Duh De Ching
Flint and Steel
Flint is a rather plain-looking rock. Steel is a cold, dense metal.
Try hitting the steel against the flint and see what happens.
Posts Tagged ‘survival’
Flint and Steel
Thursday, March 18th, 2010Brain Your Pain. Mind Your Pain.
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010Philip A. Gonzales
The trick, William Potter, is not minding that it hurts.
– Lawrence of Arabia, David Lean, Dir. (1962)
Brain Your Pain. Mind Your Pain.
I woke up this morning with a headache; about a ’4′ on the pain scale. I thought, Ooh, I have a headache.
I felt afraid that it would get worse. The headache got worse. Then I stopped thinking about it, and my headache got better.
Pain does not just happen, we have to perceive it. In modern pain management clinics, it is well recognized that our usual thought patterns and emotions affect how much we feel our pain. Biochemistry can affect the perception of pain, for example, the release of adrenalin in an emergency can effectively mask the perception of pain. When the emergency is over and the adrenalin gets resorbed, then the pain returns.
This morning, my brain registered pain from sinus pressure. I brained
my pain. When I put my preconception of pain into thought, words, and emotion to my pain, then my pain felt worse; I felt my pain more acutely. In that way, I minded
my pain. Minding my pain did not increase the pressure that was causing the pain in my sinuses, but the pain increased. When I let go of my assumptions about the pain, that did not lower the barometric pressure that caused the differential that registed pain in my head, but I did not feel the pain any more. My mind cannot change my circumstances. Neither can my brain. In fact, my brain cannot alter the fact that pain reports are coming in from my nerves. Only my mind can choose the amount and type of attention to pay to my brain when it is receiving pain signals. My mind can modify how I perceive my circumstances.
Okay, so let’s not get all bionic about this. I’m not trying to say that creating your ideal world involves ignoring your pain. Quite the contrary; let’s always start by paying attention to pain. When you brain
pain, your first step should be to mind
your pain. But how you mind it makes all the difference. Let’s look at how your mind and your brain work together for your survival.
The purpose of pain is to signal your body that something is wrong. Of course, the range of problems that can cause pain is pretty broad. Is it a mosquito bite, or have you just been hit by a bullet? It’s a survival skill to be very quick about sorting out the genuine dangers from the minor invonceniences. Mosquito? Firearm? Sure, it seems simple, but the process is a complex blend of raw nerve signals and biochemistry, in negotiations with your thoughts and emotions. A mosquito bite can infect you with a crippling disease. But most of them don’t. And what about people who get shot without knowing it? Some report later that it felt like a bee sting.
If your central nervous system is relatively healthy, then you brain
the pain; it registers in your brain. Your nerves have no judgement about pain; they’re just reporters, faithfully sending the story to your brain. It might be an urgent story – a high-intensity nerves impulse – or a low-level signal for minor pain. Your brain can usually identify the origin of the pain in your body. After that, your pain story gets more complicated at the hands of the editor: your expectations and emotions. The way you experience pain takes shape after your brain has received pain signals.
Mind your pain in a healthy way. Start by paying attention to it. Your attention may be captured easily to identify the source of the pain, judge the intensity of the pain, and try to place the pain in the context of the moment. Ow! A mosquito. Oh, yeah, It’s summer, and I’m in the forest. Quick and easy. But in other circumstances, interpreting your pain may not be so simple. Ow! What was that? It felt like a mosquito, but this is my basement, and it’s winter. Once you create an explanation, then you have a choice to ignore the pain or to take action. Your choice could save you the trouble of worrying about nothing, or it could save your life.
In a life-threatening situation, you will mind your pain very differently. Your attention must assay a torrent of information, some of it insignificant, some crucial to your suvival, and some facts that might contradict others. In the immediate aftermath of the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti, a man found himself trapped in total darkness in the ruins of a building. He was injured, but not pinned down. Using his pain as a springboard for rigorous, analytical thought, he remembered that he had a digital camera. Acting contrary to most assumptions about such a dire situation, he started taking pictures in that pitch-black room. He methodically made a sequence of shots 360° around himself. As each picture showed up on the camera’s display, he was able to identify a way out and crawl to safety. He minded his pain in a way that incited unorthodox thoughts and actions that saved his life.
