OVERVIEW OF STRESS AND HOW TO OVERCOME IT

 Stress is a subject of discussion has several facets covering physical, mental and emotions and has been described innumerable times. Here I would only give a very broad and generalized explanation by defining it as a state of emotional disturbance due to reasons that could be from the external world or from inside due to impaired physical condition or disturbed mental state or even both external and internal world simultaneously. And these factors cause emotional misbalances. This leads to emotional pain which is remembered more than physical pain and impacts the behaviour of a person.  How we respond to a stressful situation reflects the state of our emotional balance. However, not all stressful situations equally impact all individuals. The response of every individual to the same stressful situation could be different. The reasons for this could be due to differences in, thinking process; attitude and mental state in which a person dwells when that momentous event occurred that initiated the stress. And further the period for which stress impacts an individual are also different with different persons. There are broadly two categories of people.

 A)        Those to whom the impact of the stress-causing factors persists for a longer period. B)        Those to whom the same stress-causing factors do not persist for a long period.

 I would now like to go into some details on each of the above categories of people.

 

A) Those to whom the impact of the stress-causing factors persists for a longer period

1.      Loss of adaptability to a changed situation.

2.      Rigidity in belief.

3.      Inability to tolerate the uncertainty of an impending event.

 

 

 

1. Loss of adaptability to a changed situation:

   This happens because of the inability to change one’s old habits. The reasons that prevent a person from developing adaptability in addition to old habits are the pattern of fixed thinking and beliefs. We human beings have to face time to time adverse situation which comes unforeseen and that causes loss of mental stability. Such people cannot accept unpleasant situations and hence gets mentally perturbed.

    2.      Rigidity in belief:

Belief impacts perception, and this helps in understanding factors that assist in anticipation of the probable outcome of a forthcoming event. These people find it difficult to come out of their old fixed belief because of the sense of uncertainty on the probable outcome and that is what induces stress in them. Rigidity in their belief based on old experiences creates a mental block from accepting the outcome of the ensuing event when it is perceived to be something different and unpleasant. from that of the past experiences.

  3.   Inability to tolerate the uncertainty of an impending event:

      Toleration per se is not a readily acceptable situation that all people encounter. It is a form of an adopted mental cushion that people concede to under circumstantial pressure. This happens when the ensuing situation is with the knowledge of the probable result when the anticipated outcome particularly is a negative one. And all people cannot tolerate an uncertain situation; from them the toleration of uncertainty becomes difficult. But in the face of such an event, it is worthwhile to follow the below-given quote.

 WHEN ARE NO LONGER ABLE TO CHANGE A SITUATION

--- WE ARE CHALLENGED TO CHANGE OURSELVES.

-          Viktor Frankl.

 So in the face of the given adverse situation, the above quote gives the way out that needs to be followed and maintain the mental composure with a conscious intention to alleviate the mental stress.

 B)       Those to whom the same stress-causing factors do not persist for a long period

Factors that cause stress in these persons may be the same as in the earlier category of people but the reason why it does not impact these people are explained below.

 1.  Ability to nurture, perceive and accept an adverse situation as an opportunity with the learning experience.

   2.   Ability to re-frame the situation by creating a choice to move out of the comfort        zone to  handle the situation in a different way 

1. Ability to nurture, perceive and accept an adverse situation as an opportunity with    

a learning experience. 

The person in this category focuses intently on the inner self by developing a positive self-image and bank on their strong positive attributes. This provokes intuitive thoughts that nurture the mind from getting distracted by the stress, thereby enabling in developing an enriching experience that guides thru the adverse situation. The primary reason why we need to indulge in the above-stated practice  is best stated in the below-given quote of an ancient Greek philosopher  

                          WE CANNOT CHOOSE OUR EXTERNAL CIRCUMSTANCES,

BUT WE CAN ALWAYS CHOOSE HOW WE RESPOND

TO THEM.

