Brains On Purpose™

Being strong and silent, or meek and mild, may turn you weak and wild

Is it good to suppress or hide your feelings? Perhaps sometimes, but certainly not always, because voicing them seems to activate the brain's braking system and calm down the emotional response. I have blogged about labeling the affect in the past, but was reminded of that process's value when reading the article "The Brain’s Braking System (and how to ‘use your words’ to tap into it)" [pdf].

In the article, neuroscientist Matt Lieberman takes a look at self-control of several kinds: emotional, motor, perspective-taking, cognitive, and financial. He says all these kinds of self-control involve the same part of the brain, the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (RVLPFC), which he calls the "brain's braking system." An interesting point: Because of the RVLPFC commonality, when we engage in one kind of self-control, that braking system may cause other kinds of self-control to kick in, too.

Lieberman then writes that naming your feelings (labeling your affect) can regulate your emotions.

The affect labeling data suggests that putting feelings into words is a form of emotion regulation. The problem with this account is that affect labeling does not feel like emotion regulation. When you try to suppress your emotions you know you are doing it – it is quite conscious. Although people sometimes put their feelings into words in order to generate new insights and improve their emotional well-being, we often put our feelings into words without any expectation that mere affect labeling will have an emotional benefit.

Can you improve your ability to put feelings into words in order to regulate them? Although more research is being done by Lieberman, results so far seem to indicate that practicing mindfulness meditation can make that ability sharper. Another good addition to the growing list of benefits of mindfulness

He concludes:

We have ... demonstrated evidence suggesting that putting feelings into words serves as an unexpected

Now you see my frown, now you don't: What you get is not always what you see

Not a day goes by that I am not reminded several times of the importance of being self-aware, as a mediator, as a party, as a citizen. Much goes on out of our awareness and the more we can expand our awareness, the less we will be influenced by the subliminal. Fewer influences will be subliminal because they will instead be in our conscious awareness.

A mediation with self-aware people in the room operating from their reflective minds will look and sound very different from one with reactive brains in participants' skulls. One reason is emotional contagion (about which I have blogged here before). A new study is a reminder of just how powerful emotional contagion can be.

Two people, because of damage to one side of their brains, were unable to process what they saw with one of their eyes. Nevertheless when their blind side was shown pictures of people looking happy or fearful, they still responded to the emotion. When shown fearful people, a frown muscle twitched and when shown a happy people, a twitch occurred in a smile muscle. Neuroscientist Christian Keysers, quoted in "Not blind to emotion" (Nature News), said, "This is interesting evidence that we can recognize the emotions

Upcoming event in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for sharpening your attention and performance

2009 Lawyer’s Retreat in Santa Fe

Genius is nothing but the power of sustained attention
                                         -- William James

Attention Pays:  From Reactive Brain to Reflective Mind

Friday November 13 - Sunday November 15

Registration Fee: $749.00
(Early bird $99.00 discount available
through September 30, 2009)
Register Now

Note (added September 29, 2009): Two ways to get significant savings on the fee until October 8. Click for details.

The Institute for Mindfulness Studies and Brains on Purpose invite you to participate in a weekend workshop in Santa Fe, New Mexico, developed for lawyers interested in developing:

their focus of attention,
and a deeper sense of well-being,
as well as achieving optimal performance
throughout their personal and professional lives.

Program Overview

What You Will Learn.  Our system will teach you practices that combine focused attention and mindful awareness to enable you to reach a new levels of mental clarity and resolve.  As a direct result, you will be less influenced by momentary distraction and more effective at accomplishing that to which you set your mind.

When all is said and done, the lawyer with a laser-like focus is a genius. Distraction does not penetrate their single-pointed concentration nor disturb the beam of their mental flashlight. Like a Samurai warrior, they place their attention where they choose, there it remains fixed, and they are prepared for anything -- harmony and war. 

What Science Will Illuminate.  Science is confirming what experience has long taught -- the development of expert levels of attention is possible and pleasurable.  In this program, attention mastery becomes your mental armor. And, because of the close connection between mind and body, you will explore the ways that the changes you experience improve your health, immune function, and reduces stress.

What Can Change. You have probably run into lawyers who behave like  zombies; they are reactive, a slave to knee-jerk responses, and always putting others on edge.  Perhaps from time to time you’ve noticed in yourself this behavior.  At other times you’ve found yourself acting like a warrior -- supremely confident, competent, and calm.

Journey to Santa Fe this November and reconnect with that Warrior.

Because of their reflective minds (as opposed to reactive brains), Samurai lawyers have many advantages not accessible to zombies.

