Come to the calm of a well functioning brain.
There are so many different structures in the brain that help with the functions of living. When we are stressed out, either in a physical or emotional way, the brain does a beautiful job of orchestrating the responses of the body. If the stress requires an emergency response, then the fight, flight, or freeze (Sympathetic Andromedullary, or SAM) response is activated. This is the response system that we need when a child is running out in front of a car. The mid-brain structure then sends a message via the Autonomic System (ANS) to move. The adrenals (above the kidneys) then sends out a charge to the extremities. Some people have described this sensation as electrical. This is before we can even think!
There are also other brain structures that we will discuss, in the future, that are involved in this response mechanism. Part of what happens with this response mechanism is that the brain can get stuck in reactionary mode. When the brain has had high levels of stress it can get stuck and we stay in reactionary mode. Much of what we have been talking about is related to the limbic system. The limbic system is nonverbal and primitive. LENS neurofeedback can help to release this area of the trauma.
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There is a reward pathway in the brain. This is a bundle of dopamine containing neurons. It goes from a deep area (ventral tegmental) in the brain than up to the prefrontal cortex. We know that this pathway is activated with any pleasurable activity, including eating (chocolate),and drinking, playing video games, running, making love or other drug induced activity. With recreational drugs this area of the brain can be stimulated to create a pleasurable buzz to a euphoric high. In an experiment with rats this area of the brain was stimulated by pushing a lever. They continued pushing the lever up to 6,000 an hour. We crave this kind of stimulus.
Another way of stimulating this pathway is with LENS neurofeedback. The brain works to get this sort of pleasurable feedback by releasing any of the clogged up areas. We then have a way of creating natural pleasure without any outside influence. This has been tested with a mediation group in California. Most of us have heard the myth that we only use 10% of our brain. Is part of this myth related to the idea that we want to be super human and that we will find a way to open up the other 90%. Do savants have the skill to open up the other areas that we wish to connect with? With brain scans we are finding that just tapping your finger or listening to music creates a whole cascade of neural impulses to fire. This means that we use the majority of the brain daily.
When the brain has been damaged with concussions, dementia, or strokes the results can be devastating. However, the parts of the brain that is undamaged can still function. We are an amazing mechanism, with 100 billion nerve cells, and the ability to still work under adverse conditions. LENS neurofeedback can open up, in a gentle and effective way, the neurons that have been damaged. This system is proven to help, even with extreme cases. This system uses the cascade of impulses to heal the areas of the brain that are damaged. We have something called neurotransmitters in the brain. They have different functions. They work through the synaptic cleft which is at the end of the neuron. One of the neurotransmitters is called acetylcholine. This neurotransmitter is in charge of the contraction of the muscles and helps us to form memories. Another of these chemical messengers is called serotonin. This neurotransmitter is in charge of sleep, temperature and mood. Another of these neurotransmitters is called dopamine, which helps us to experience pleasure (we need to find a way to bottle this stuff up).
LENS helps the neurons to become unstuck. It helps the brain to function at a optimal level. When our brain has been stressed or physically hit, it does not recover the same way that the rest of the body does. It keeps the area that is harmed protected. So in the long run we can have the brain work the way it should and not bottle up dopamine. |
AuthorHello, my name is Dana Lee Collins M.A.,L.P.C. I am a psychotherapist that has been trained in the art of neurofeedback. This science helps to heal the brain of trauma. I am dedicated to helping people heal. Archives
January 2021
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