The Mind-An Excuse To Escape From Responsibility...3

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These words are synonymous-one and the same. Forget mind. Think autonomic nervous system of brain. It is scientific, so easily digestible. As mind is commonly used word, we will keep on using that word. When we say mind, we are actually talking about the habits and the data unknowingly or knowingly stored in the autonomic nervous system. It makes sense, because controlling mind becomes very easy then. We only have to change our habits or install new data to change our minds. We need not dig past incidences. We simply have to let them go. We have to consider that today is the first day of my new life, design our life and feed relevant data in to our conscious thought process. As we keep on consciously acting according to the newly designed ‘I’, this new data will become habit. And sooner or later a new personality will emerge.

We say some times- I changed my mind. Is it so easy to change mind? It is very easy for conscious mind, but most difficult for the subconscious mind.

Here comes the most important word in English dictionary. BELIEF. You are what you believe you are! Nothing can be achieved unless you believe in to it. You cannot learn swimming/driving unless you believe that you can.

For believing something, ‘RATIONAL THINKING PROCESS’ is a must.

If any other person can do it, I can do it! This is an example of combination of Rational Thinking Process and Belief.

Consider following facts.

1.       Whatever we are today are due to the habits we have accumulated so far,

2.       These habits were created due to the circumstances and teachers at those times,

3.       These habits work automatically as they are stored in the autonomic nervous system.

4.       There is no need of deleting them; because anything that is tried to forget becomes stronger, as actually it is remembered more in attempt to forget,

5.       To forget something it must be left alone; any habit neglected becomes weak,

6.       And new habits must be created; this way you can create a new you,

7.       Believe in yourself, your body and brains intelligence; it is believing GOD.

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It is not easy to identify bad habits. It is not difficult either. Difference is of motivation. Most of us get motivated after physical illness strikes. This motivation must be passed to all before they suffer. All deeds done in ignorance can be forgiven, but he damage done may not be recoverable.

So spread the light of knowledge. Let everybody know that he is responsible for himself. He is the only one who changes himself. No body, including all godmen has the power to change others. Others can only show the path. One has to walk himself. To make walking easy, light of knowledge is available. We need to open our eyes to this light.

This requires courage. Accepting anybody who talks different from our own thoughts is very difficult. This is the reasons why a person is seen with likeminded people only.

Accepting a new school of thoughts is the first step towards change. Believe that I can change myself. Walking on this path will ultimately lead to achievement of peace, happiness and healthy body.

In discussion ahead Conscious and Subconscious Mind have been used in place of voluntary and autonomic nervous system, as these words are more palatable.

THE MIND-AN EXCUSE TO ESCAPE FROM RESPONSIBILITY ? - 2

‘My mind does not allow me to do so.’ Does this statement suggest that Myself and My mind are different, and My mind has command over Myself? They are different, but irreversibly interconnected.

‘Whatever mind does not know, we can’t see.’ Does this mean that whatever solutions and reactions we give for any situation is based only up on our past knowledge? Yes, indeed!

So we are made up of three components.

1.     My mind (Subconscious Mind/ Soul/ Atma / Spirit)

2.     Myself (Conscious Mind)

3.     My body.

Science frees you, because it is based upon hard facts. There is no place for hypothesis. There is nothing like ‘unless proved otherwise’. There is no place for imagination. Let us compare scientific facts of brain with the mind.

Out brain has autonomic and voluntary nervous systems. Autonomic nervous system deals with the divine reflexes and the formed habits. Voluntary nervous system deals with the day today continuous work.

Voluntary nervous system deals with the situations occurring. While doing so, the available knowledge is used. If new situations occur, new knowledge is sought for dealing with it. It represents ‘active present tense’.

Voluntary Nervous System 

(image couresy google images)

(image couresy google images)

While learning new things, repetitive actions form habits. Once a habit is formed, there no need of active thinking about it, it is sent to autonomic nervous system.

Autonomic nervous system deals with the natural reflexes allotted to us by nature. Respiration, blood circulation, digestion, excretion of wastes, flipping of eyelids, sleep, immune system, healing, clotting, hormone production, growth and aging of body, reproduction are few of the natural reflexes stored in autonomous nervous system. Every reflex has its own range of minimum to maximum working capacity. For example, depending on circumstances normal heart beats can vary from fifty to two hundred per minute; normal blood pressure may vary from 100/70 mm of hg to 180/100 mm of hg; normal respiratory rate may vary from eight to eighty cycles per minute. Accordingly every naturally occurring action has a minimum and a maximum capacity. During normal working pattern approximately thirty percent of the maximum capacity is under use. Minimum working is required during sleep. Maximum working is required during strenuous tasks. It represents ‘passive present tense’.

 Autonomic Nervous System

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In addition to natural reflexes, new habits are being added every day. Some habits are in the line of the natural reflexes, and help the body to stay fit. For example-habit of walking, swimming, yoga, pranayama, smiling, helping, forgiving, politeness, etc.

But some habits are adverse to the natural reflexes. They interfere with normal mechanism of the autonomic nervous system. For example-smoking, alcoholism, junk fooding, sedentary life style, fighting, craving, hatred, anger, overthinking, excess savings, etc.

Once a habit is stored in autonomic nervous system, next time reactions to similar situations occur without knowledge to the voluntary nervous system.

All the habits are created by voluntary nervous system, which are later saved in autonomic nervous system. Many habits have been formed when we were immature, right from our life in Mother’s womb. Consider a situation where a fetus is exposed to constant fear of death due to mothers ill-health. This baby will have developed highly skilled survival instinct for sure. Think what was your first habit formed after birth, and for what. It was when you felt fear of death due to clamping of umbilical cord. Then you started taking respiration for your survival. Respiration is your oldest habit formed. So it is the most powerful reflex of all reflexes. So it is the last one to go when you die. So it has the highest impact on your body with slightest variation in speed, depth or rhythm.

1.  Now let us substitute ‘Autonomic nervous system’ by 'My mind' (Subconscious Mind/ Soul/ Atma /Spirit)

2.   ‘Voluntary nervous system’ by ‘Conscious mind’ or ‘Myself’.

3.     And understand that‘My body’ is under control of both of them.

To Be Continued…