•Sharp focus
•Equanimity
•Excellent client service
•Highly functional personal and professional relationships
•Precision alertness
•Achievement of goals
•First-rate memory
•Insight into the minds of others
•Awareness of options and choices
•Ability to choose the appropriate option for the situation

Join us in Santa Fe for a groundbreaking “recharge” (it’s really not a “retreat” because Samurai warriors seldom retreat).  You will:

•develop a laser-like focus of attention
•cultivate insight and penetrating awareness
•explore cutting-edge neuroscience.

A unique setting for a unique recharge.

Workshop Facilitators

The workshop will be conducted by Scott Rogers, M.S., J.D., director of the Institute for Mindfulness Studies and Stephanie West Allen, J.D., founder of Brains on Purpose and author of the syndicated blog, idealawg.

You can learn more about Scott and Stephanie by clicking here.

This event takes place at Ghost Ranch Santa Fe, only three blocks from the Plaza yet quiet and removed from the bustle, nestled in a secluded and beautiful setting.

Not only will you experience mind-enhancing professional development, we also will incorporate this unique setting into the program.

We will be in The City Different and the Land of Enchantment, a  setting and location that will enhance the experience and facilitate your learning.

To preserve the quality, space, and spirit of the recharge, we are limiting the number of attendees so we recommend registering soon.

You may register online by clicking here. You may also register by calling 786-239-9318, or faxing a registration form to 305-538-4676.  Group discounts are available.

The registration fee includes lodging and meals:

Meals include:

Dinner on Friday
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner on Saturday
Breakfast and Lunch on Sunday

Lodging includes:

Rooms beginning with check in on Friday, November 13, 2009 through checkout approximately noon on Sunday, November 15, 2009. Rooms are double occupancy.  You may upgrade to a single room for an additional $50. per night.*

Click here to register:  $749.00.

Early Bird Registration (valid through September 30, 2009): $650.00.  Click here.

If you have questions, send us an e-mail by clicking here.

*If you choose to upgrade to a single room, please let us know in the comments field while registering.  A separate PayPal link will be sent to you to pay the difference.

"4 ways to keep your brain limber": People with rigid brains don't make good mediators

Of course, keeping the brain limber is very important for anyone who facilitates conflict resolution. Here's an article with some tips on how to attend to your brain so it does not get rigid. The four methods: insight, behavior, emotion, and focus. (The article includes a relaxation exercise I have tried in the past and appreciated.)

You will see that the article quotes Jeff. From "4 ways to keep your brain limber" (cnn.com):

Behavior: If a night out usually means dinner and a movie, buy tickets for a flamenco performance instead. Drive the slow, scenic road to work versus the highway. Take a class in a subject that interests you but has nothing to do with your job.

When you follow a routine, your brain can operate in low-energy mode, via relatively primitive structures known as the basal ganglia, says Jeffrey Schwartz, M.D., co-author of "The Mind and the Brain: Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force."

In contrast, new activities engage the prefrontal cortex, an evolutionarily younger area that needs more energy to function. That's why breaking a routine may feel hard -- but if you push past that effort, Schwartz says, new experiences can help stimulate fresh states of mind that leave you feeling both more focused and energized.

Now go do something new.

Don't worry, be happy, see more: Another reason to monitor the conflict moodscape

Some research out of University of Toronto adds to the list of benefits of having a positive mood. From "Seeing More With Rose-Coloured Glasses" (Medical News Today):

A University of Toronto study provides the first direct evidence that our mood literally changes the way our visual system filters our perceptual experience suggesting that seeing the world through rose-coloured glasses is more biological reality than metaphor.

"Good and bad moods literally change the way our visual cortex operates and how we see," says Adam Anderson, a U of T professor of psychology. "Specifically our study shows that when in a positive mood, our visual cortex takes in more information, while negative moods result in tunnel vision. The study appears in the Journal of Neuroscience.

What are some of the advantages of seeing more when in a conflict? To name one: Improved communication can result from paying close attention to people's demeanor, posture, gestures, expressions, and other non-verbal cues. What are other advantages?

