Hi Friends; I believe it is to our advantage to see how Jesus provided us a way to heal the mind and heart in a manner that is strictly biblical. Though you may see similarities with a condition that is addressed within secular studies, we want to take every advantage of letting Jesus be our way to freedom. If there is any question as to who we are trusting I make this claim.
The information provided presents a biblical point of view and is provided for educational purposes only and represents the opinions of it’s author alone. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding general or specific medical, psychological or physiological conditions. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care providers with any questions you may have regarding a condition. Never disregard professional medical, psychological or physiological advice, or delay in seeking it, because of something you have read in this article.
The Problem With Me, Myself and I ; the Fractured Mind
No doubt about it, the mind is an impressive piece of software. It is reported to be made up of a hundred billion neurons all of which manage memory, reason, emotions, sensations, and coordination. Likewise it is proficient at gathering, sorting and filing information away that lets it come to a conclusion regarding self (self awareness). The mind also makes choices (contracts) that become the basis for why we remain devoted and committed to a particular behavior or task. As an example:
• I made a contract (I agreed) to set my body, soul, and spirit to the task of learning to ride a bike and this represented a new function in my life.
• I made another contract (I agreed) to set my body, soul, and spirit to the task of learning to drive a car and this represented another function in my life.
These learned responses become second nature to us and once a task is filed away it can then be called into service as the need arises. Most every human endeavor follows this elementary means of processing. From our earliest days of infancy, to the routines we establish at age eighty; we have chosen to respond in predetermined ways.
These learned responses can also overlap. While driving the car, we can be eating a sandwich and talking to a passenger; all the while we are still following many rules of the road and consciously mapping out a course towards our next destination. We refer to this as “multitasking” and it allows various independent responses to come together to accomplish a single goal.
This also applies to how we deal with pressures in life. As issues challenge us we learn to cope by confronting, complying or getting out of the way of trouble. Such responses also get filed away in the mind and heart to be called upon another day.
• I made a contract (I agreed) to set my body, soul, and spirit to the task of confronting, complying with or getting out of the way of trouble; and this represented a new function in my life.
In a broader sense, this can also explain how we have been molded to cope with difficult human exchanges. Since man’s fallen nature often dominates in physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual ways we tend to create skills for dealing with each type of intrusion. Many of which create defense mechanisms that engage when it becomes necessary.
• I made a contract (I agreed) to set my body, soul, and spirit to the task of dealing with a dominant or abusive person and this represented a new function in my life.
These responses represent a “compartmentalized” or “fractured” way of coping. Essentially we call upon different parts of our person to deal with interactions with an outside world. It’s not necessarily wrong to rely upon such skills, but it can cause us to short circuit at times. You see, in a perfect world this ability is a healthy part of daily living. However in a fallen world it requires that we spend a lot of our time preserving and protecting self.
• Long ago I once made a contract to engage in a behavior designed to preserve, protect, or defend me against some injustice; however I now can’t seem to turn it off!
You may also benefit in seeing how the fractured condition is a behavior suspended in time. If at an early age, a reaction to an event was formed, then a young mind retains that memory for us. For this reason we may find ourselves not always responding or reacting as an adult. At those times of vulnerability I suggest asking a very simple question;
“How old do I feel?”
When we find ourselves reacting in ways that are immature, or age inappropriate, it suggests that at a specific time in life an event forced us to fracture. Here’s an example of time standing still that you may be able to relate to.
Let’s say that thirty years ago a heated disagreement broke out between you and a friend and you haven’t seen them since. When you think back on this person have they ever changed? The most common response is “no”, because your only frame of reference is thirty years old. Hence they look the same, they haven’t ever aged and they are still a jerk! Subsequently you may still find your heart pounding and many of your defense mechanisms engaging.
Young fractured responses can manifest in all sorts of ways and are fairly easy to spot. In some cases we:
It is also possible to see ourselves, or see others, transition from the adult to a young fracture and then back to the adult in a single conversation. The fluctuation between the adult and a young response is facilitated by something we call a “Trigger”.
Triggers
Have you ever heard the story about Pavlov’s Dog? Ivan Pavlov was a Russian scientist from the early 20th century. He studied how conditioning could change or initiate physical responses. He observed that his dog would begin to salivate when he saw food. So he began ringing a bell every time he would feed his dog. The result was that if the bell was rung in the absence of the food, the dog would still be moved to salivate. This was the dog’s learned response.
