(By Iain McGilchrist, published at RSA Animate on 24 October 2011 at the following link: http://www.thersa.org/events/rsaanimate/animate/rsa-animate-the-divided-brain)
In this RSA Animate, the renowned psychiatrist and writer Iain McGilchrist explains how our 'divided brain' has profoundly altered human behaviour, culture and society. This was first taken from a lecture which was given by Iain McGilchrist as part of the RSA's free public events programme on 17 November 2010.
N.B. Iain McGilchrist is a former Fellow of All Souls' College, Oxford, where he taught literature, before training in medicine. He
has an interest in brain research, and now works as a private
consultant in London, where he was a Consultant and Clinical Director
at the Bethlem Royal and Maudsley Hospital Acute Mental Health
Services. He is a fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Saturday, December 01, 2012
The Best Way To Create World Peace
(By Lena Chen, Lena's Healing Haven, extracted from the Healing Insights Newsletter first published on 10 October 2012
- http://archive.aweber.com/lenashealinghvn/NCV4s/h/The_best_way_to_create.htm)
Dear One,
All of us want world peace, and personally, I believe that it IS possible to achieve world peace if we remember the following truths.
1) We are all interconnected.
2) Everything is made up of energy.
3) Whatever we focus on, expands.
What are the implications? It means that our thoughts and emotions have an effect on the world around us - the people, the animals and plants, the environment, the situation, etc. In other words, by consciously changing our thoughts and emotions for the better, we can have a direct and tangible effect (very often, also observable) on everything around us.
It also means that instead of complaining and whining about people and situations which do not fit in our idea of a peaceful and fair world, we should focus on having appreciation and gratitude for those which do. As human beings, we often like to criticise the government, the economy, our workplace, the traffic, and of course, the idiots who exist in our world. :P
However, in doing so, we are actually sending energy towards those problematic people and situations and as a result, perpetuate the problem. It is similar to the all-so-important rule followed by skiers and cyclists. Place your attention on the path you WANT to go. If instead you were to look at all the obstacles in your path, you are more likely to actually crash into them.
Mother Teresa was probably aware of this fact, which is why she was quoted as having said the following: "I was once asked why I don't participate in anti-war demonstrations. I said that I will never do that, but as soon as you have a pro-peace rally, I'll be there."
If you think about it, anti-war is just another form of war. As long as there is any kind of internal conflict within you, you are already contributing to the war. If you really want to promote peace, rather than raging and protesting against political parties who create wars, why not simply BE an embodiment of peace?
So here are the things you can start practising in your life if you are genuinely interested in helping to bring about world peace:
1) Forgive all the people in your life who have hurt you in any way. Forgiveness doesn't mean that you condone their behaviour. It means that you are willing to release the pain they have caused you, and set yourself free so that they no longer have the power to affect you in any way. (For more on this topic, you may read my newsletter on 4 reasons why people can't heal here:
http://archive.aweber.com/lenashealinghvn/FNqf./h/4_reasons_why_some_people.htm)
2) Forgive yourself for your past mistakes. Recognise that you were doing the best you could under those circumstances (which include the beliefs you had at the point of time) and that you are in the process of becoming a better person. Release yourself from the self-blame so that you can expend more energy on improving yourself.
3) Practice feeling and/or expressing gratitude for the blessings in your life. Gratitude is one of the highest vibrations which means that besides making you feel good, you will also start attracting more wonderful things in your life. The happiest people in the world are the ones who are truly grateful for everything in their lives. It has even been shown in research that depressed patients who keep gratitude journals are able to overcome their depression in a relatively shorter period of time.
4) Practice acceptance towards everything in your life, including problems. Ever heard of the saying "Whatever we resist, persists"? When I started practising EFT where the main principle is about accepting the problem and yourself, I discover repeatedly that acceptance seems to dissolve the issue, almost magically! It's like the common advice you give for dealing with bullies. When you start accepting them, the bullies get bored and find new targets to pick because they really want the negative reactions from the victims. Problems are just like that! Of course, sometimes you may need to take constructive action towards resolving the problem, but even in these cases, the best solutions come from a clear mind that is unclouded by negativity, so acceptance is still the best way to go. Most importantly, learn to accept yourself including your imperfections. You may think that accepting problems would mean that you are allowing those problems to remain. It may seem counter-intuitive but the opposite is true. Those of you who has read my first EFT book may remember an anecdote about a mother with parenting problems who constantly berated herself for being a bad mother. We managed to use EFT to help her recognise that she is indeed a good mother, and I asked her if seeing herself as a bad mother in the past had helped her to become a better mother. She thought about it, and said it was the exact opposite. When she thought of herself as a bad mother, she became so grumpy and irritable that she got even more impatient with her children. So if you really wish to become a better person, the key is to first accept yourself, warts and all!
