Читать книгу The Mind-Body Cure - Bal Pawa - Страница 43

The negativity bias hardwired in our brains evolved to allow us to have an indelible memory of negative and fearful experiences, reducing the likelihood we would come to harm in the future. In other words, the brain developed systems that would focus our attention on danger so that we would respond to it. In psychologist Dr. Rick Hanson’s words, our brain is like Velcro for negative experiences (that is, they stick well) and like Teflon for positive ones (that is, these memories are not as “sticky”). Research suggests we are three to five times more likely to remember negative experiences than positive ones.³ Therefore, says Hanson, to embed the “good stuff” we have to consciously secure and store positive experiences into our memories using all our senses.⁴ He calls this technique “taking in the good.”

Though we naturally tend to amplify negative, traumatic memories, we can do the same for pleasant experiences. When we taste, smell, touch, and feel good experiences, we amplify those experiences and their stored memory, and we can recall those positive memories at will to help neutralize some of the traumatic events. Some people are already hardwired this way or have already consciously or subconsciously cultivated a mindset that focuses on the good stuff. Others can acquire this skill when they become aware of their thought processes. Yet others remain focused on threats and fears and go through life with a big rain cloud over their heads not realizing that their subconscious is running their life story.