In the past, I have posted about ways to regulate moods and emotions. Examples:

• Regulating in-the-way emotions in conflict resolution: Is the difference between a roar and a purr found in the eye of the beholder (or ear of the listener)?
• What's the quickest route from reactive brain to reflective mind (and a new kind of dispute)? Climb a tree
• "What are you feeling?" "What am I feeling?" These questions are tools for brain taming
• From scaredy cat to serene lion: The alchemy of cognitive reappraisal
  

More about the brain and decision making: Another interview with Jonah Lehrer

A number of people have told me that my recent posting of a Jonah Lehrer interview on how we make decisions was appreciated. Obviously the process of deciding is a foundation of conflict resolution so I am linking you to another interview of Lehrer about the brain and decisions, this one from the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University. From the Web page of the interview "Jonah Lehrer: Brain Science for the Rest of Us":

[Lehrer's] new book How We Decide ... is a set of cautionary tales about the limits of the rational brain, that peculiarly human pre-frontal cortex, and by implication the limits of rational science. It is not reason — certainly not reason alone — that tells quarterback Tom Brady which receiver should get the pass, or that tells the pilot of a disabled plane how to land it. It’s not even reason that brings the best of our human gifts into balance. Lehrer quotes G. K. Chesterton: “The madman is not the man who has lost his reason. The madman is the man who has lost everything except his reason.”

Jonah Lehrer identifies himself with the modern doctor who tells you not to choose the MRI for your lower back pain but to study patience, or perhaps Yoga, instead. Not only have MRIs not solved the problem of back pain. “In fact, the new technology has probably made the problem worse. The machine simply sees too much. Doctors are overwhelmed with information and struggle to distinguish the significant from the irrelevant… This is the danger of too much information: it can actually interfere with understanding.”

In the interview, he talks about why neuroscience is becoming so popular and says it's because the science is becoming practical. He also says the way to avoid the consequences of the flaws in our

Decisions, decisions! Jonah Lehrer talks about what our brain does at the time of decision

Think about the critical role acts of decision play in conflict resolution. Then click to hear Jonah Lehrer talking about his book How We Decide. He discusses the role of the brain in decision making. I think you will agree this interview is very interesting.

Topics include:

• Decision-Making in the Cereal Aisle
• The Life-Saving Power--and the Limits of Rational Thinking
• The Science of 'Choking'
• The Power of Placebo
• The Irrationality of Commuting
• 'Metacognition' and Thinking About Thinking
• Artistic Precursors to Scientific Discoveries

He talks about the importance of cultivating meta-cognition—thinking about your thinking— to improve your ability to make good decisions. Since I have mentioned before on this blog the importance of self-awareness and the observing self, I definitely agree!

What's the brain doing during conflict?

In a book I am reading Una Vida: A Fable of Music and the Mind (more about the book here), I found a quote that beautifully describes what our brain does, whether we are in conflict or not. I hope some of you appreciate this paragraph from Una Vida as much as I.

The human brain is a creative organ — it interprets events, nor just records them. It functions more like an abstract painter than a realist. Its view of what happens is more important than what actually happened. Pain, smell, taste, touch, and fear are the visionaries of what we see. There is no pure, unmediated seer; no objective reporter. Our images are shaped by the context in which we choose to live. We see what we want to see, hear what we want to hear — or what we need to in order to preserve the image of ourselves and others that provide us with a sense of purpose.

In contrast to the brain, the mind can be an "objective reporter" but we must train it through attention and awareness before it becomes that "unmediated seer." The training process is simple but not easy; it takes discipline and, just as important, strong commitment. It's easier to let the brain run our life — and that is what most of us do.

Mindfulness resources for lawyers and mediators

Click here for the mindfulness resources.

The obligation of a mediator to practice good mind hygiene, and an interview of Bonnie Badenoch on being brain-wise

I have been reading Dr. Badenoch's new book Being a Brain-Wise Therapist: A Practical Guide to Interpersonal Neurobiology. I recommend it to you. Not just therapists can gain valuable knowledge about the brain from this book; anyone who is in the vicinity of others who have brains can pick up some helpful ideas about how interacting brains change, shape, and impact each other. And readers will learn practical techniques, too. Much of what the author has written will assist practitioners of dispute resolution.

If you wish to learn more about the book, click over to Psychjourney Podcasts to hear an interview of Badenoch. At one point in the interview, I was happy to hear her talk about the important role of the mind's focused attention in changing the brain, one of the foundations supporting Brains on Purpose™.

Badenoch also talks about the inner community, which is like Roberto Assagioli's subpersonalities, a very helpful concept that I learned years back in a psychosynthesis training. But back then we had no neuroscience underlying the concept. What are subpersonalities? From What We May Be by Piero Ferrucci (a book on psychosynthesis):

One of the most harmful illusions that can beguile us is probably the belief that we are an indivisible, immutable, totally consistent being.
...
Our varying models of the universe color our perception and influence our way of being. And for each of them we develop a corresponding self-image and a set of body postures and gestures, feelings, behaviors, words, habits, and beliefs. This entire constellation of elements constitutes in itself a kind of miniature personality, or, as we call it, a subpersonality.
...
Says the Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa, "In every corner of my soul there is an altar to a different god."