I disagree with Lawrence of Arabia. The trick is minding that it hurts. Keep your brain and nervous system healthy so you can brain
your pain. Keep your mind and emotions healthy so you can mind
your pain in the ways that make it work for you. No, Lawrence; the real trick is minding your pain in a healthy way: neither exaggerating minor pain, nor failing to act for survival when the pain signals are urgent.
Reasons Happen for a Thing
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010Philip A. Gonzales
Reasons Happen for a Thing
For years, I tried to believe that things happen for a reason. I performed some uncomfortable mental contortions in an attempt to fit that idea into my cranium. Didn’t work; I still don’t get it. The term “for a reason” means that there is an answer to the question “Why?” So to complete the statement “Things happen for a reason… ” I had to say “… but nobody will ever know the reason.” For what reason does genocide happen? For what reason did that plane crash? For what reason will an avalanche fill her belly with that little mountain village? I give up. Turns out that our cognition is miraculous in taking us through the pleasures and perils of life.
Things happen. We sense the things that are happening. That’s cognition. But then comes our metacognition. It’s all over the map. Yes, things do happen. Life is not messy; chocolate is messy. Life is perilous. And we want to know why. When the largest Tsunami in human history hit Alaska, there were three boats in its path. One sank. The other two rode the crest of that 1,700-foot wave and the occupants survived. Our inner beings want to ride the crest of the bad stuff that happens, so we ask “why”. Just the act of searching for a reason gives us a feeling of rising above the struggles; it drives us toward refinement of our mental suvival skills. It’s very useful. There is hardly ever a clear answer, but we try to make survival more of a certainty by looking for reasons.
Reasons happen for a thing. Reasons and things happen almost simultaneously, but your brain begins to create the reasons within a very small fraction of a second after an occurrence that requires your attention. If you are using your senses to recognize the true nature of the world around you, then attention happens. Attention requires the use of three parts of your brain: the sensory, the emotional, and the action centers. It’s called the Triangular Circuit of Attention. Right alongside all this raw perception and attention, your left hemisphere chimes in as the “spin doctor”, in the words of psychologist Steven Pinker of Harvard University. That’s when the reasons happen, and they play a leading role in your survival. The more dangerous, confusing, or bizarre the occurrence, the faster your brain will kick into action searching for an explanation. New York University’s Joseph LeDoux (LeDoux Lab) has performed research that reveals the brain functions that arise as we cause reasons to happen for a thing. Author Laurence Gonzales (Deep Survival, Everyday Survival), writing in National Geographic Adventure, surveys the work of Pinker and LeDoux. Um, yes… he is my brother.
I remain open-minded. An explanation of how things can happen for a reason would hold my interest. I believe in God. But I think that the power of God is revealed in the patterns of our universe that, by their very precision, strike us as being largely random. In light of all the science that illustrates how reasons happen, I’m feeling pretty good about this little survival mechanism that’s been given to us. We live in a world of change, but we try to establish comfortable patterns. It’s in our nature to try to make the rough places plain. Peace is not inherent in nature, but we strive to create peace in our minds. Still, there is a looming question: Can I create peace in a healthy mind that recognizes all of the realities that my senses report?
As your “spin doctor” comes up with reasons, allow it to lead you toward a deeper understanding of your own responses to what happens, without judgement. Steven Pinker also calls the left side of the brain a “baloney generator”. Well, it’s up to you to determine whether your left hemisphere is going to generate baloney, or to provide you with an incisive frame of thought as you happen to your own life.
The Ultimate Bio-fuel Electric Vehicle
Saturday, January 16th, 2010Duh De Ching
The Ultimate Bio-fuel Vehicle
Designed and manufactured by Galactic Optimization Devices, Inc. (GOD)
What a deal! Eco-friendly, bio-fueled, customized comfort, electric powered, easy to park, no harmful emissions, two fully-adjustable cup holders, and it’s absolutely rust-proof. And what a pleasure to drive!