Of course we shouldn’t hope to be compared to the family pet, yet as we participate in any number of daily functions we can react to our own proverbial bells. Life is filled with many triggers that draw to the surface old preprogrammed responses. In many respects we hear the bell, which could be anything from a smell, a sound (music), a touch, a phrase, a visual scene, or a person’s comment or advance. At those times the trigger makes us think back to a moment in time where we were once made vulnerable. Thus in the midst of these moments it can abruptly draw to the surface old feelings and young personalities.
The Foremost Authority
If various events in life get us to react so strongly, then who has been allowed to be in charge? Since past exchanges with others have caused us to initially react then they represent a force or a perceived authority which still rules in our behavior.
Many of these “authorities” once gained position in our lives by violating our personal space and security. They were able to cause altercations, shock our system, overload our senses, or impose upon us some form of dominance. Our response to their advances was to raise up a suitable fractured defense. When does our defensive posture manifest?
• When we encounter the original authority.
• When we think about the original authority.
• When another person reminds us of our foremost authority.
• When another person responds in the same abusive way.
Furthermore a foremost authority doesn’t necessarily have to be a person. At an early age I was attacked by a dog (Not Pavlov’s) and that animal set the pace for how I would respond to most dogs in the future. When does my fractured response manifest?
• When I encounter the original dog that bit me.
• When I think about the dog that bit me.
• When another dog reminds me of my foremost authority.
• When another dog tries to bite me.
Natures Dominance
Things of the earth can also have an impact upon our lives. If a tree branch were to fall on our head then we would likely create an aversion to sitting under trees. Most opposition to creation creates a similar reaction. When does our cautious fracture manifest?
• When another inanimate object violates our space.
• When we think about a previous encounter with creation.
• When another event reminds us of our foremost authority.
• When an unrelated event violates us in similar fashion.
Spiritual Dominance
Reactions to a foremost authority are also not always based on flesh and blood. If a spiritual encounter was allowed to violate our space then it can also create a fractured response in us...
Continued at The Problem With "Me, Myself and I" | Relationship | Before It's News
The information provided presents a biblical point of view and is provided for educational purposes only and represents the opinions of it’s author alone. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding general or specific medical, psychological or physiological conditions. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care providers with any questions you may have regarding a condition. Never disregard professional medical, psychological or physiological advice, or delay in seeking it, because of something you have read in this article.
The Problem With Me, Myself and I ; the Fractured Mind
No doubt about it, the mind is an impressive piece of software. It is reported to be made up of a hundred billion neurons all of which manage memory, reason, emotions, sensations, and coordination. Likewise it is proficient at gathering, sorting and filing information away that lets it come to a conclusion regarding self (self awareness). The mind also makes choices (contracts) that become the basis for why we remain devoted and committed to a particular behavior or task. As an example:
• I made a contract (I agreed) to set my body, soul, and spirit to the task of learning to ride a bike and this represented a new function in my life.
• I made another contract (I agreed) to set my body, soul, and spirit to the task of learning to drive a car and this represented another function in my life.
These learned responses become second nature to us and once a task is filed away it can then be called into service as the need arises. Most every human endeavor follows this elementary means of processing. From our earliest days of infancy, to the routines we establish at age eighty; we have chosen to respond in predetermined ways.
These learned responses can also overlap. While driving the car, we can be eating a sandwich and talking to a passenger; all the while we are still following many rules of the road and consciously mapping out a course towards our next destination. We refer to this as “multitasking” and it allows various independent responses to come together to accomplish a single goal.
This also applies to how we deal with pressures in life. As issues challenge us we learn to cope by confronting, complying or getting out of the way of trouble. Such responses also get filed away in the mind and heart to be called upon another day.
• I made a contract (I agreed) to set my body, soul, and spirit to the task of confronting, complying with or getting out of the way of trouble; and this represented a new function in my life.
In a broader sense, this can also explain how we have been molded to cope with difficult human exchanges. Since man’s fallen nature often dominates in physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual ways we tend to create skills for dealing with each type of intrusion. Many of which create defense mechanisms that engage when it becomes necessary.
• I made a contract (I agreed) to set my body, soul, and spirit to the task of dealing with a dominant or abusive person and this represented a new function in my life.