5) Practice mindfulness. Become aware of your thoughts, emotions and body sensations as they are your inner road signs telling you where you are on the peace continuum. This may seem rather obvious but there are so many people who are so caught up in the fast-paced outside world that they have pretty much lost touch with how they feel on the inside. At the same time, do not become attached to your thoughts, emotions and body sensations. When you are travelling towards your destination, you rely on the road signs for directions but you don't stay AT the road signs! Use your thoughts, emotions and body sensations to understand the messages your body is telling you, and allow them to evolve. Just like the way all rivers flow into the great ocean, if you just stay mindful towards your thoughts, emotions and body sensations and do not cling onto any of them, they will eventually lead you towards stillness and expansiveness, which is the true nature of your mind.
6) If you cannot practice any of the above, please refer to point 4! Please recognise that you are still a human being, and having flaws and imperfections is what makes you human. All these are ideals, and I am also still in the process of achieving these ideals. If a bud is still not ready to bloom, does the sun scold the bud for being slow? No, the sun continues to shine its rays on the bud, and the bud blooms when it is ready to bloom. If a baby learning to walk falls down, does the parent punish the baby for being a bad baby? No, the parent just encourages the baby to get back on his feet and try again, knowing that he will successfully learn to walk in time to come. In the same way, if you are still unable to practice forgiveness, acceptance or mindfulness all the time, just keep accepting yourself anyway, and understand that you are progressing on your path all the time and you will get there eventually.
N.B. Lena Chen is a practicing holistic therapist who specialises in Emotional Freedom Techniques (“EFT”) as well as Past Life Regression. Other than being a certified Emotional Freedom Techniques (“EFT”) Practitioner, Lena is also the author of a book entitled “Emotional Freedom At Your Fingertips”. Lena also conducts EFT Level I and II workshops as one of her life purposes is to empower other people and helping others to learn EFT definitely empowers them to manage their emotions and challenges more effectively. Lena has a natural gift and passion for counselling, writing and teaching. She has been interested in spirituality and self-development as a young teenager and while she has strong Buddhist roots, she also sees parallel teachings in other religions and feels that all religions ultimately lead us to the same place. She listens to her very strong intuition which helps her to facilitate healing for her clients to bring about deep and powerful transformations. She is constantly learning from those around her and strives to gain greater self-awareness and self-acceptance, which she believes is the key to breaking through negative patterns and achieving enlightenment.
- http://archive.aweber.com/lenashealinghvn/NCV4s/h/The_best_way_to_create.htm)
Dear One,
All of us want world peace, and personally, I believe that it IS possible to achieve world peace if we remember the following truths.
1) We are all interconnected.
2) Everything is made up of energy.
3) Whatever we focus on, expands.
What are the implications? It means that our thoughts and emotions have an effect on the world around us - the people, the animals and plants, the environment, the situation, etc. In other words, by consciously changing our thoughts and emotions for the better, we can have a direct and tangible effect (very often, also observable) on everything around us.
It also means that instead of complaining and whining about people and situations which do not fit in our idea of a peaceful and fair world, we should focus on having appreciation and gratitude for those which do. As human beings, we often like to criticise the government, the economy, our workplace, the traffic, and of course, the idiots who exist in our world. :P
However, in doing so, we are actually sending energy towards those problematic people and situations and as a result, perpetuate the problem. It is similar to the all-so-important rule followed by skiers and cyclists. Place your attention on the path you WANT to go. If instead you were to look at all the obstacles in your path, you are more likely to actually crash into them.
Mother Teresa was probably aware of this fact, which is why she was quoted as having said the following: "I was once asked why I don't participate in anti-war demonstrations. I said that I will never do that, but as soon as you have a pro-peace rally, I'll be there."
If you think about it, anti-war is just another form of war. As long as there is any kind of internal conflict within you, you are already contributing to the war. If you really want to promote peace, rather than raging and protesting against political parties who create wars, why not simply BE an embodiment of peace?