It’s the 2010 Human Body® by Galactic Optimization Devices, Inc. (GOD). The 2010 Human Body brings you naturally supple, washable upholstery. Amazing, self-regenerating parts. Operates efficiently in all seasons, with automatic temperature and humidity controls.
Did we mention power? The 2010 Human Body has the stamina to get the job done, with tens of trillions (that’s trillions) of electric generators, each producing a reliable flow of electrical current from ordinary household substances. Every cell membrane carries on chemical reactions that kick electrons out of their orbits and send them on down the line to get you where you want to go. What about those batteries? The 2010 Human Body stores chemical energy more efficiently than any man-made battery or device. Starts in cold or hot weather.
The 2010 Human Body is time-tested by GOD. In response to almost four million years of field testing and evaluation, GOD offers you a Human Body for 2010 that features all the latest improvements in functionality, efficiency, and stylish pleasure. It’s sexy! It’s fast! It’s available now!
Let’s look at the ground-breaking, on-board computer. Through thousands of generations, GOD’s careful research and development have brought you the world’s most efficient and powerful computer: The Human Brain™. While monitoring and regulating every on-board system, The Human Brain has plenty of computing power to guide you on your journey – in Manual Mode or Cruise Control – at any speed, along virtually any path that you choose. And the first 18 years of upgrades are provided at no extra charge. Further, optional upgrades and specially designed additives can boost your Human Brain to its optimal performance!
The 2010 Human Body is also fully compatible with other common transportation devices: bicycles, in-line roller skates, skis or snowboards, aircraft, other human bodies (in limitless, creative combinations), and the automobile (not recommended, due to serious health risks).
The 2010 Human Body, by GOD… It’s Yours – For Life!
®
Disclaimers: The Human Body has no warranty. You cannot return The Human Body for a refund. Only one Human Body per person – For Life. Owner is responsible for maintenance and safety. Use optimization substances with caution. There are substances that will not work as fuel for The Human Body, and may cause permanent damage to The Human Body. Death and Taxes not included. Other restrictions and limitations apply. For further information, contact the Support Department at GOD by email, prayer, or drop by and visit when your journey is over.
The Curve of Morbidity in Disease
Saturday, December 19th, 2009Philip A. Gonzales
Journey to Health
Aah-a-choo!! ••• Microbes that cause disease are part of your world. You are exposed to germs every day. Sometimes you may not even feel it. Your body is dealing with harmful microbes all the time. Dealing with harmful microbes means that your body summons the front line of troops (phagocytes and macrophages) to obliterate the attackers. If the front line is overwhelmed, then your body sends a call back to the lymphatic system for reinforcements (killer t-cells) that have a better chance of wiping out threatening germs.
Ooh, I’ve got the Creeping Crud! ••• So if you’re exposed to a germ that’s going around, and you just feel a little tired or have slightly sore glands in your neck, then you’re fighting the disease. Most of the time, your body will triumph. It’s amazing, really!
The Curve of Morbidity
Morbidity (disease) happens on a curve. If that bug persists, then you get sick in stages. The first part of the curve is fairly flat. Then it begins to arc downward. That’s the shoulder of the curve of morbidity. Most of the time, we live perched on the shoulder of the curve. Fight off germs without even knowing it; maybe feel a little under the weather. No problem. Then the common, seasonal illnesses come around: a cold, or the seasonal flu. Your health may drop over the arc of that shoulder, and you’re laid up for a few days. Your body pulls out the big guns. After a brief struggle, you’re back up on the meaty part of the shoulder.
Uh-oh! It might be worse than I thought! ••• If you get hit with an exceptionally challenging disease, then you have moved past the shoulder of the curve. What is the steepness of the morbidity curve after that? Well, it’s determined by your ability to fall off the shoulder and make your way back up (recover); the strength of your immune system. People recover from serious illness all the time, but our culture allows it to remain a frightening unknown. The unknown can be conquered. The more you learn about your body, the more accurate “map” you will have for that unknown territory. Much of what happens in that region of severe morbidity is influenced by how you live your everyday life up on the shoulder.
