Four Modes-Eight Functions---Part 1--Seeking Novelty

To better understand the way our thinking brain works, we need to look at the components that make up the various needs our brain helps us to pay attention to.

Our unique brain type indicates which modes and which functions we prefer to use. This type of thinking becomes our default method. We tend to process life through our preferred functions.

We have access to all eight functions, however, dependent upon our preferences and our level of awareness, many of us live out of just the two dominant functions. This leads to a narrowness in our thinking if we do not at least make ourselves aware of the others and allow them to be integrated into our lives. This is the path to self-actualization.

There are four primary modes and eight functions that comprise our "thinking brain". The modes are 

1. Front right is the Novelty seeking mode
2. Front left is the Focus seeking mode
3. Right basal (back) is the Social seeking mode
4. Left basal (back) is the Stability seeking mode.

Within each mode is an extroverted function and an introverted function. So in the case of the Novelty seeking mode, one of the functions seeks novelty by reaching out to be seen as special and stand out. The introverted novelty seeking function looks for new ideas in the imagination and is happy spending time alone in their own mind. 
So this week, we will begin with the Novelty seeking mode and look at the basic characteristics associated with the extroverted and introverted functions as well as the issues that arise when either of these functions becomes overused and out of balance.

Novelty is defined as the quality of being new, original, and unique. Those who lead with their novelty seeking mode are always scanning for new ideas or ways to look at old ideas in a more innovative way. Their minds move quickly and can often be distracted by the "next shiny object".

The extroverted novelty seeker looks for what is possible and is future oriented. These people make excellent brainstormers. They easily spot trends and patterns in the social realm. Marketing and self-promotion comes naturally to them. They tend to learn in a nonlinear way. Others may see them as flighty or scattered. Their constant need for the novel may cause them to drop projects before they are finished or miss important details. These individuals also seem to have a natural knack for enlisting help from others due to their enthusiasm. Forget asking them to follow some routine procedure because routine equals boredom; the very thing they try to avoid.

The introverted novelty seeker is interested in searching for the deeper meaning in life. While the extroverted novelty seeker looks to the outside world for stimulus, the introverted novelty seeker searches the unconscious realm. They are prone to have insights about life that seem to appear out of nowhere. Their quest is to understand the "dance of the universe". They are drawn to symbols of all types and can easily find meaning in these symbols. These are the people with a strong sixth sense. They can easily read the motives of others.  This type of individual is very independent and chooses to trust their own insights over those of others. Others may see these individuals as a bit spacey and "out there". If the introverted novelty seeker spends too much time alone, they can get lost in a world that isolates them. Their constant quest for a better solution can lead them off on tangents. 

We need our Novelty seeking mode. It helps us to create new ideas, see the big picture and get a vision of what's possible in the future. In this mode lies potential, ready to be mined and used to invent or innovate.

Are you curious about what your preferred thinking mode is? Order your Astro-Brain Dynamics Report. 

Brain Boost--- The link between risk taking and creativity.

Its All In Your Design

While you waited in darkness

tiny knees curled into chin,

the Earth and her creatures

with the Sun and the Moon

all moved in their places

each ready to greet you

the very moment

of the very first day you arrived

Debra Frasier, On the Day You Were Born

 

It's incredibly liberating to realize that we are designed to be happy. To know that within your thinking brain lies the key to that happiness brings an inner confidence. I  have witnessed it on the faces of my clients when they first discover that the natural bent of their brain contains their genius.

I have also experienced this first hand as I have used the concepts and tools of

Astro-Brain Dynamics to understand myself better which in turn always leads to taking better care of myself.

For the past four years I have researched the brain and how our thinking brain helps to create our experiences. This past year I have synthesized the information and developed a method for determining an individual's brain map based upon the day they were born.

Over the next few weeks I will write about the four quadrants of the brain and the eight types of thinking that make up our internal guidance system. You can think of your brain as a extensive network with different departments that attempt to help you manage the ups and downs of life on planet earth.

If knowing more about how to use your brain more effectively peaks your interest, I invite you to check out the Astro-Brain Dynamics report. Instead of being at the mercy of every thought that happens to blow your way, why not use your own brain's compass to steer your life successfully even in the stormiest times.

 

Simplify Your Thinking--Get More Energy

Have you ever tried counting the thoughts that go through your head in a day? What about in an hour?

For most of us its a non-stop party in our minds. I recently decided to try mindfulness meditation in attempt to tame my anxious thoughts.

My first experience with concentrating on my breath reminded me of what would happen when my kids were little and I would be on the telephone. My children, who minutes before were watching TV or engaged in some normal activity, turned into crazed and overactive monsters tearing around the house, creating every disruption possible.  It was as if my being on the phone signaled to them that it was time to diligently attempt to distract me from having a conversation with the person on the other line.