           --------- Epictetus

 And the solution to the adverse situation comes from the way it is responded to.

 

2.    Ability to reframe the situation by creating a choice to move out of the comfort  

       zone and handle it differently.

    The reason why it is necessary to re-frame the situation in the face of an adverse one 

    also comes out from the stated in the above quote. The ability to do it would determine the way to respond to such a situation by developing the perception for acceptance of the same and exploring a better alternative way to handle it.

 

 

HOW HUMAN EMOTIONS ARE RELATED TO AND IMPACTS THE BODY

To begin with let us, first of all, know what emotions are and then only proceed to understand their relationship and how they impact the body. Emotions are thoughts linked to sensation. And it acts as a mediator between the body and the state of the mind in a particular situation. Because of this linkage between the mind and body, the quality of thoughts that arise in the mind impacts the nature and intensity of emotions which is intimately related to the body. Therefore the state of mind; the corresponding thought and emotions together impact the state of the body through the manifestation of physical sensation. Emotions adjust not only our mental but bodily states as well. The different types of emotions and their effect on the body and its physiology by activating the associated different parts in the body are explained hereunder.

 1.      Happiness.

2.      Love.

3.      Pride.

4.      Surprise.

5.      Anger.

6.      Fear.

7.      Disgust.

8.      Shame and contempt

9.      Anxiety.

10.  Depression

11.  Sadness.

12.  Jealousy.

13.  Bitterness.

14.  Resentment.

15.  Discomfort

16.  Disappointment.

1. Happiness.: Happiness is a unique healthy emotion that fills the whole body with activity and a sense of positivism. This is because the person feels more secure in this mental state. And so, he is in a position to devote and focus attention by experiencing himself as a part of a pleasure rich world around him.

2. Love: This is another standout unique and the most powerful positive or healthy emotion that fills the entire body with activation and a sense of feeling good. Love is often intimately associated with physical desire. But the nature of the desire is different depending on the type of relation with the thing or event or person or an idea, the four different aspects around which all human emotions revolve. This emotional focus of love is both the object of affection (this refers particularly to a person) and the intensity of emotions is experienced in the subjective self. Here again, the nature and intensity of emotions would be different in different situations and types of relation with that person. Whatever it may be due to, this causes a sense of elation in the mind with activation around the head and chest.

3. Pride: This too is a strong positive emotion that fills with an intense sensation of joy that is experienced in the chest region. The activation in this case is related to focusing on the self with a sense of awareness that is turned inwards. But the subject of pride could be due to the self or the other person who could be one’s children; a closely related person or an intimate friend.

4. Surprise: In this emotion, the strength of activation is less intense. The nature of this source could be a positive or negative reason. And so the nature of the emotion in this situation is unknown.  And that is why in this case, resources are drawn inward for preparing the body to face the triggering event that reflects the uncertainty of the nature of the event. If the outcome of an event is positive the emotion would manifest with a sense of elation but if the outcome is negative it would cause a sense of dismay which may also be accompanied by a sense of tension or anxiety which would be reflected in the face. The physical correlate will manifest with an increase in blood pressure.

5. Anger: This is a standalone negative emotion that causes intense activation particularly in the head, chest and hands. An angry person may even prepare himself for a confrontation with the focus of attention on the deployment of his internal resources on those parts of the body that might have to act. In this state of mind, he may be enraged with an urge to give vent to his overwhelming desire to hit the other person with some object or verbally pour out venomous words with a deliberate intention to mentally hurt that person. Heightened anger increases the blood pressure and pulse rate.

6. Fear: This too is a negative emotion in which there is more of a defensive pattern of activation particularly in the chest region. Because the person may in certain situations even have to prepare for a ‘fight or flight response. But being with a defensive stand, he is not necessarily seeking an outright conflict with the other person. Because his fear also leads to a subservient attitude besides defensiveness. And this happens particularly if he has to face a formidable opponent. As a result, it initiates activation in the chest causing an increase in blood pressure, pulse rate and also impacts the digestive tract.

