Even though the mind is intensely powerful and we can see its effects all the time, the mind is nevertheless intangible and invisible so we must define its operation in theoretical terms, based upon what we have learned about through observing our behavior.
We generally divide the mind into four operating sections: the primitive mind, the subconscious mind, the critical mind and the conscious mind. All four sections work together all the time to keep us safe and surviving.
The Primitive Mind
The primitive area of the mind contains the information to sustain the basic functions of the body and mind that must run automatically and cannot be left exclusively to conscious control. The primitive area of the mind also controls the vital responses to threats that must be activated without rational thought. The primitive mind houses the primitive memory, including evolved learning and genetic heritage.
Residing in the primitive mind is the fight-or-flight response, which is the reaction mechanism to threatening situations or events. The threat may be actual or it may be imagined, but the response is real regardless of the nature of the threat.
The Fight-or-Flight Response
The fight-or-flight response is an automatic series of reactions that take place when we perceive a threat. The brain sends a signal to the adrenal glands, which immediately release epinephrine (adrenalin) into the bloodstream. Upon this release, the following events launch:
- The heart beats much harder and faster, greatly increasing the volume of blood flow
- Breathing becomes much faster and deeper, greatly increasing the volume of air going into and out of the lungs
- The pupils of the eyes dilate, allowing in more light and increasing the visual depth of field
- The arteries shift their pressure, directing blood flow away from the internal organs and toward the arms and legs. This gives more energy to the muscles of the limbs in case it is necessary to run or defend oneself.
- The nostrils of the nose dilate, along with the trachea and bronchial tubes so that it becomes easier to draw air into the lungs
- The liver makes glucose and releases it into the bloodstream, so that there is more energy available for the increased physical activity
The increased blood flow to the brain elevates levels of blood sugar and endorphines in the brain, and this can result in what some people call the “adrenalin rush”. Conversely, the increased heart rate and breathing rate can result in what some people experience as a panic attack. If the feeling of being threatened continues, it is possible to deplete the available supply of blood sugar faster than it can be replaced, resulting in weakness, sweating, shakiness, nausea and even fainting or passing out.
The Subconscious Mind
The subconscious mind contains the acquired memory from conception onward. It is often called the “irrational” mind, since it tends to accept input without applying logic or reason. Like the primitive area of your mind, the subconscious is always on alert, always operational. It receives and stores all of the information that is perceived by the five senses: sight, taste, smell, sound and touch.
The purpose of the subconscious mind is to protect you and ensure your survival as both a physical and an emotional being. Even before birth, your subconscious mind was recording sensations and responses to experiences and identifying them as either pleasure or pain, positive or negative, known or unknown. Your subconscious mind then learned to direct you away from things that registered as harmful, painful, frightening, or threatening.
Your perception of yourself originates from the earliest experiences you had and from the reactions you experienced from your interactions with your parents and all of the other people in your life. You were born with only two fears: the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. All other fears were learned, and the learning of these fears took place early in your life. Your sense of values, of right and wrong, good and evil - all of this was formed early in your life before you were able to apply critical logic to the information that you were receiving.
Going forward, your ability to succeed, to be motivated, to relate to others has been governed by the information stored in your subconscious mind from your earliest experiences. You remember all of the reaction patterns that have formed as a result of your experience, even though you may not be able to consciously recall any of that information. Within your subconscious mind is the link connecting your mind, your emotions, your body and your spirit.
An example of how your subconscious mind protects you can be illustrated by considering someone who does not like dogs and chooses to avoid them at every opportunity. In early childhood, this person was frightened by a dog. There was a strong physical and emotional reaction in the child that was stored in the subconscious as a painful, negative event with many complicated physical and emotional sensations. Going forward, the adult who dislikes dogs may not consciously remember the childhood event but is always protected by his subconscious mind from the risk of repeating the event.
