The modern mind is in complete disarray. Knowledge has stretched itself to the point where neither the world nor our intelligence can find any foot-hold. It is a fact that we are suffering from nihilism.
—Albert Camus

In the long course of the evolution of life, the human species is endowed with a formidable and complex brain with enormous memory and thinking power that helped it subjugate practically all other forms of life on this planet. Many varieties of flora and fauna are decimated and made extinct by man, which earned him the dubious distinction of being the greatest predator of all. Humankind has won the evolutionary battle of competition for survival against other animals and creatures. Unfortunately, the paradigm of competition has turned upon us like the proverbial genie, and now we are fated to compete among ourselves! The world is plagued with cut-throat competition at every step in our lives, and its devastating consequences are manifest everywhere.

Of course, on one side, the paradigm of competition has worked as a driving force behind the enormous progress made by humankind in the economic and technological spheres. It has been instrumental in creating immense wealth and material comforts that are unprecedented. On the other hand, the culture of competition has its excesses and perilous consequences. Rampant commercialism and stress are the two pernicious products of the competitive ethos of the modern age. In turn, commercialism has created the evil of unbridled consumerism, which is surreptitiously dragging humanity toward environmental disasters, like global warming threatening the very existence of life on this planet. The ecosystem of this tiny planet is placed under such tremendous pressure that its capacity for sustaining life is on the brink of collapse. Again, the commercial interests of nations have failed in addressing the environmental problems and ignoring the welfare and rights of future generations.

An objective perception beyond the dazzle of the modern luxuries would reveal that we are in a much dire situation than our ancestors were some millennia ago in terms of mental peace and health. Even if that is brushed aside as a romantic illusion of a bygone era, it is certain that we are moving slowly but surely toward a suicidal crisis, given the colossal problems of environmental degradation, weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, and spread of diseases like AIDS, obesity, and diabetes. On top of that, we have stress as the biggest killer in modern times.

The evolutionists tell us that many species on this planet became extinct on their own by hitting the dead ends of their evolutionary progression. Hopefully, it should not happen that while impulsively sharing the same fate, we get snared in the dazzling dead end of technologies and commercialism. It reminds us of Albert Einstein’s quote, “It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.”

THE PREDICAMENT OF STRESS

In the earlier stage of evolution, competition among different species was quite simple at the physical level. But now, among human beings, it is more complex and increasingly on a psychological plane. It is no wonder that mental stress and depression have become very painful and devastating afflictions of our time. Much worse than that, stress is a silent killer that keeps corroding the mind and body slowly and surreptitiously. The fiercely competitive world that we have built has abundant uncertainties and insecurity of mind. Such insecurity is often not apparent, but gets manifested as persistent anxieties and psychological fears that wreak havoc in our lives.

Besides being an accelerating factor for aging, stress is a cause of illnesses like high blood pressure, heart attack, and gastrointestinal disorders. It is considered a risk factor in cancer and diabetes. Scientists have found that stress and persistent anxiety can weaken the immune system that protects us against diseases. Stress also distorts thinking and undermines the ability of clear perception and planning. Given these facts, it is no exaggeration to call stress the mother of many illnesses.

As defined by psychologists, stress is an unpleasant state of emotional and physiological arousal experienced by people in situations perceived as painful and fearful. During stress, the heart beats rapidly, blood pressure goes up, breathing becomes shorter and faster, and muscle tension rises. One also experiences a dry mouth and perspiration. Incessant anxieties and worries that have become so common and pervasive in our lives are the manifestations of stress. Fear, largely psychological, is the underlying factor behind stress.

We feel stress when we are under pressure at work and have deadlines to meet or a difficult boss to face. People feel acute stress due to the loss of a job, death of a loved one, problems in interpersonal relationship, or serious illness. Daily hassles like getting stuck in traffic, commuting to work, and noisy neighborhood are some of the causes of routine stress. Persistent or habitual stress can arise from psychological factors such as low self-esteem, traumatic past experience, and imaginary fears of some situations or individuals.

Of course, it is not possible to prevent the external causes of stress like the death of a relative, accident, or illness. There are several such factors that are beyond the control of a person. So how do we address the problems of stress and anxiety? Do we take that as a natural predicament and carry on with passive acceptance? Obviously, that is not a right thing to do. There is a lot we can do to not only reduce but eliminate stress and anxiety, and thus transform our lives. We can, if determined, live life much more intelligently. This book aims to explore that.