 7. Disgust:  In this case, the intensity of activation is not as severe as anger.When a person experience disgust towards other humans, and then he feels a concentration of repulsion from a sense of natural protective response from inside. Disgust causes the pulling of inner resources more tightly to the core of the body. In this situation, the negative emotion causes the body to prepare to spew noxious verbal material in response to what it has ingested from the other person. Hence the focus of activation is along the digestive tract.

8. Shame and contempt: Shame and contempt are both negative emotions with patterns of physical activation that are alike. In case of contempt, the focus is outside the self, involving a judgement of some other person. So physically, it induces less activation in the chest. In shame, the focus is on the self. This is because it induces a sense of personal failure or a judgemental error that caused the undesirable event to happen. In this case, depression of activity in the self occurs out of a sense of guilt feeling which is more pronounced. The person withdraws his resources inward into the self. And a corresponding response is triggered which could even be one of a ‘fight or flight ‘situation.

9. Anxiety:  This is a form of stress classified as long term grade. It causes activation in the chest intensely which leads to a sense of despair, doom or alarm. And this could cause an experience of a panic attack. Persons under this condition experience tightness and pain in the chest causing incapacitation to think beyond the pressing fear of that moment or for the uncertainty in the immediate near future. This can lead the person to a feeling that causes strain in the heart and lungs with pangs of struggle to deliver oxygen to the body. This causes an increase in blood pressure if the person is under a condition of extended fear that lasts for a longer period.

10. Depression: This is a form of negative emotion with the most noticeable external manifestation in the person that becomes prominently visible on the face.  It lowers the state of mind to the extreme, which causes no activation in any part of the body. And in this mental state, the individual finds it very difficult to connect with both self and the outside world. Moreover, this is often also accompanied by a sense of negative self-perception.

11 Sadness: This is also a negative emotion but does not suppress feelings in the head and chest but often leads to a general lack of activity. In certain circumstances, it induces a sense of helplessness, when the person has not been able to prevent the failure or do something that could have averted the source event that caused it. Another type of situation is the event that has caused the loss of a near and dear person which could be parents, close relations or friends. And such events often lead to a level of sadness that is most severe, which leads to even mental shock. This situation can also cause heart problems if the state of shock continues for an extended period of time.

12 Jealousy: This too is a negative emotion but carries a different mental tone and tenor. This accompanies an intense activity in the chest, carrying a feeling of hate with most of the time even obnoxious verbal outpouring for the other person. Comparison of self with others who are superior in any way can also cause the initiation of such an emotion. With this emotion, the individual is unable to accept anything good that happens to the other person. And so out of this feeling even certain people go to the extent of causing deliberate harm to the other person.

13. Bitterness: This is a negative emotion that arises from a judgemental perception of a near or dear or a friend who has caused shock by his words or actions. This ultimately causes a sense of self-negation in having wrongly judged a person.

14.  Resentment: This is also a negative emotion and it happens when a person dwells in the past good that had happened on which the person is mentally living because of his inability to reconcile with present unpleasant reality. Thus it’s an adaptability issue and would cause a mental negation for an extended period and remain in this mental state till the time the same gets faded in the mind. But if the person takes a mental cue from it and adapts himself to the ensuing reality of the present, he prepares himself to face a similar situation in the future with poise and equanimity.

15.  Discomfort:  This is an emotion that causes less intense activation in the head and chest. And this happens when a person with whom he is unfamiliar and has no past experience but he has to deal with him now. Also, this can happen when there is a discussion on some unpleasant or indecent subject that causes his misalignment with him.

16.  Disappointment: This is caused when a person has been judgemental about a situation or a person but that has not happened as expected by him and this causes a negation emotion. And this leads to a depressed feeling.   