Understanding subpersonalities can be extraordinarily enlightening, especially in conflict situations. When you realize the multitude of subpersonalities that can be present in the room, confusing dynamics make more sense.

As a mediator, you have the skill to mediate between your own subpersonalities to improve your life, both personally and professionally. Badenoch and I agree that a person working with clients (in her case patients) has the obligation to maintain a high degree of mental health and self-awareness. Interpersonal Neurobiology explains why; your brain is effecting your client's and vice versa. You have the ability to do much good with a healthy mind and brain, and much harm if you do not practice good mind and brain hygiene. Read this new book to learn much more about why.

Note: Watch a video of an interview of Roberto Assagioli (starts about 2 minutes in).

Note (added July 3, 2009): Here are a large number of articles on the topics of Roberto Assagioli and psychosynthesis.

Note (added October 3, 2009): The Association for the Advancement of Psychosynthesis Web site.

Inviting mediation to "T": Should mediators meditate?

Yes, or find some other method to increase your level of mindfulness. A mediator's mindfulness promotes reflective mind and keeps you out of reactive brain. A mindful, self-aware mediator is creative, responsive, in-the-moment, and mentally fit. Promoting your own mindfulness is a professional responsibility, not to mention integral to excellent service to clients.

Diana Winston, director of Mindfulness Education at the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA, says:

Mindfulness will be like the introduction of seat belts in cars; at first no one thought they were important and now they are a safety requirement, ... Mindfulness may become the seat belt of mental health ... .

Meditation and its effects have undergone much research recently. From "Meditation and Immunity":

By taking a step back and learning the art of paying attention to the now, people learn from mindfulness meditation to deal more effectively with many aspects of everyday life, including stress, said David Creswell, a research scientist at the Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology at UCLA.

In recent years, the practice of becoming more mindful and tuning in to ones internal experiences has gained scientific momentum. Multiple research studies have confirmed its beneficial effects in boosting the immune system and thickening brain areas in charge of decision making and emotion regulation.

Both decision making and emotion regulation are key to any process of conflict resolution. Katharine McLennan, founder of Mindful Leadership and executive director of the Neuroleadership Institute writes in her article "The Neuroscience of Leadership and Culture" [pdf downloaded from here] that another benefit of meditation is innovation, also welcome in the resolution of disputes, yes?

McLennan writes:

One of the most effective remedies to the stressed and rushed environment we are living in today is proving to be meditation—the slowing of the mind, which technically means reducing the frequency of our brain waves.
...

[A]s we lower the frequency of our brain waves, we begin to produce neurochemicals and hormones that are much more beneficial to creativity and learning.

Not meditating yet? Pick up a copy of Mindfulness in Plain English, read it and just start practicing. Or read "Awareness in Lawyering: A Primer on Paying Attention" by Leonard Riskin in The Affective Assistance of Counsel. Most cities have classes in meditation, too. As a result of your meditation practice, people in both your personal and professional life will reap big rewards.

Note: Many of you will probably enjoy the article to which I linked above. (I wish the author had cited more of her specific resources for her assertions; without them the article is a bit trendy and light in places but nevertheless makes some good points.) "The Neuroscience of Leadership and Culture" [pdf] contains information about the brain and covers these topics:

• Attention deficit trait (ADT)
• The power of meditation
• Improved implementation of change programs
• Blink-like intuition.
• Diversity of thought processes

Click here for a podcast on the neuroscience of leadership. The podcast is described here.

Image credit: mooncove

Note (added August 7, 2008, 9:05 AM Mountain): At the MARC-UCLA Web site (mentioned above), you can download a very comprehensive bibliography of mindfulness resources. It includes:

• Key Readings
• Mindfulness Construct
• Mindfulness-Based Treatments
• Neuroscience and Physiological Effects

I would add The Mind and the Brain to the book list.

Now online: A new article by Jeff Schwartz and me, plus the newest intallment of my ADR column

The new edition of The Complete Lawyer includes an article by Jeff and me entitled "Exercise Mind Hygiene On A Daily Basis." Excerpt:

Become More Self-Aware In Three Steps

Your reflective mind is your shield against living reactively. It can help you become wiser, healthier and more satisfied—which is worth more than any imaginable income. It is easy to use—but not often simple. Here are three steps that will help you separate yourself from your reactive brain and begin to move into your reflective mind.

The edition is focused on "A Sound Mind in a Sound Body" and has articles for everyone. While you are over there, please take a look at the second installment of my ADR column "The Human Factor." I cowrite it with my terrific ADR sisters Victoria Pynchon, Gini Nelson, and Diane Levin.