Notwithstanding the inescapable causes from the external world, a scope certainly exists within everyone’s reach for living without anxiety and stress. For that, one has to realize the crucial fact that our attitude and habits are largely responsible for a large bulk of stress in our life. In other words, most of our mental mortifications are of our own making and hence within our own control. Even the stress factors arising from the external realities, though unavoidable, would not inflict so much agony and trouble as we usually experience if we change our ways of tackling them. Yes, it is easier said than done.

We have to realize the fact that the most crucial and central part of the realities of world is our own self. The entity of self is nothing but a construct of our own feelings, thoughts, memories, aspirations as well as our pride and prejudices. There is no escape whatsoever from facing them and understanding them if we wish to have lasting solutions of our problems of stress and anxiety. It is not such a daunting task as we normally tend to believe. This book focuses on some innovative methods that encompass the inner workings of our self and rewire the brain to remold our attitude and habitual perceptions.

THE LURE OF BELIEFS

There are countless books on management of stress encompassing positive
thinking, psychological counseling, and religious guidance. These books prescribe drills of how to conduct oneself and actions to be pursued with determination. Some writers assure their readers that within every one of them there is an unexplored treasure of extraordinary abilities and potentials for all that one wishes to achieve. Some profess that we are ultimately a divine spirit or soul representing an essence of God. Others promise the same utopian escape from the mundane self, but in a more fashionable garb of scientific idiom stating that we possess quantum self that transcends the humdrum of thoughts, emotions, and our earthly frailties. It is not for the laypersons like us to understand the seemingly eerie world of quantum physics, which is said to represent the ultimate subatomic state of the universe, let alone challenge its application to self as such.

Yet it is an open question whether this vast and varied bulk of attractive literature brings the real and lasting solution we seek to alleviate our predicament of stress. One can, of course, create or borrow beliefs and wishful ideas to insulate oneself from the inexorable realities of life, but one cannot go on like that for long and be truly happy. How long, under the weight of such beliefs, can we suppress and hide our sorrows, painful thoughts, and feelings, which are part and parcel of the realities of self? These realities are unforgiving and irrepressible, which sooner or later erupt with vengeance or remain hidden to manipulate our behavior and life from within.

These books initially give us the hope and thrill in the belief of finding the panacea of all our problems, but soon our enthusiasm wears off, and we find ourselves back in square one. At best, such literature provides some temporary benefits and solace. The main reason for its inadequacy is that it feeds the readers largely with beliefs and ideals. Intentionally or otherwise, such literature persuades us to practice self-hypnotism and auto-suggestions through sets of ideas that are supposed to inculcate better behavioral patterns and habits. Such external imposition of beliefs and ideologies, however noble and well meaning, leads to ignoring and suppressing what we actually are. Any attempt to impose a projected ideal of self by negating the actual self is fundamentally fl awed.

This book, therefore, does not offer any solace and gratification of beliefs or constructs of thoughts to cover up the ugliness and rough edges of self. In fact, it seeks to caution against such psychological contrivances that some people seek to escape from the unpleasant realities of life. In the same vein of logic, it is advisable to be on guard against the possibility of turning what has been stated in this book into another set of borrowed beliefs and ideas. Healthy skepticism and scrutiny are, no doubt, very rewarding tools. By using them, the reading of this book is intended to be an investigative journey encompassing one’s actual life.

THE INESCAPABLE SELF

This book is thematically divided in two parts. The first part is preamble that deals with our inner world of memory, thought, emotions, and feelings. The second is an operative part that focuses on how to tackle stress and anxiety. It outlines certain practical methods that can offer a more effective and lasting solution to the predicament of stress.

One would wonder why we can’t avoid the abstract issues of emotions and memory and instead deal straightway with the practical issues of managing stress. I feel that in order to find a lasting solution, it is essential to have some working knowledge of how these mental processes operate. They are not only the ingredients of stress but also the elements that constitute our self as such.

Astonishingly, we remain stranger to our self and carry on in an autonomic mode driven by these psychic forces. It reminds of what T. S. Eliot said, “The substratum of our being, to which we rarely penetrate; for our lives are mostly a constant evasion of ourselves.” That is the reason why more often we find ourselves
against a blind wall. The first part of the book is essentially introductory to forge acquaintance with our self.