We can see from the above that, emotions manifest as physical sensations in the body. They impact not only our mental but also physiological aspects of the body. The outcome of the emotions is very simple to understand. In the case of positive emotion, the mind gets elated with the release of the corresponding feel-good neurochemicals like serotonin or dopamine. But in the case of negative emotion, it is just the opposite, the mind is depressed or tensed or stressed with a sense of negation due to the release of corresponding neurochemicals like cortisol and adrenaline.

 

The above blog post is a part adaption from the chapter on " Mind and body relation" from my recently published e-book titled " AN OVERVIEW OF HUMAN MIND"

OPPOSITES ARE COMPLIMENTARY IN NATURE

                                                    When all the world understands beauty

to be beautiful, then ugliness exists;

when all understand the goodness

to be good, then evil exists.

----- Lao Tzu

 

The subject of this article sounds not only paradoxical but perhaps counter­intuitive too. As per eastern philosophy, in nature, there is a basic oneness of everything. But definitely, that does not mean that all things are the same. The difference that we see between good and bad; pretty and ugly; pleasure and pain; heat and cold are all relative. This is what has been implied in the above quote of Lao Tzu the ancient Chinese philosopher. These are abstract ideas belonging to the realm of thought. The truth is that each is classified in a particular only with respect to the other which is opposite to it. For example, when there is anything good there has to be something not so good which therefore has to be termed as bad. And this what we say as bad, obviously is with respect to the one that we have termed as good. Hence we can see that the term bad and good are used as relative to each other. Thus good and bad; pleasure and pain; pretty and ugly; life and death are all relative terms and not absolute experiences belonging to different categories but are merely two sides of the same reality that are being perceived as extreme ends of a single whole. And similarly this same applies to all aspects of nature and its creations. These are within an all­ embracing unity in nature which the eastern mystics say as basic oneness in nature. And this relativity in nature between the two opposites is perceived and experienced by the human senses. This concept has been very appropriately represented in the ancient Chinese concept of the YIN and YANG. These are the two aspects that hold that every phenomenon in nature operates thru the mode of complement and counter­balance. It encompasses everything in nature as equal yet opposing components of an integrated whole which is the universe. The two are interdependent and constantly interacting with one another to maintain regularity in its process of operation as an integrated entity. Each one tries to dominate over the other but no total dominance ever happens as a permanent phenomenon because eventually, the other aspect takes over the dominant force. Thus there is a state of dynamic interplay which goes as a continuous process and that is the basis of change that occurs in nature and all creatures that exist in it. These two are archetypal poles termed as ' Yin and Yang ' in nature as represented by the bright and the dark (which can be seen in the below-given diagram), bright representing the male and dark representing the female. Viewing it from a visible and experienced human perspective would make it easy to comprehend the whole thing about Yin and Yang which has been represented by males and females. Yin is considered the complex female, intuitive mind whereas Yang the clear rational male intellect. *Yin the quiet, contemplative stillness of the sage, Yang the strong creative action of the king in the male.
 Each aspect cannot exist as independent without the other because both are interdependent and hence complement the other which together constitutes the whole. And that is why not only we human beings but every other organism is a creation that has emerged by virtue of the union of YIN AND YANG  in the form of both male and female.

*To understand the significance  better follow the link Yin and Yang  for further details on this subject

HOW THE OUTLOOK IMPACTS ATTITUDE AND EFFORTS IN HUMAN LIFE

 These are the three human attributes that play a big role and contributes to whatever a person achieves in life. Before going into further details on this subject let me state the reason for it. The reason for this is because these are the factors that are under human control. And these are directly related and proportional to each other, i.e. with a positive outlook and the right attitude in the given situation (good or bad) the person would have the motivation to move forward with his efforts till the desired results are achieved. First of all, let me define an attitude, well “It is the outer manifestation of a person’s mental state in the face of any situation (good or bad) and how he responds to it”. And this always precedes the efforts. So the point here is, in the first place how to develop the right attitude. In a happy or desirable or expected situation, the motivation for putting effort develops spontaneously, which is not the case in an adverse situation. In such a situation there is an initial mental block or resistance which has to be overcome. Well, another factor that precedes the formation of attitude is the nature of outlook that a person beholds, which is related to the formation of the attitude. There could be four categories of outlook which varies from person to person that impacts the formation of his attitude. They are as follows.