In the same way my thoughts began running amok and making every attempt to derail any effort to "quiet my mind". Like old sets of Christmas lights, my thoughts were tangled up, and many of them had nothing to do with my here and now experience.

Most of the mind clutter seems to reside in the basement of our brains, also known as the limbic brain. Our emotional history, stored in the amagdyla, is quite often the source our frequent "brain drain". Because these thoughts often evoke emotional responses, they can cloud our judgment.

One of the key concepts of the Chinese practice of Feng Shui is the idea that too much clutter in your home drains your life force, also known as chi. People have seen amazing results when they took the time to clear away stuff that was no longer useful.

This week, I suggest we do some clearing and free up our brain to be more productive and effective. The following are some tips for de-cluttering your mind.

• Sort Your Thoughts--Each day take some time and write down your thoughts. Is there a pattern to them? Put the anxious and worrisome thoughts in one column, the great ideas you have in another column, and the "to do" thoughts in another column. Ask the same questions of yourself that you would when clearing physical objects: Do I really need this thought? Do I really love this thought? Am I ready to let it go? Circle the thoughts you are ready to let go of and commit to replacing them with thoughts that are more useful to you.

• Focus Your Attention on Thoughts You Love---Every thought is attached to a neuron that fires off in your brain. These neurons form paths and neurons that "fire together will "wire together." The mental time you give to uplifting thoughts; ones that energize you, the easier it becomes for your brain to spot more of the same thoughts. The world starts to look different to you.

• Name Your Thoughts and Tame Them- There are some thoughts that may not be useful to you, but you are just not ready to let them go. Then, call them what they are; just thoughts, not necessarily facts. When you start worrying about the future, just name it. " I am feeling anxious about my future." It sounds simplistic, but somehow just acknowledging the worrisome thought for what it is, takes away its power to become obsessive.

• Avoid Collecting More Junk Thoughts-- Take a break from the news, gossip, or any other source of information that will not make the world a better place. Try to read and or listen to information that inspires you. It does not all have to be "Suzy Sunshine"; but it should be new information that leaves you feeling empowered.

Each of us has a preferred thinking style that acts as a filter to select what incoming thoughts we pay attention to and which ones we avoid. Identifying our dominant thinking style can also help us to monitor what type of thoughts are likely to be draining to us.

Brain Boost: 

Focus, Flow, Frazzle

Your Brain-The Three Pound Miracle

"If you look at the anatomy, the structure, the function, there's nothing in the universe that's more beautiful, that's more complex, than the human brain." Keith Black

It is amazing how little attention most of us pay to our brains, even though it is in fact the command center for our whole being. Every day, our breathing and other automatic functions, we tend to take for granted, are carried out by constant and rhythmic connections within an organ that weighs approximately three pounds.

Did you Know--

Your Brain

• Uses 25% of your body’s energy
• Contains 100 billion nerve cells. There is one for every star in the Milky Way.
• The nerve cells make connections with each other and average about 10,000 connections at one time.
• Is capable of regenerating and compensating for lost functions.
• Works like an electrical circuit that converts to chemical energy

 Our Triune Brain

In 1960, neuroscientist and physician Paul MacLean, developed his theory of the brain’s evolution. He concluded that the brain consisted of three evolutionary stages; the reptilian, the mammalian (also called the limbic brain) and the neo cortex or the thinking brain.

Each one of these distinct stages is responsible for different monitoring functions. 

1. The reptilian brain manages energy level, breathing, sleep cycles and heart rate. Its primary goal is self-preservation and physical survival.
2. Next to develop was the limbic brain which manages the storage and retrieval of memories, our blood pressure, temperature, sex drive and appetite. Its primary goal is to process emotions. It is also involved in caring and nurturing of the young.

•  The amagdala is located in the limbic brain and acts as an alarm system to make us aware of danger so we can either fight or flee. The limbic brain is often the source of our unconscious value judgments. This is where our unconscious emotional memories are stored.

     3. Finally the last to evolve is the neo-cortex which manages our thinking. This thinking involves higher functions such as sensory perception, generation of motor commands, spatial reasoning, conscious thought, and in humans, language. The neo-cortex accounts for about 76% of the brain’s volume.

 Think of the brain like a house with two stories, the neo-cortex is the top level, and the reptilian and limbic are the basement. These three components of the brain do not act separately, but are joined in a neural network throughout your body.

Astro-Brain Dynamics is a unique system I have created to increase awareness of the natural design (from birth) of your "thinking brain"  and how this natural design helps to create your experiences in life. Join me in this journey of learning how to maximize our amazing upstairs brain.
 
 Learn more about your Astro-Brain Dynamics

Brain Boost--- Dr.Dan Siegel has created a useful visual for understanding the brain:

Have questions for Arlene?