Another golden ratio

From time to time I manage to get off the train of life for short periods of reflection. It became apparent that patterns were discernible in my own life. Intense engagement in the context of career and interest areas (in my case, related) leads to prolonged periods of reflection which are inevitably followed by writing and on many occasions, the implementation of new approaches. While the writing is obviously incentivised by a need to share the ideas and concepts, the writing additionally in my case serves to clarify for myself the flotsam and jetsam newly gathered.

My most recent ‘walk about’ has been somewhat more prolonged than usual and has taken me a little further off the beaten track. To be precise, I have been wrestling again with core concepts of neuroscience, quantum physics and my ongoing life quest for integration of these concepts with core themes in Eastern philosophies. The journey took me to the northernmost regions of Ubud in Bali where I indulged in all manner of activities, including the full water ceremony at a Hindu temple (which I experienced as particularly uplifting). I also engaged with several Yogi’s where once again I found myself dialoguing the benefits of meditation alone and the passive application of its mind state in daily life, versus the need for active intervention to steer the craft in a chosen direction, thereby obeying the law of cause and effect.

To complete the backdrop, I need to clarify that I was also in Bali to facilitate my own workshops which are essentially the integration of neuroscience, psychoneuro-immunology (PNI, the scientific study of influences of mind states on immune function), quantum physics and ancient Buddhist wisdom. As you can glean, I’ve covered all the bases. It is therefore somewhat embarrassing to have to divulge the fact that this great neuroscientist, pioneer of PNI and supporter of the integration of East and West wisdom fell ill with dengue fever two days prior to my planned date of departure. It was only with a supreme physical and mental effort that I managed to cross the finishing line. I should hasten to add though that the Balinese in their great generosity plied me with all manner of herbs. The yogi’s connected with my energetic essence to rid me of toxic Karma. Goodwill overflowed. But still the organism took over my body and the Great Healer began a Great Suffering never experienced to this degree in his life time. While in the fog of high fever, waves of nausea and an unrelenting headache I noted the multiple bleeding areas in the skin of both lower limbs. I concluded that I was done for. I took some solace in the fact that I had written most of what I had wanted to write and so a burial in Bali didn’t seem too foreboding.

Somehow I managed to survive the journey back to South Africa. There I was met by concerned relatives and medical colleagues who immediately began prodding me with needles. The news even for a seasoned clinician was alarming. I had barely any clotting activity; I was in early renal (kidney) failure; my liver function was significantly compromised and inflammatory indices were through the roof. My muscle was also being broken down like soft sweet meats stripping off the bone. I had already lost five kilograms.

But I digress! Somehow, somewhere in the long periods of delirium over the several days of illness I was meandering through all the newly gathered experiences; the conversations; the inspiring people and places and the new vegan-based cuisine which intrigued me. I slowly emerged from that place of illness and with the emergence, some new insights. Unfortunately these insights arose from brain-based cerebration. No out-of-body-experiences for me and no visitations from Beings on High. I wasn’t blessed with these connections. My lot has always been to have to thrash out the concepts with or without delirium!

Therefore allow me to share some of these insights.

A recurring theme in Eastern philosophy is that holding on to fear in all its manifestations creates an unhealthy body and brings illness upon others and the environment. Therefore all efforts in meditation and practice are directed at distracting us from our fear and all its manifestations. From this place flows humility, acceptance, clarity and trust – with regular reminders for expressing gratitude. But having neutralized the fear and created the space for the abovementioned virtues, do we automatically gain traction and lock into the flow appropriate for who we are?

My personal view is that reaching the space created for the evolution of higher virtues requires guidance. That guidance finds fertile receptivity in our own neuropsychological birthright. I have expounded upon this in some detail in a previous article and it would therefore suffice in this context to provide only a brief summary. The area of fear, anxiety, panic and rage is the amygdala. Countering this area and additionally providing resourceful enhancement are three identifiable neurological areas: The nucleus accumbens - the area of dopamine production, supporting purpose, reward, gratification, curiosity and engagement; the pre-frontal cortex – the area of reason and self-correction; the cingular gyrus and insula - sources of oxytocin mediating empathy, trust, belief and the gratification derived from group connectivity. For me personally it is a profound thought that our birthright provides a solution to excessive fear as well as resourcefulness on the basis of a three to one ratio in our favor. Indeed I believe that we need to consider at the outset the Eastern wisdom to quell the ravages of fear. But this should not be through distraction alone. We need to confront the fears in measured amounts with guidance if required so that recurring ‘circuitry’ is modified to a degree. Thereafter we would need to draw upon our sense of reason, energized by curiosity, purpose, gratification and healthy helpings of empathy, trust, belief and gratitude. Then indeed I believe that we would glide into the flow where just being would fulfill our higher virtues. For arriving at that place of higher virtues reflects us in a fully self-actualized state where we are authentic within ourselves as well as being value contributors to ourselves and to our respective environments.

Prior to my recent ‘event’ (from which I have fully recovered) I had begun research in vagal nerve stimulation. The vagus nerve originates in the brainstem and then continues through the base of the skull, following a path deep in the neck on both sides, it ultimately provides parasympathetic activity to the heart (right sided nerve) and to the gut and digestive system (left sided nerve). Over the years it has been shown that vagal nerve stimulation diminishes epilepsy, significantly decreases inflammation (the cause of eighty percent of human maladies) and may decrease degrees of depression. The problem with direct vagal nerve stimulation was that it required that we put a spiral pig-tail electrode around the nerve in open surgery and then maintain stimulation with a subcutaneous pace-maker. But technology has continued to evolve and we have now arrived at a point where we are able to stimulate the vagus nerve via skin electrodes.

And so the finale:

My life’s work has been the development of a coaching approach designed to suppress the amygdala and the fear that it mediates and to enhance the other resourceful three areas – exploiting the 3:1 ratio. I referred to this coaching intervention as neuromodulation coaching since it was designed to stimulate and/or suppress specific neurological areas so as to enhance resourcefulness. The electrical stimulation of neurological areas is also referred to as neuromodulation. With the addition of my vagal nerve stimulator in the context of coaching I have at last arrived at the full realization of neuromodulation as a comprehensive entity. But it is the breathing, the meditation and the yoga principles which have more recently contributed to the integration of the virtuous components. Watch this space!