1.    A person who has a  negative outlook in any type of situation good or bad.
2.    A person who sees both the positive and the negative side but chooses to view it from a  

      negative perspective.

3     Does not have the ability to assess a situation and form an outlook as to what is to be done in the 

     given situation

4. A person who assesses both the positive and the negative side of a situation consciously ignores the negative and develops a positive outlook.

 

 Now let me address each of the above concerning attitudes in both positive and negative situations that a person faces in life.

1.      A negative outlook in any type of situation good or bad.

Such a person will have a negative approach to any type of situation, failing to see to the positive side because of his negative attitude which comes from his outlook. And hence he cannot handle the situation because his negative mindset prevents the application of his thought process to tackle it. Thus misses the opportunity to handle even when in a good situation.

 2.      A person who sees both the positive and negative side but chooses to view it from a negative perspective.

This category of person would see both sides of the situation. But he carries a premonition that his invested efforts (maybe even money) may fail to achieve the desired end results. And his this thinking overrules his positive thoughts and dictates the probable negative outcome of the event thereby preventing his developing the right attitude and putting in efforts.

 3.      Does not have the ability to develop  an outlook  

Such a person cannot assess a situation and develop any outlook. These are indecisive people. And such people remain complacent in the given situation preferring to remain in the status quo. And so does not achieve anything in life

 

4. A person who chooses to develop a positive outlook whatever may be the  

    Situation

   Such a person views any type of situation from a positive outlook with consciously ignoring the negative side of it. This is because he is pre-dominantly a person with a positive outlook or bent of mind. And so he has all the spirit to invest in the efforts which may incur expenditure of time, energy and maybe even money if necessary. Such a person can be an achiever having surmounted all obstacles that had come his way throughout his life.

 

 

HAPPINESS AND INNER SELF

 

“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it’s all within yourself,

in your way of thinking”

-------- Marcus Aurelius

The above quote by Marcus Aurelius is very significant and perhaps not many people would understand the profound import of these words. It means that man creates his happiness and it does not come from any source in the external world but from the way he thinks about the condition he is in.  The issue that I would like to address here is why happiness comes from inside and not from the glitter, glamour and materialistic affluence of the external world. Well, that is primarily because we human beings are mentally conditioned to the external world. And that is why the sense pleasures and materialistic desires are objects of gratification that pleases us the most. But in chasing these, only a few people realise that those are only transient and the pleasure derived from these are temporary, as these fade away fast with time. And after that, the reason for happiness no longer persists, it also evaporates very fast leaving us again back to square one

A wise man realises this and so considers chasing sense and materialistic gratification as a futile endeavour.  

First of all, let me put in a very simple and generalised language what happiness means. It can be stated as the experience of a positive emotion generated in the mind in absence of any physical discomfort and also being in a mentally stable state (free from any worries and anxieties) that a person is at any moment. This is also accompanied by a sense of joy.

Now putting into proper perspective that includes all dimensions of happiness, as stated by an American psychologist in the below words.

“ Happiness is to do things that are harmonious with who we are, with what we can do, with what we like, and with what we think is right.”

                                      ----- Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (spell as chick-sent-me-high) 

When suffering from any physical discomfort or mentally not in a stable state he would not experience a sense of happiness. Because the mind would be focused on the body or in whatever thought that is destabilising the mind. And that till the time these persist happiness would prove to be something elusive.

