Deep Brain Activation
By Lin Ennis, writer, Dress a Girl cheerleader
Have you noticed the more you think about kindness the wider the ripples of grace spread? Each of the 141 Sedona Kind members tosses their own pebble of thoughtfulness into the collective pool of kindness in society and good deeds become impossible to count. The entire community is lifted.
Never before in our lifetimes has the world needed so great a lift. Though this little group has performed tens of thousands of acts of kindness in every form imaginable, I suggest there is more we can do—or rather, more we can be.
Kindness runs deeper than good deeds. It emerges as compassion from the brain’s interior, the insula and associated regions, and who doesn’t want to improve their brain? You may recall the amygdala, also called the reptilian brain, is generally connected with anger, hatred, revenge and fear. It appears the insula may turn out to be the opposite, as research continues.
The Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion uses EEGs to locate the portions of the brain that light up when empathy is expressed. It arises from understanding that begins with simple awareness of the other. Avatar, James Cameron’s 2009 movie, beautifully illustrated that responsiveness in the line, “I see you.”
We hear a lot about mindfulness these days. Maybe too much, because the focus seems to be on the self. Mind what you’re doing. How about being more aware of others? Noticing. Seeing people. A split second of courtesy can change your life, and theirs.
Imagine the world as a dance floor. Ideally, your focus is primarily on the person you’re with and secondarily on yourself and your brilliant moves. Yet you are aware of everyone around you, allowing them room for their individuality, adjusting your steps with instinctive courtesy, occasionally including others in your gaze. It isn’t a perfect metaphor, but with the physical and verbal jostling in parking lots and cyberspace, it’s fair to say the kindest you can be all of the time is being alert to those around you.
Never before in our lifetimes has the world needed so great a lift. Though this little group has performed tens of thousands of acts of kindness in every form imaginable, I suggest there is more we can do—or rather, more we can be.
Kindness runs deeper than good deeds. It emerges as compassion from the brain’s interior, the insula and associated regions, and who doesn’t want to improve their brain? You may recall the amygdala, also called the reptilian brain, is generally connected with anger, hatred, revenge and fear. It appears the insula may turn out to be the opposite, as research continues.
The Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion uses EEGs to locate the portions of the brain that light up when empathy is expressed. It arises from understanding that begins with simple awareness of the other. Avatar, James Cameron’s 2009 movie, beautifully illustrated that responsiveness in the line, “I see you.”
We hear a lot about mindfulness these days. Maybe too much, because the focus seems to be on the self. Mind what you’re doing. How about being more aware of others? Noticing. Seeing people. A split second of courtesy can change your life, and theirs.
Imagine the world as a dance floor. Ideally, your focus is primarily on the person you’re with and secondarily on yourself and your brilliant moves. Yet you are aware of everyone around you, allowing them room for their individuality, adjusting your steps with instinctive courtesy, occasionally including others in your gaze. It isn’t a perfect metaphor, but with the physical and verbal jostling in parking lots and cyberspace, it’s fair to say the kindest you can be all of the time is being alert to those around you.
