Fight or flight; that is the mindful question

Mark Lang

The human brain is a wonderful thing. It allows us to process information both consciously and unconsciously. Naturally, the brain has the older, primal part known as the amygdala and the more cerebral, higher functioning part known as the frontal lobes.

Both the amygdala and the frontal lobes have a useful purpose. The amygdala is involved in the fight-or-flight response. The frontal lobes deal with executive functioning such as logic, future planning, and moral reasoning.

Incidentally, just because the frontal lobes are a higher evolved part of the brain does not mean the amygdala is no longer needed. I almost had a face-to-face encounter with a bear because I did not listen to my amygdala. Instead of fleeing, I tried to analyze the situation logically using my frontal lobes.

Here’s what happened: I was jogging with my dog down a country road at night when I heard something scurry off through the bushes and up a nearby tree. When I jog at night, I carry a flashlight, so I shined the light into the branches and saw a pair of glowing eyes looking down at me. I was trying to decide (with my analytical brain) what kind of an animal it was. I thought it could be a raccoon or maybe a bear cub. They were both about the same size.

Then I heard the mother bear in the bushes just a few feet away from where I was standing. She was snapping her jaws angrily and making a huffing sound which reminded me of a snorting bull. My dog was smarter than me; she stayed back on the gravel road barking. She didn’t need frontal lobes to tell her there was a danger.

Meanwhile, I just stood there wondering what to think of it all. Instead of moving back, I was trying to figure out if that truly was a bear in the brush, but I could not see very clearly; I just heard the noises. Finally, my amygdala got the message through to me—I was in danger! I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up and got the hell out of there!

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Later, I spoke with a knowledgeable person who understood the behavior of bears. Based on my description, he confirmed for me that the smaller animal up the tree and the much larger animal in the bushes were indeed a mother bear with her cub. It made me shutter when told mother bears usually do not back down when defending their young. If that baby bear started to bawl, I hate to think what could have happened to me. Obviously, the more enlightened response was to become aware sooner of the danger signals my amygdala was sending me.

Typically, though, the danger is not from a wild animal but, rather, from a hostile work environment. About thirteen years ago, my coworkers and I shared a small office. They had made up their minds they didn’t like my “kind” and seemed to take great pleasure in treating me coldly. They would not speak to me and, instead, would talk to each other in Spanish knowing I did not speak that language. In other words, they were cutting me out of their conversations and wanted me to know it. I did my best to be kind and courteous to them. I would greet them every day with a cheerful, “Good morning.” They never replied—not even once.

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I eventually realized that I could not change them to suit my needs or force them to like me. I chose not to fight the situation. Instead, I sidestepped the battle. I felt sorry for them actually because they seemed very unhappy. It was at that moment I decided not to think with my primal amygdala but, rather, used my frontal lobes for moral reasoning. I just made up my mind to be a compassionate person, not only to them but everyone. It was a conscious decision to have a positive attitude no matter what.

Specifically, one enlightenment technique I would do with those two coworkers involved mental imagery. I would sit at my desk and visualize a glass heart filled with pure love and glowing white light. Then I would picture myself sliding that heart across the room to them. In this way, I was sending them spiritual love and compassion.

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So what effect did this enlightenment technique have on them? Well, I did not see any change in their behavior. But here’s the thing: it changed my mood which made it all worthwhile. Even if they did not feel the spiritual love I was sending them, I felt it. And it gave me a sense of inner tranquility. That whole experience of working with nasty coworker taught me how to be a more compassionate person. That’s the benefit.

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Something to meditate on today. Be mindful of both your primal instincts and your moral reasoning. Raise your awareness and realize you are already using both parts of your brain every day. Every part of your brain serves a purpose. Instead of unconsciously reacting to a situation, mindfully make a decision which part of your brain you want to use. Then take action. Don’t wait for the proverbial bear to make the first move.

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