These responses represent a “compartmentalized” or “fractured” way of coping. Essentially we call upon different parts of our person to deal with interactions with an outside world. It’s not necessarily wrong to rely upon such skills, but it can cause us to short circuit at times. You see, in a perfect world this ability is a healthy part of daily living. However in a fallen world it requires that we spend a lot of our time preserving and protecting self.
• Long ago I once made a contract to engage in a behavior designed to preserve, protect, or defend me against some injustice; however I now can’t seem to turn it off!
You may also benefit in seeing how the fractured condition is a behavior suspended in time. If at an early age, a reaction to an event was formed, then a young mind retains that memory for us. For this reason we may find ourselves not always responding or reacting as an adult. At those times of vulnerability I suggest asking a very simple question;
“How old do I feel?”
When we find ourselves reacting in ways that are immature, or age inappropriate, it suggests that at a specific time in life an event forced us to fracture. Here’s an example of time standing still that you may be able to relate to.
Let’s say that thirty years ago a heated disagreement broke out between you and a friend and you haven’t seen them since. When you think back on this person have they ever changed? The most common response is “no”, because your only frame of reference is thirty years old. Hence they look the same, they haven’t ever aged and they are still a jerk! Subsequently you may still find your heart pounding and many of your defense mechanisms engaging.
Young fractured responses can manifest in all sorts of ways and are fairly easy to spot. In some cases we:
- Can’t think or react without extra instruction from others.
- Can’t comprehend adult processes or procedures.
- Can’t comprehend new ideas and concepts.
- Remain in a continuous state of play.
- Jump into old relationship dynamics.
- Interact with others in a child like manner.
- Engage in arguments and conflicts in a child like manner.
- Are obsessive and compulsive.
- Are quick to agree, but do the opposite.
- Have a short attention span.
- Are rebellious or overly compliant.
- Have childlike anxiety or a short fuse.
It is also possible to see ourselves, or see others, transition from the adult to a young fracture and then back to the adult in a single conversation. The fluctuation between the adult and a young response is facilitated by something we call a “Trigger”.
Triggers
Have you ever heard the story about Pavlov’s Dog? Ivan Pavlov was a Russian scientist from the early 20th century. He studied how conditioning could change or initiate physical responses. He observed that his dog would begin to salivate when he saw food. So he began ringing a bell every time he would feed his dog. The result was that if the bell was rung in the absence of the food, the dog would still be moved to salivate. This was the dog’s learned response.
Of course we shouldn’t hope to be compared to the family pet, yet as we participate in any number of daily functions we can react to our own proverbial bells. Life is filled with many triggers that draw to the surface old preprogrammed responses. In many respects we hear the bell, which could be anything from a smell, a sound (music), a touch, a phrase, a visual scene, or a person’s comment or advance. At those times the trigger makes us think back to a moment in time where we were once made vulnerable. Thus in the midst of these moments it can abruptly draw to the surface old feelings and young personalities.
The Foremost Authority
If various events in life get us to react so strongly, then who has been allowed to be in charge? Since past exchanges with others have caused us to initially react then they represent a force or a perceived authority which still rules in our behavior.
Many of these “authorities” once gained position in our lives by violating our personal space and security. They were able to cause altercations, shock our system, overload our senses, or impose upon us some form of dominance. Our response to their advances was to raise up a suitable fractured defense. When does our defensive posture manifest?
• When we encounter the original authority.
• When we think about the original authority.
• When another person reminds us of our foremost authority.
• When another person responds in the same abusive way.
Furthermore a foremost authority doesn’t necessarily have to be a person. At an early age I was attacked by a dog (Not Pavlov’s) and that animal set the pace for how I would respond to most dogs in the future. When does my fractured response manifest?
• When I encounter the original dog that bit me.
• When I think about the dog that bit me.
• When another dog reminds me of my foremost authority.
• When another dog tries to bite me.
Natures Dominance
Things of the earth can also have an impact upon our lives. If a tree branch were to fall on our head then we would likely create an aversion to sitting under trees. Most opposition to creation creates a similar reaction. When does our cautious fracture manifest?
• When another inanimate object violates our space.
• When we think about a previous encounter with creation.
• When another event reminds us of our foremost authority.
• When an unrelated event violates us in similar fashion.
Spiritual Dominance
Reactions to a foremost authority are also not always based on flesh and blood. If a spiritual encounter was allowed to violate our space then it can also create a fractured response in us...
Continued at The Problem With "Me, Myself and I" | Relationship | Before It's News
