Brain 2 Discussion

[Anna Switzer]

Initial Post:

I have become a bit obsessed with the idea of Integration. After reading Mindsight by Daniel Siegel, I googled some other pieces by him. The 8 domains of integration are super interesting to me and I found another article that summarizes them. (In one article there are actually 9 domains.) I think that the reason I am so intrigued by this aspect of the NCC ceremony and by Daniel Siegel’s domains relates to a post in a different thread about some things going on with my partner and I. David was a Buddhist Monk for 18 years and part of the “teachings” that he was a student of during that time was about what they call “conditioning”. Conditioning can be from a family system or the larger culture and the idea is that it is what trips us up all of the time. It is (according to David) “the collection of unconscious processes that we gained in childhood that distract us from the present moment and cause us to suffer”. In my mind now, after learning from EBI and from Daniel Siegel, this “conditioning” is really a generic wrapping around the 8 (or 9) ways in which we can be not integrated.

I have come to accept that all of us walking around on the planet have ways in which we are not integrated. Because no childhood is perfect, and no parents are perfect, and no society is perfect we all have certain wounds to our integrative state. The good news is, however –because of neural plasticity — we can become integrated. We can use all different kinds of methods (including sit spot, nature connection, nature connected coaching, therapy, journaling, art, and many other things) to gain integration. Although we likely will never become fully or perfectly integrated, it seems a worthy cause (to me) to keep up the efforts.

Part of the reason why I think so is named in this quote in another article by Daniel Siegel: “Beneath the layers of adaptation to survive in the world, remains a powerful mind vision that enables us to be receptive to whatever is. It is this presence that mindfulness recreates. This is a re-creation because children early on have this receptivity, this playfulness of being. Recreation, in its deepest sense, is a re-creation of a playful state of presence.” One of the things I have loved about EBI is my own recreation of a playful state of presence. In the sessions where I have been coached, this presence definitely occurs. It feels great!!

And, as a coach, in a recent session with a client I found it interesting (and new) to listen for specific ways that my client may not be integrated. I am not very good at it, yet, and part of my obsession with the 8 domains is that I hope to get to really “know” them in detail so that I can better listen for them in my future clients. My hope in this regard is to better my ability to “deeply listen” so that I can also better hone the questions that I ask and cut to the chase in “the story” so that we can move beyond it into the want and need more efficiently. And, so that the want and the need are true and deep, not just superficial.

Cheers!

[Erica Wrona]

Anna, I’m right along with you in geeking out over this brain change and neuroplasticity module. As I was reviewing my notes to write up the Reflection worksheet, I got really fixated on the 8 Domains and left my packet flipped open to that page. I was also trying to figure out how I might know when a client is not integrated, and from my notes it seems to be when a client has signs of dysregulation. I’m curious about when you mentioned looking for signs of non- Integration when talking with clients, what are you listening for that indicates they are not integrated?

“…as a coach, in a recent session with a client I found it interesting (and new) to listen for specific ways that my client may not be integrated. I am not very good at it, yet, and part of my obsession with the 8 domains is that I hope to get to really “know” them in detail so that I can better listen for them in my future clients.”

I also really resonated with the reality of what you said about people walking around the world all non integrated. Feels like the majority of us, it would seem…until there is a greater and broader-reaching understanding of neuroplasticity. Lastly, I liked what you said about there never really reaching a point of perfection of integration, but it’s worth the effort to keep trying. It reminds me of Partswork when we talked about not killing off Parts but rather repurpose them to be more ‘optimal functioning.’ I’ve been trying to use that term to replace phrases like, “negative emotions” or “bad Parts” and instead adhere to the concept that there are no right or wrong ways to be, think, feel, behave, but there are ways that are more or less optimal functioning based on the clients’ wants/needs/dreams/goals/vision/soul story.

[Anna Switzer]

Hi Erica,

Thanks for responding to my post – I’m glad to know I’m not the only one “geeking out” over integration, as you say. 🙂

Well, according to Daniel Siegel, there are ways to tell someone is not integrated and the signs/signals vary depending on the type of integration. So, for example, (and this is likely MAJORLY simplified) someone who is not integrated horizontally (between left and right brain) is either going to show up in a very linear, logical, language-based way (left brain) or a very emotional, social, image-based way (right brain). Someone who is not integrated vertically (the way I think of this one is that body/brain connection is a bit off — so the PFC is not getting all the signals it needs to work properly) might show up really dis-regulated. There are others that have to do with autobriographical memory being “off”. Or with time being “off” (e.g. they start out talking about something in the present, but then switch tenses and bring in something from the past without realizing it or intending it). So, these are just a few examples from Mindsight….and they are likely really simplified here, but just a sample from what I remember reading. Good question!!