So here are the things you can start practising in your life if you are genuinely interested in helping to bring about world peace:
1) Forgive all the people in your life who have hurt you in any way. Forgiveness doesn't mean that you condone their behaviour. It means that you are willing to release the pain they have caused you, and set yourself free so that they no longer have the power to affect you in any way. (For more on this topic, you may read my newsletter on 4 reasons why people can't heal here:
http://archive.aweber.com/lenashealinghvn/FNqf./h/4_reasons_why_some_people.htm)
2) Forgive yourself for your past mistakes. Recognise that you were doing the best you could under those circumstances (which include the beliefs you had at the point of time) and that you are in the process of becoming a better person. Release yourself from the self-blame so that you can expend more energy on improving yourself.
3) Practice feeling and/or expressing gratitude for the blessings in your life. Gratitude is one of the highest vibrations which means that besides making you feel good, you will also start attracting more wonderful things in your life. The happiest people in the world are the ones who are truly grateful for everything in their lives. It has even been shown in research that depressed patients who keep gratitude journals are able to overcome their depression in a relatively shorter period of time.
4) Practice acceptance towards everything in your life, including problems. Ever heard of the saying "Whatever we resist, persists"? When I started practising EFT where the main principle is about accepting the problem and yourself, I discover repeatedly that acceptance seems to dissolve the issue, almost magically! It's like the common advice you give for dealing with bullies. When you start accepting them, the bullies get bored and find new targets to pick because they really want the negative reactions from the victims. Problems are just like that! Of course, sometimes you may need to take constructive action towards resolving the problem, but even in these cases, the best solutions come from a clear mind that is unclouded by negativity, so acceptance is still the best way to go. Most importantly, learn to accept yourself including your imperfections. You may think that accepting problems would mean that you are allowing those problems to remain. It may seem counter-intuitive but the opposite is true. Those of you who has read my first EFT book may remember an anecdote about a mother with parenting problems who constantly berated herself for being a bad mother. We managed to use EFT to help her recognise that she is indeed a good mother, and I asked her if seeing herself as a bad mother in the past had helped her to become a better mother. She thought about it, and said it was the exact opposite. When she thought of herself as a bad mother, she became so grumpy and irritable that she got even more impatient with her children. So if you really wish to become a better person, the key is to first accept yourself, warts and all!
5) Practice mindfulness. Become aware of your thoughts, emotions and body sensations as they are your inner road signs telling you where you are on the peace continuum. This may seem rather obvious but there are so many people who are so caught up in the fast-paced outside world that they have pretty much lost touch with how they feel on the inside. At the same time, do not become attached to your thoughts, emotions and body sensations. When you are travelling towards your destination, you rely on the road signs for directions but you don't stay AT the road signs! Use your thoughts, emotions and body sensations to understand the messages your body is telling you, and allow them to evolve. Just like the way all rivers flow into the great ocean, if you just stay mindful towards your thoughts, emotions and body sensations and do not cling onto any of them, they will eventually lead you towards stillness and expansiveness, which is the true nature of your mind.
6) If you cannot practice any of the above, please refer to point 4! Please recognise that you are still a human being, and having flaws and imperfections is what makes you human. All these are ideals, and I am also still in the process of achieving these ideals. If a bud is still not ready to bloom, does the sun scold the bud for being slow? No, the sun continues to shine its rays on the bud, and the bud blooms when it is ready to bloom. If a baby learning to walk falls down, does the parent punish the baby for being a bad baby? No, the parent just encourages the baby to get back on his feet and try again, knowing that he will successfully learn to walk in time to come. In the same way, if you are still unable to practice forgiveness, acceptance or mindfulness all the time, just keep accepting yourself anyway, and understand that you are progressing on your path all the time and you will get there eventually.
N.B. Lena Chen is a practicing holistic therapist who specialises in Emotional Freedom Techniques (“EFT”) as well as Past Life Regression. Other than being a certified Emotional Freedom Techniques (“EFT”) Practitioner, Lena is also the author of a book entitled “Emotional Freedom At Your Fingertips”. Lena also conducts EFT Level I and II workshops as one of her life purposes is to empower other people and helping others to learn EFT definitely empowers them to manage their emotions and challenges more effectively. Lena has a natural gift and passion for counselling, writing and teaching. She has been interested in spirituality and self-development as a young teenager and while she has strong Buddhist roots, she also sees parallel teachings in other religions and feels that all religions ultimately lead us to the same place. She listens to her very strong intuition which helps her to facilitate healing for her clients to bring about deep and powerful transformations. She is constantly learning from those around her and strives to gain greater self-awareness and self-acceptance, which she believes is the key to breaking through negative patterns and achieving enlightenment.
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