A wise person dwells in the inner self because he knows that true happiness comes from the bliss experienced by dwelling in the deepest core of the inner self. And that is because he realises that happiness arises from something related to his own identity. That is the reason why the source of happiness has to originate from the inner self if it has to impart a lasting elevation of the mental state. And in this way, it deviates from the sense of pleasure that comes from reasons that are in the external world.

Thus our self-identity is related to the nature of our perception of realities experienced by us. Giving up pleasures and comforts of the physical world is a matter of mental deconditioning. And hence can be given up to a certain extent, retaining only the minimum requirements of self-sustenance. The deconditioning of the mind is possible thru physical and mental restraint to the level of the minimum requirement. And focussing ourselves more on the inner self by calming the mind from all deviations of the external world. The best way to achieve this is thru the practice of meditation because during this the senses are drawn inwards into the mind (i.e. senses are non-judgemental now) which thus becomes reinforced to focus on the inner self. And this brings in a state of bliss that is much more profound than the happiness experienced from the external world.

 

 

MIND AND BODY RELATION

 The subject of mind to body relation is vast which involves diverse streams like philosophy, psychology, physiology and neurology.

Psychologists have time and again stated with reasons why the body-mind concept is crucial to our understanding of the relation between the two. And this had begun even before the psychoanalysis movement of Sigmund Freud had started. The reason for this originates from the idea that physical conditions affect the mental state and thereby the mental health too. And the converse is also equally true. So the physical condition and the mental state together account for our health and wellbeing.

  Our desires or dreams exist in the mind only, but that is not true with our thoughts and emotions. These are actual and that is why they physically affect us. It is the nature of our thought that affects the quality of our feeling and emotions which reflects the state of mind at any point in time. An example of this mind-body connection is, the way the body responds to stress that originates from the mind. Constant worry and stress over various aspects of life like job, finances and other problem causes physical and consequent mental health issues. This impacts the corresponding physiological system of the body. These can be, tense muscles, pain, headaches and stomach problems. It can also lead to hypertension. Conversely, constant pain or health problems related to the heart can affect emotions that adversely impact mental health. The contrary to this is, holding on to a positive and stress-free outlook on life that could help in better handling of pain or stress thereby stay healthier than somebody who is less hopeful. And that is why positive thoughts generate healthy emotions that directly enhance the state of mind in a positive direction.  Being in a state of mental elation or depression acts as a physical motivation or pain respectively, at the neurological level. Bodies hold our physical health whereas the mind holds the spirit that generates the motivation to function. And this is what makes the study of mind-body interrelation in psychology particularly important. This is also true that the mind is a non-physical or subtle domain inside the physical body. And in this concept, the mind and body are not seen as separate or independent entities. The two are interdependent, thus behaving as one integrated functioning unit. The emotions, thru the mind, impacts the body and converse is also true where emotion being the common factor.

  During the waking moments of life, a human mind is in a continuous state of flux, passing thru a variety of mental states throughout the day. These are typically named in common sense terms such as Emotions (e.g. fear, anger, envy, greed, contempt, anxiety,  disgust shame, depression, love, pride, compassion, equanimity etc.); Cognition (e.g. recalling a memory, planning the task in the present or future, focussing intensely on a task); Perceptions (e.g. perception of face,  colour,  sound perception or of the situation in that moment etc.) and so on.

An emotion, as we all know by experience is a thought that is linked to a sensation. And it acts as a mediator between the body and the state of the mind in a particular situation. So, it would be necessary for us to know in some detail the impact, nature of emotion (both positive and negative) would make on the body. For this, we need to unpack each of them and their corresponding physical responses by the body. The different types of emotions and their effect on physiology, by activating the associated different parts in the body are explained as under.

