes everyday cognition and mental abilities. The higher mind houses our calmer, gentler energies and is connected to universal wisdom and intuitive processes. The primary emotions linked to this energetic region are that of peace, joy, happiness and love.

When we are in balance we can access great power by taking information in through our lower mind and then ‘feeling’ it against our intuition. All information is meant to be streamed through our consciousness via the lower mind and then relayed back to our intuitive processes to yield complete knowledge. When we can do this, the fear-activated ‘fight or flight’ response will remain inactive.

Unfortunately many people on the planet live in a heightened state of survival every day. When this is occurring we are unable to access the universal wisdom and guidance through the higher mind. The lower mind and ‘ego self’ may be trapped in fear which blocks the flow to universal support, increased insights and awareness.

We live in an ever-changing, fast paced society where people push themselves to be busy in order to keep up with the competition. However, adrenalin is highly addictive and can cause people to mentally process everyday experiences as drama as a way to unconsciously release more adrenalin.

Long term exposure to adrenaline can be detrimental for both our bodies and our minds. Weight gain, hormonal imbalances and exhaustion are just a few side effects that may be connected to excessive adrenalin exposure. Quiet meditative states, immersing oneself in nature, being creative, gentle exercise or deep breathing are just a few ways you can turn off the fight or flight response. Then you are in a better position to bring balance and harmony back to your entire body-mind.

Like anything, the more we activate and listen to our intuition, the stronger it becomes. This process is called self-realization or the Awakening (enlightenment) process. As we strengthen our relationship with our intuition, other portions of the brain begin to strengthen as well. New neurological pathways are created to increase and open up our consciousness to these higher levels of awareness.

It is also very helpful to watch what you are doing with your thoughts. Any time your mind creates fear you have just disconnected from great resources and activated the ‘fight or flight’ response. But if you can catch yourself as soon as you feel the fear, you can reverse the process. It’s as simple as redirecting the mind until you find thoughts that make you feel better and bring you peace. As a result you will be able to disengage from the ‘flight or fight’ response and move towards a life of greater peace and joy.

~ Exerpt from “You Can Heal Your Chakras” by Angela Strank