I am afraid the story of our inner world goes on a bit further. An endeavor to glean understanding of our emotions, thought, and memory needs to culminate logically in a discussion on the vital core or the gravitational centre of self, namely, consciousness. It brings to my mind a comparison with the black hole. The enormous gravity of a black hole binds together and controls the rotation of an entire galaxy of stars, planets, and dark matter. Similarly, consciousness with its underlying force encompasses and governs our self and its integral parts like thoughts, emotions, feelings, and memories.

The question of consciousness is an immense challenge and a conundrum of endless debate among scientists and philosophers. I do not claim to throw new light on it, nor do I aim to do it. Why then talk about it at all? The simple answer is that we cannot escape it, even if we desire, because we have consciousness. It is not a strange commodity existing far off in some corner of the world as an object of curiosity and research for experts. It is a reality with which we wrestle day and night whether we like it or not, whether we understand it or not.

Hence we have to make at least some practical sense of consciousness in order to know how it governs our behavior. We need to feel its impact and dynamic force, which make what we are in our actions, thoughts, and dreams. For doing so, it is not necessary to understand the full nature of consciousness, which is, in any way, a formidable challenge. However, it is imperative to find out how that mysterious entity is related to the questions of stress and anxiety.

This book is guided by a practical purpose to explore the possibility of using the power of consciousness to alleviate and even eliminate the problem of stress. It does not aim to investigate the nature of consciousness and its mysteries. That is better left to the philosophers and scientists who are quite seized with the profound puzzle of consciousness. Though they have not been able to fully unravel its mysteries, a great deal of progress has been achieved.

OUR BRAIN: A DIVIDED HOUSE

I have no doubt that the thought-based solutions have inherent limits in dealing with the negative feelings and memories that obstinately fuel stress and anxieties. That is the reason why most of our determinations to correct our ways of thinking and behavior, as counseled in the books on positive thinking and moral guidance, are unsuccessful or short-lived. Our determinations to become better are essentially thought based. Of course, such intentions are tinged with the feelings of enthusiasm and seriousness to become something, but again these are the feelings incited by rational thoughts and no match with the inexorable power of the negative emotions of fear, sorrow, and anger.

Our daily experience testifies that thought is a weaker force in comparison to emotions, feelings, and memory. For instance, our rational thoughts tell us that irritation and anger not only distort but make our perceptions downright wrong, leading to complications in life. Yet it is very difficult to restrain a surge of anger. Similarly, we know that many of our worries and anxieties are baseless and uncalled for, and yet our reasoning power is utterly impotent to stave off these psychic predators. Reason tells us that it is stupid to remain disturbed with the fear of an arrogant boss. Yet often we remain bogged down in the quagmire of fear and nervousness even though we know that such feelings cripple our intelligence and erode our energy.

Throughout our life, we often bemoan and agonize over such helplessness and vexatious contradictions within us. There may be some neurological reasons why the thought-based actions have very limited impact on emotions and feelings. Let us explore.

Experts tell us that the brain consists of three broad evolutionary segments, namely, the reptilian complex, limbic region, and the neocortex. The reptilian complex is a small nucleic part of the brain that contains some remnants of the oldest phase of our evolution when life existed mainly in the form of reptiles. In the next phase when life evolved as mammals with limbs, the brain developed a new region called the limbic system around the reptilian complex. Our aggressiveness and ritualistic tendencies come mainly from the reptilian complex, while the primary emotions originate from the limbic system (Carl Sagan, The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence [New York: Ballantine Books, 1977], 58).

The implicit (hidden) memories and primary emotions of fear, sorrow, anger, and pleasure are located mainly in these two ancient regions. The neocortex is the third and much-larger segment of the brain, which is evolutionarily a modern acquisition (see fig. 1.1). It is the seat of reason, thinking, long-term memory, working memory, and emotions called social emotions such as compassion, sympathy, pride, wonder, and shame that are typically human.

Our brain is therefore not a single monolithic entity, but an incremental product evolved over a long course of evolution to meet the demands of diverse circumstances. The divide between the ancient and modern regions of the brain accounts for why our thought-based actions exert very little influence on our habits and conditionings of mind that are driven by the primary emotions and memories in the ancient brain.