1.      Love.

2.      Happiness.

3.      Surprise.

4.      Pride.

5.      Fear.

6.      Anger.

7.      Jealousy.

8.      Anxiety.

9.      Disgust.

10.  Shame and contempt

11.  Depression

12.  Sadness.

1. Happiness.: Happiness is a unique healthy emotion that fills the whole body with activity and a sense of positivism. This is because the person feels more secure in this mental state. And so, he is in a position to devote and focus attention by experiencing himself as a part of a pleasure rich world around him.

2. Love: This is another standout emotion that fills the entire body with activation and a sense of feel good. Love is often intimately associated with physical desire. This emotional focus of love is both the object of affection (which could be a person, things, an event or an idea) and the intensity of emotions in the subjective self. This causes an intense activation around the head and chest.

3. Pride: This too is a  positive emotion that fills with an intense sensation of joy in the chest region. The activation in this case is related to focus on the self with a sense of awareness that is turned inwards.

4. Surprise: In this emotion, the strength of activation is less intense. And in this situation, the nature of surprise is unknown. It could be either a positive, negative or neutral one. And that is why in this case, resources are drawn inward for preparing the body to face the triggering event that reflects the uncertainty of the nature of the event

5. Anger: This is a standalone negative emotion that causes intense activation particularly in the head, chest and hands. An angry person prepares himself for a confrontation with the focus of attention on the deployment of his internal resources on those parts of the body that might have to act. In this state of anger, he may be enraged with an urge to give vent to his overwhelming desire to hit the other person with some object. 

6. Fear: This too is a negative emotion in which there is more of a defensive pattern of activation. As the person may even prepare for either a ‘flight or fight’ response. But being with a defensive stand, he is not necessarily seeking an outright conflict with the other person. Because his fear also leads to a subservient attitude besides defensiveness. And this happens particularly if he has to face a formidable opponent.

 7. Disgust: When a person experience disgust towards other humans, he feels a concentration of repulsion from a sense of natural protective response from inside. Disgust causes the pulling of inner resources more tightly to the core of the body. In this situation,  emotion causes the body to prepare to spew noxious verbal material in response to what he has ingested from the other person. Hence the focus of activation is along the digestive tract.

8. Shame and contempt: Shame and contempt are both negative emotions with patterns of physical activation that are alike. In case of contempt, the focus is outside the self, involving a judgement of some other person. So physically it induces less activation in the chest. In shame, the focus is on the self. And that is why this induces a sense of personal failure or a judgemental error that caused the undesirable event to happen. In this case, depression of activity in the self occurs out of a sense of guilt feeling which is more pronounced. The person withdraws his resources inward into the self. And a corresponding response is triggered which could even be a ‘flight or fight’. 

9. Anxiety:  This is a form of stress classified as a long term grade. It causes activation in the chest intensely which leads to a sense of despair, doom or alarm. And this could cause an experience of a panic attack. Persons under this condition experience tightness and pain in the chest causing incapacitation to think beyond the pressing fear of that moment or for the uncertainty in the immediate near future. This can lead the person to a feeling that causes strain in the heart and lungs with pangs of struggle to deliver oxygen to the body. And this

 causes an increase in blood pressure if the person is under a condition of extended fear that lasts for a longer period.

10. Depression: This is a form of negative emotion with the most noticeable external manifestation in the person.  It lowers the state of mind to the extreme, which causes no activation in any part of the body. And in this mental state, the individual finds it very difficult to connect with both self and the outside world.

11 Sadness: This is also a negative emotion but does not suppress feelings in the head and chest but often leads to a general lack of activity. In certain circumstances, it induces a sense of helplessness, when the person has not been able to prevent the failure or do something that could have averted the source event that caused it. Another type of situation is the event is the loss of a near and dear person which could be parents, close relation or friend. And such events often lead to a level of sadness that is most severe which leads to even mental shock. This situation can also cause heart problems if the state of shock continues for an extended period.

12 Jealousy: This too is a negative emotion but carries a different mental tone and tenor. This accompanies an intense activity in the chest, carrying a feeling of hate with even obnoxious outpouring for the other person. Comparison of self with others who are superior in any way can also cause the initiation of such an emotion. In this situation, the individual is unable to accept anything good that happens to that person.