Good nutrition, appropriate exercise, mental and social engagement, and moderate indulgences will not prevent struggles with ordinary diseases. Sometimes you are perched high up on the comfortable part of the shoulder; sometimes you slip down and have to climb back up to perfect health. In itself, the quality of your meandering up and down the shoulder of the curve – successfully recovering from acute, minor morbidity – will give you notable advantages if a serious illness pushes you completely off the shoulder. The front line of your defenses will be more at-the-ready; your reinforcements will be better trained. Your immune system will be at its best.
I’m feeling better already! ••• So take care of yourself. Be well. And develop a genuine hunger for knowledge about your body. Even if you never experience episodes of serious morbidity, you will be healthier. If you do slip off the shoulder of the curve of morbidity, you need an “Educated Body”. You’ll do better if you understand what is out there on that part of the curve. Your ability to recover and heal will be greater if you are not taken by surprise.
The Cycle of Change
Thursday, December 10th, 2009Philip A. Gonzales
“I expected…” • “I got…” • “I changed…”
In Mind, Body, and Spirit, we approach the world with expectations that are formed by our experiences. But we often get circumstances that are different from our expectations. That’s a good thing. Breaking expectations reveals opportunities to create internal change that nurtures our progress and growth. • In the face of broken expectations, the survivor picks up the pieces and constructs inner changes. More importantly, the survivor creates a new set of expectations that are in harmony with a constantly changing world. The Cycle of Change can be used as fuel for growth; in Mind, in Body, and in Spirit.Let’s look at a specific example of how the Cycle of Change can work. In the early stages of dealing with my son’s numerous medical crises, here is the cycle that I experienced as we waded into the American Medical-industrial complex to find help…
Cycle of Change
Mind
Here’s what I expected • • clarity, full information, time to think
Here’s what I got • • hidden information, selected information, rushing
Here’s how I changed • • learn tenaciously, question persistently, doubt, insist
Body
Here’s what I expected • • stamina, strength, resilience
Here’s what I got • • fatigue, limited power, discomfort
Here’s how I changed • • eat right, train wisely, harden
Spirit
Here’s what I expected • • humanity, godliness, spiritual integration
Here’s what I got • • cold business, godlessness, spiritual separation
Here’s how I changed • • find allies, bring God along, recognize spirit in everything
• •• •• •• •• •• •• •
When your expectations are not met by reality, look at what you can do to change your mind, your body, and your spirit. Let your internal changes foster a new set of expectations that can help you move with the next Cycle of Change.
The Steps to Your Miracle
Monday, December 7th, 2009Philip A. Gonzales
Steps to Your Miracle
“Survive and Thrive”
Miracles happen, starting with the miracle of life itself.
But we call for miracles when things are going wrong; not when everything is running smoothly.
What are the steps to reach your miracle?
Step One: “Sudden Loss”
Shock, Despair, Anger – even shame…
Your life has just changed suddenly… but it’s not the change you wanted. You’ve lost your job. A family crisis has occurred. You’re in the midst of a serious personal loss.
Crisis will alter your world. You don’t understand it. Everything seems different now. You follow the lead of the support communities, but you’ve been launched into new territory; you find yourself working toward unfamiliar goals. There’s no sense of certainty about your future.
“What am I supposed to do now!? I need a miracle!”
Step Two: “Temporary Relief”
Desperation, Isolation, Uncertainty
Quick action is necessary. There is a pressing need to get help with what has happened to you and your family. Some support services come to you right away: unemployment benefits, job resources, public financial support, or urgent medical care in the case of a medical crisis. It suddenly seems that there may be people out there who care about you and your family.
You move through the complex systems and requirements that may mean recovery from your situation. Strangers and unfamiliar settings occupy your attention. At times, you feel like the answers to your questions will never be clear.
