Ok, so this is a scientific type blog post on understanding an easier way for breaking bad habits.
What’s the correlation between addiction, happiness, & healing?
CHOICE connects all three! So it’s about CHOICE!
Not just how we choose, but why we choose and how that affects our behavior and ultimately our desire to heal.
Basic psychology comes into play here but then I’ll relate how that connects to energy work, then you can ‘choose’ where you land within these two concepts.
Here’s some background of why I feel this is so important to share at this time. At the beginning of my Evolutionary Psychology course, I was stumped. I felt I was to understand the big bang theory and how that relates to humans today. I seriously didn’t know where to begin. Some of you reading this may be thinking or judging me on that but oh well, it is what it is
First, I had to realize the big bang theory is PART of our human existence. It’s not the creation of our existence. Some may disagree but read through the end to see why I’m stating this, this way.
Deal?
Great!
One aspect of Evolution is about 1. Pleasure, 2. Pain avoidance, and 3. Energy conservation. Psychology terms, the Motivational Triad.
The easiest way for me to understand this is to relate it to something I know. I know a baby will choose a bottle over the breast to feed every time. WHY? Because 1. eating to fill their bellies is a pleasure. 2. avoiding the pain of hunger is the drive. 3. it takes less energy to get full with the bottle versus the breast.
You can add in other scenarios within this Triad and see how this makes sense. But why am I writing about this?
Because choice is led by motivation. What effects motivation? Now we are getting to the bottom of this Motivational Triad.
First, you have genes. You hold a certain DNA make-up that holds physical characteristics, eye color, hair color, medical history, etc. I refer to this as your physical blueprint.
But, you also have a spiritual blueprint. In church do you remember hearing how each one of us holds gifts and talents? What comes easy to one and what doesn’t, right? I know my sister holds musical talents and no matter how much I strive to develop musical talent, I don’t hold that gift. My gift is intuition and the gift of tongues. To be clear, the gift of tongues in my definition is I can understand how others perceive and see the world so I can bridge this understanding when I teach.
This spiritual blueprint we hold includes emotional filters for how we understand, how we perceive situations and how we interpret life’s experiences. For example, if I have the filter for victimhood, it will become easier to view my situation in a ‘less than’ way and I’d be prone to blame. I would see the world as happening TO me versus happening FOR me mindset. Now if I have the filter for spiritual understanding, I would see the world in a whole different way. This isn’t to say one way is right and the other wrong, it offers an understanding that we ALL hold unique spiritual filters within our blueprint and the gift of this world is to recognize that and embrace our differences.
Second, you have neural circuits or another name is neuropathways. These are the neuropathways that have been developed over time. In animals, it’s like unto instinct. Important types of Neural pathways for this discussion are; monosynaptic reflexes, corpus callosum, reward pathway, pain pathway, visual pathway, dorsal column medial lemniscus pathway, pyramidal tracts, cerebral peduncles, etc.
Let’s focus on the reward pathway. For me, this is the pathway that connects directly within the Motivational Triad.
Now third, you have thought. At this point, ADD in spiritual blueprints to the mix of understanding and you get where ‘thought’ comes into play. How we think, and why we think and what we do is directly correlated to our spiritual blueprint.
Fourth, you have feelings. Feelings validate neuropathways and support spiritual blueprints.
Lastly, at this point you see behavior play out. So what can you do to alter behavior? Exactly, you go back through this chain and locate where the most significant chance for change exists.
That’s what energy work does!
Do you find yourself choosing bad partners?
Do you find yourself feeling buried and betrayed by the world?
Do you find yourself unseen, invisible, not validated, unheard?
Do you find yourself stuck in a bad pattern?
Do you find your giving personality gets you into bad situations and in the end feeling used, frustrated and unhappy?
To rewire your neuropathways it takes energy work to rewire thought processes which then promotes healthier feelings and supports changed behavior.
Testimonial: “As a Vietnam Vet, I spent fifteen years in therapy which is why I was so scared to schedule a session with Jody. I had buried my emotions so deep, I couldn’t imagine going through that ugliness again. I’m so glad I dared to call and get a time scheduled, where were you forty years ago? The peace I feel is amazing. I had the best night’s sleep after our session and the greatest gift I received is the ability to forgive myself. Thank you for everything!” ~ F.D.
Click here to read more Testimonials
So if it’s that easy, why don’t more people gravitate to energy work?
It comes down to the all-powerful Dopamine our bodies produce, and what signals it to spike. Healing and happiness lead to shifting thoughts and feelings; where addiction comes from not knowing how to ease the pain of said thoughts and feelings so the behavior is to drown them in drugs or alcohol, shopping, emotional eating, or whatever one uses to dull the pain. Remember the #2 pain avoidance? and #3 energy conservation? Humans find the easiest way to avoid pain. When a person goes into rehab, the best place to find is one that deals with the feelings that triggered the dulling coping skill behavior. Once you find that then the need to dull is removed and healing takes place. However, the habit may remain and without conscious shifting, it may return out of habit. For example, take a hoarder. If a person comes in and cleans up the house then put the hoarder back in, the reasons for hoarding were never addressed, that hoarder will go right back to hoarding quicker and faster to get back to the space that served them, no matter how skewed that may sound. So the importance of being present during energy work is crucial for healing, make sense? The ‘healer’ is not the one who does the work, the ‘healer’ is the one who guides you through the work in a much more efficient way.
You need more to understand this complex matrix? Using energy terminology; what’s important to know is that the Ego continues to look for any likely hood of survival – seeking pleasure or pain, something to keep our human psyche in balance, with the main focus in keeping one separated from their divine self. The Ego is ruthless and will do whatever it takes to keep up the illusion of artificial pleasure (like unto the hoarder example), i.e. addiction.
Click here for a great TedTalk on Dopamine
Don’t worry or stress. There is a way, an easier way to becoming your best self!
I invite you to check out the Restored-soul retreat! This is a place that gives you a chance to take a break, a breath of emotional fresh air and recover your sensitivity to your true spiritual nature. A simple place to be unquestionably YOU. Your Divine Self! Without judgment, or expectations.
Jody and Kristen are leaders in holding a safe space, offering you space to spiritually refuel, recharge and reconnect to source.
Namaste,
Jody K