Get Out of Your Head & Into the Mind
Dr. Gary Epler – Know where you’re thinking from moment by moment. Think from the mind with creativity to solve problems and help others. Think from the mind with feelings of calm, acceptance, and enduring joy.
Joan – What do you mean, “get out of your head”?
It’s a common expression among athletes who aren’t focusing. “Head-casing” is also used when students become confused from too much information and can’t make a decision. Head thinking also applies to people who are frustrated and thinking negative thoughts. They need to “get out of their head” to move forward.
These are common expressions. What do they mean to you?
I call this thinking from the primitive brain. That’s the non-human brain used for instinctive response and not for thinking. It’s self-centered thinking that causes stress. The primitive brain is negative, selfish, and always wants more. This is what I call thinking from the head.
What type of behavior does this cause?
It’s non-human behavior with complaining, criticizing, and blame. It’s trying to be someone else, trying to please people, and negative thoughts about yourself. It’s jealousy, worry, and guilt. In the extreme, it’s narcissistic behavior with severe self-importance, doing anything to people to get ahead, and having no remorse.
Primitive brain thinking from the head is not healthy. What’s the mind?
The mind is the universe outside the body. The mind has unlimited knowledge and information about the past, present, and future.
The brain and the mind are not the same. The head is limited and negative. The mind is unlimited and positive. What’s the function of the mind?
The function of the mind is for creativity and innovation. Creativity to solve problems to help others and innovation to develop new products, services, and new companies to improve the world.
The major feeling from the primitive brain is stress. What are the feelings in the mind?
The feelings are positive. For example, calmness in the mind begins with calmness of the cells, then the nucleus, and calming the DNA. This is a wonderful feeling. Other feelings include total acceptance with no criticism and no judgment, and finally, transcendent joy and bliss. Courage, attention, persistence, endurance, and inspiration come from the mind.
How do you connect with the mind?
Slow down the brainwaves like daydreaming and meditation. We can think from the mind because the human brain has the prefrontal lobe region. It’s above the eyebrows and is the most advanced brain on the planet. When the brainwaves are slowed, the prefrontal lobe connects with the mind.
When you’re in the mind, can you think from the head?
No, that’s the good news. You can only think from one location at a time. If you’re in the mind, then you can have no thoughts from the primitive brain with no anger, no stress, and no judgement. Alive in the mind allows you to live in the moment for an extraordinary life filled with high energy, creativity, and enduring joy.
Can you give examples of how living in the mind can be useful?
Living in the mind can be used in all situations. For example, healthy nutrition. The head demands junk food, and the mind makes healthy choices. The head wants no sleep. The mind knows eight hours of sleep are required. The head fears exercise. The mind knows one hour of exercise is needed every day. The head is always thinking about problems. The mind has solutions. The head does circular negative thinking and self-pity. The mind is positive and creative to help others. The head has self-critical thoughts. The mind has courage and inspiration.
Think from the mind for calm and creativity to help others. Do you have any closing comments?
Dr. Gary Epler – Get out of your head and into the mind. The mind is the universe filled with unlimited information and knowledge. Slow the brainwaves and live in the mind quieting all negative thoughts from the primitive brain. Live in the mind with creativity to solve problems and help others, courage to be your authentic self, and inspiration to improve the world.