“This sure doesn’t feel like a miracle, but maybe there’s some hope…”
Step Three: “Informed Outreach”
Hope, Support, Vision
As your new routines become more established, you start to see some progress – even slow progress. You begin reaching out to the broader community of people who might help you. You begin to see that there is a community of services that may be able to help.
Remember that progress toward your goal – and your understanding of your new world – will be inconsistent; an up-and-down process. There are times when you feel hopeful; the puzzle pieces fit together. But then, there are other times when the vision seems to fade, and the road ahead seems to be a greater distance than what you’ve already traveled.
“Forget miracles! I’d better find out more about what I can do myself.”
Step Four: “Negotiated Resolution”
Action, Clarity, Refinement, Tradition
Through the daily struggle of living with loss, there comes a time when successful outreach, hard work, and support lead to a sense of renewal; a new routine. Each successful step confirms that your new way of life is manageable – even rewarding.
You now understand enough about your new world that you are able to take the lead at times. You are evolving to become the Director of your own process. The community that has formed around you to provide support will now listen to you. Others want to know what you have been through. You and your family are now “experts” in how to cope with some serious life experiences.
“I’m in there! I did it! Things are really turning around now!”
Step Five: “Mature Leadership”
Empathy, Generosity, Ingenuity, Recognition
You’ve made it through. Now you see the world in a different way; your experiences have changed your viewpoints. You see others who are in the “Sudden Loss” stage or the “Temporary Relief” stage of this process. You understand immediately what they are going though. Your instinct is to engage further in the community. Now that you have reached out for help, you want to reach out and help.
You’ve been transformed from Victim to Rescuer.
It was hard work, but you attended your own miracle. Now you can look forward to the next miracle in your life, and attend the miracles of other people around you.
“It is a miracle… I’m transformed. But I had to attend my miracle to make it happen.”
Your Comfort Zone in Ordinary and Extraordinary Times
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009Philip A. Gonzales
Comfort Zone
Comfort is very important, and seeking comfort is a healthy impulse. In fact, the feeling of being safe and secure is the second most crucial layer in the Pyramid of Needs – a diagram of what we need to survive and thrive – that was devised by the famous psychologist, Abraham Maslow.
The idea of a “comfort zone” is familiar to most of us. But if there is a great change in your life – a medical crisis, a blow to your finances, the collapse of a personal relationship – your comfort zone can get in the way of your ability to survive, grow, and thrive. So it is important to increase your understanding of your own personal comfort zone.
What are the routines and familiar feelings that nurture and affirm you during ordinary times?
How do you respond when you are forced to leave your comfort zone?
In times of great change, we all have the instinct to grasp for something familiar; something that could provide comfort and security. There have been many times when a crisis in my son’s medical condition has placed me at the Emergency Department instead of in a movie theater, or in a hospital instead of on the ski slopes. Of course I would rather have been in my comfort zone than wrestling with stressful situations in which the quality of my actions was critical to the medical outcome.
Over the years, the constant demands of caring for my son, along with repeated medical crises, have narrowed down my comfort zone almost out of existence. But what has risen up in its place is a sense of vitality and depth of awareness that was hard for me to imagine in my previous existence. Escaping your comfort zone does not mean that you will have constant discomfort. Don’t be afraid. Here’s how to start controlling your comfort zone, making the most of it, but keeping it from controlling you.
Start by noticing how you feel when something unexpectedly takes you out of your comfort zone. Are you likely to be irritated? Curious? Angry? Depressed? Well, the first step to taking control is to set up your own interruptions. Create ways that you can leave your comfort zone and accomplish something that makes you active, not passive. But be sure to leave your comfort zone for new and interesting activities. It can be something as simple as setting a kitchen timer that tells you to get up from the TV and write a letter to a friend. Or it can be an entirely new adventure, like turning your vacation into a hiking tour of the Scottish coast.
No matter how you decide to leave your comfort zone, it will be a decision that will strengthen you for the more difficult times. You will become more aware; more alive by taking charge of your own comfort zone.