Identifying and Processing Emotions: "Name It to Tame It"

Recent scientific studies suggest that people with mindfulness traits have the ability to calm their emotions by naming them. Mindfulness is a process where one is aware and receptive to present moment experiences.

In a study conducted by UCLA researchers Matthew Leiberman and David Creswell, subjects in an MRI scanner were shown emotionally expressive faces. When they were asked to name the gender of the person expressing the emotion no changes occurred. However when the same subjects were asked to name the emotion they were seeing (such as anger, fear or sadness), the person’s right ventro-lateral region became activated at the moment that the emotion was being named and the subcortical regions that respond to facial expressions especially in the region of the right amygdala calmed down.Amazingly this “name it to tame it” only happened in a certain percentage of individuals. When the researchers looked at the characteristics of the individuals whose accurate naming of an emotion could calm the subcortical storm within, those individuals were rated statistically significantly higher on mindfulness traits.

In summary, if you have mindfulness traits you can activate the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex on the right side of the brain to calm down excessively aroused subcortical circuits like the amygdala. It is believed that this occurs through the secretion of inhibitory peptides like GABA or glutamate. This is a powerful example of how the mind regulates the flow of energy and information to change neuronal activation in the brain.

Hypno-Don

I would like you to make yourself comfortable... put your feet on the floor, rest your hands on your thighs... and half-close your eyes.

I would like you to be aware of your breathing... notice the shallow and uneven way you are breathing. I wonder if you can consciously make your breathing slower, and deeper?

So take a deep breath in, and let it out... you will notice that with each breath you take, your body is relaxing... inhale... exhale... take a deep breath, in and out. Let your body relax... and while you are breathing, you may notice that all the tension is going out of your body, and you are feeling more and more relaxed, comfortable, and at ease.

And as you continue to pay attention to your breathing... I would like you to imagine that you are hovering over an ocean. I would like you look down at the beautiful water... to look down at this vast boundless ocean... notice its color... pay attention to the emotions you feel when you look at it.

And as you continue to look at this ocean of stillness... allow your awareness to expand indefinitely... until it too becomes like a vast, deep ocean of calmness.

And I wonder if you can consciously allow this boundless ocean of calmness to expand even further. Knowing that every feeling thought and body sensation will allow you to go even deeper into a boundless and unlimited calmness. Knowing that every noise outside of this room, and inside of this room, will help you to relax even further.

Knowing that every noise is just a signal for you to relax.

Imagine that you at the very bottom of this vast, infinite ocean... and your every thought, feeling and body sensation drift on the surface... passing by unaware of your presence underneath.

And as you stay deep down, relaxed, you may become aware of how your body is comfortable and mind calm... how all the tension has gone... how your breathing becomes slower.

And in a few seconds time, I'm going to post another blog... but before I do, I'd like you to remember that you can bring back this feeling of relaxation any time you want. I would like you to know that these feelings of calmness and peace and love will stay with you for the rest of the day... and for all the days and nights that follow.

Every day, you will become more focused on whatever you are doing... consequently your memory will improve... allowing you to remember all the information you need to remember... so every day you will feel more confident... more confident about your knowledge... more confident about your ability to cope..........