    We can see from the above that, emotions manifest as physical sensations in the body. They impact not only our mental but also physiological aspects of the body. And in this way, they prepare the individual to react appropriately to the dangers and also opportunities that are right in front of him. Awareness of the corresponding bodily changes that occur, consequently triggers emotional sensations, such as a feeling of happiness or sadness or even a sense of shock or disappointment. The connection between the mind and our body is something we instinctively feel. But how much attention we pay to our bodily sensations every moment, differs from one individual to another.

Furthermore, we also need to go into some detail about the different constituents, both physical and subtle realms that together make up the mind-body complex as an integrated entity. 

FOR FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS TOPIC PLEASE PURCHASE MY E-BOOK TITLED  " AN OVERVIEW OF THE HUMAN MIND" FROM WHICH THE ABOVE HAS BEEN TAKEN.  

  AN OVERVIEW OF THE HUMAN MIND  (Link for purchase of the Amazon Kindle e-book in Indian Rupee)

 AN OVERVIEW OF THE HUMAN MIND  (Link for purchase of the Amazon Kindle e-book in US Dollar)

HOW HUMAN BEINGS CAN OVERCOME THE RESISTANCE TO CHANGE.

 

Human beings are inherently comfortable with the ‘status quo ’ in their existing situation. But before we go into further details on the change, let me first of all state that they are broadly of two categories, as stated below.

1.         Changes that are under the control of human beings.

2.         Changes that are not under the control of human beings.

The first category of change that happens,  human beings are not much averse to since it is within their means and power to control and so they can adapt to it without much difficulty. In this article, we would focus on the second category which is not under human control.  Because those are changes that human beings normally confront with much mental resistance and that’s why find it much difficult to adapt to. And there are several reasons why people are averse to such changes. An individual is resistant to such change if in the existing condition he is a comfortable position concerning aspects, like personal freedom; physical and financial security and abundance of all material comforts and social status. These are all that he wants in life. And being in this situation he fails to realise that there could a 'flip side’ too in the forthcoming change which he is either not able to or does not want to foresee. Because he apprehends the possible loss or shift from one more of the above comfort factors. And this is because of his mindset toward the status quo in the existing condition. He feels that the change would invariably lead to a negative outcome that would deprive him of the benefits of the existing condition.

But with a certain level of foresight if he is able to develop and perceives positivity in the forthcoming change, then it would prove to be a welcome change for him and so would accept it. The other side could be when the change is perceived to be in an unexpectedly negative direction, which would then lead him to hopelessness and frustration. So in this situation, it would be worthwhile for him to endeavour to reframe the anticipated or ensuing negative change by mentally exploring other alternatives that could prove to be opportunities for improvement rather than adversity.  And in so doing he would be better able to raise the level of his adaptation to the changed situation, even if that does not bring in all the factors of comfort that had been present before the apprehended change impacted him.  But the point is, how to reframe an adverse situation to change it in a way as to make it into an opportunity for improvement.

Well, here I am reminded of the quotation of Shakespeare given below.

“Sweet are the uses of adversity,

 Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous,

Wears yet a precious jewel in the head.”

                                                               ---- William Shakespeare (As you like it. AC II)

 For this type of situation that we human beings face, there is often always a compulsive need to find a way forward out of it, even if it means coming out of our comfort zone. Now since we say the way to be in the forward direction, even if it has to be without the knowledge of direction of the outcome, there is one advantage a person can draw for certain, and that is an enhancement of the strength of his mind. And with it also comes the wisdom to face such difficult situations in future mentally remaining unscathed by retaining the composure and stability of mind.  In so doing the individual also maintains harmony by his adaptation to the changed situation.  With this type of experience, he becomes better equipped to handle such unforeseen adversity without getting mentally upset.