The Mind and Body are One
We’ve
all heard this phrase – and whatever image it conjures in your head, I want to
replace. This one sentence is an incredibly important insight into what we are
as human beings, as living things.
Often, in science, things are
reduced to their parts, and then each part is analyzed separately and
independently. Want to learn how a car works? Take out the motor, understand
the motor first, then connect it to the axle, and so on. We tend to think of cars,
computers, electronics and technology as parts – because we build them that way. An unfortunate repercussion of this
is that we have applied the same reductionist
logic to biological systems – including our own body.
We like
to believe that the brain is the brain is the brain. That if you were to remove
the brain from the body and keep it in a jar of nutrient and oxygen, we could
preserve who we are (Thanks, Futurama)– but that is pure fiction, for the brain is connected in
an infinite many ways to the body through our nerves, which are connected to blood vessels, tendons, muscles, and all of our organs. These nerves read signs
from every millimeter of our body, outside and in, and can tell us how we’re
doing. If we were to remove the brain from the body, we would feel not only
odd, but likely downright horrible.
The
brain is important, and so is the body. Learning and keeping the brain active
keeps it growing, and keeps the neurons occupied. This contributes to our
overall happiness. We also know that exercise does the same thing – but when
you think of this is reductionist logic why
on Earth would exercise make you happy? It shouldn’t – since the body isn’t
the brain, it doesn’t have neurons*, it doesn’t sense depression or happiness.
One of
the greatest and most simple examples of how the mind and body are one is
smiling. When you feel fairly bland, a simple forced smile will cause your brain to release endorphins, making
you feel happy. A similar example is the spreading open of the arms – when you
hold arms close to you, and shrink your body area, the brain closes off
endorphin release and tends to create stress – however, if you open up your
arms as if ready to give a big hug, and spread your legs out wider than usual,
the brain senses calmness and ambition – again, making you feel good. One other
useful example is chewing gum removes stress and anxiety – why? Because the
brain more or less tells itself “If I were really in danger, I wouldn’t be
eating right now” – so chew gum before an anxious or stressful event.
But
what does this really tell us? Is there such a thing as “real” and “fake” happiness?
Nope; not at all. What this tells us is that happiness is a muscle, an action
that we take, and just like muscles they can be activated involuntarily (like
your arm muscles contracting when the hand contacts fire) or they can be used
on command and strengthened. It also tells us that the brain shouldn’t be
considered separate from the lips, the arms, the mouth, or any other part of
the body. The brain is the body, and
the body is the brain. You have more
receptors for serotonin in your gut than in your brain!
What
you should remember is
1.
Logically, the brain and body are one. That they
are inseparable and taking care of one is going to help in caring for the
other.
2.
You can achieve happiness voluntarily. Sometimes
it will be harder than normal, and sometimes it just won’t be worth the effort
(imagine lifting weights after a marathon).
3.
Train it! Just like the muscles of your arms,
the brain will grow in response to how it is used. The happier you attempt to
make your day, the happier your following days will be.
*The body does have neurons but not the same as the brain.