And, then I guess the next hard part is figuring out what that means in terms of good questions to ask or good experiences to encourage to help them become more integrated….through our coaching or even outside of it.

I would love to keep talking about this question as we both get more experience with clients 🙂

Cheers!
Anna

[Hannah]

Hi Anna,
This is really interesting stuff! I haven’t dived into Mindsight yet but you continue to inspire me to do so! I love your simple explanation of ways that folks might not be integrated and how that shows up. Just from your brief description, I can think of many people in my life who could benefit from horizontal integration! Including myself sometimes!

I’ve always felt called to invite folks to “try something different!” This has been my go-to in group work, working with kids, coaching and many other facets of my life. I’m sure I picked this up from watching other people – it seems like a common invitation. I’m now realizing that what we’re doing when we say this is inviting folks to integrate. For example with someone who is very left brain, inviting them to try a right brain approach etc.

I also really appreciate the normalization that we’re all un-integrated in one way or another and that we’re all just on a journey of healing and integrating our whole lives through.

I’d love to stay in this conversation with you two as we learn more and gather more experiences with clients! I think integration can be a powerful way of expanding ourselves and the people we work with!

Thanks, Anna!

[Erica Wrona]

Initial post:
Since our last Face-to-Face I haven’t yet had a client to apply these concepts to. What I’ve done however, is think back to previous sessions and overlay what I know now about the brain on top of the memory of previous sessions. I specifically recall my last client session when she approached the Myth and caught herself in a moment of disbelief of being able to “obtain the impossible” (the Myth she identified was carving out a career path that mixes several of her passions). From the moment I asked her if there have been other instances in her life of when she “overcame the impossible,” I imagine her Reticulating Activating System searching through other times in her life when she’s been up against the Myth, and once those moments were identified, the neural connections being formed and allowing integration to occur. As the session continued, she began to make many connections in her understanding of the issue and her goal and deeper need; I perceive these connections as actual neural connections in her brain connecting to each other: “neurons that fire together, wire together.” This allowed her to see her issue from a different perspective and to consciously identify the beliefs that had been blocking her forward progress into a career that brings her passions together. From a brain perspective, the client would be moving from a nonconscious, automatic response (how she makes career choices based on a set belief/barrier/blockage), and moving it to the consciousness of the Prefrontal Cortex where we can build an intention and line up the circuitry for the new belief system (the Myth) to form. Given an Intention to work with, her Reticulating Activating System will seek out opportunities for her to live in the Myth.

[Anna Switzer]

Hey again, Erica!

Yes, the RAS!!! I have been talking to David and Charlie about the RAS lately. Your post helps me understand why other coaches in EBI have asked questions of clients about “other times” or “other people” that represent what it is that they are wanting or needing. I have never really utilized that question in my own coaching because I didn’t really understand the purpose of it. Now, I think I get it more. When they tap into “other times” in their own life, or other lives that have demonstrated the qualities or experiences they are wanting/needing then this can help them tap into the mythic image. It may still take some honing to really nail the need and the want, but I see how this can activate the RAS to get closer to it.

Thanks for posting these thoughts 🙂
Anna

[Hannah]

Hi Erica,

Thanks for your post! It’s interesting to hear your new thoughts about Brain Change overlayed on a past session. Everything makes much more sense now, right!?

I really appreciated how you dove into her “stuck point” You said she “caught herself in a moment of disbelief of being able to ‘obtain the impossible.'” I’ve had this come up with clients in the past. They are able to come up with a mythic image but have difficulty believing it is possible to become that. I like how you worked with it and your thoughts on what is happening in the brain as folks move closer to believing their myth is possible! Thanks for sharing!

[Heber Howard]

Hey Erica, I love how such a simple question as, “if there have been other instances in her life of when she ‘overcame the impossible,’” was used to activate her Reticular Activating System. I had been thinking of it as a more complicated process that you only really get to in the threshold, ritual creation, or possibly the incorporation phases. It seems like this question really opened up a lot for your client. I guess it’s really useful to make an attempt to prime the clients Reticular Activating System toward the beginning of the session in order for their brain to be looking for connections as the session goes on.

[Ivy Walker]

Hi Erica and Anna, I’ve enjoyed reading your thoughts. I appreciate your curiosity and nerding out! Such a great club! 😀 Anna, those are some good examples from the Mindsight book for noticing areas that have not been integrated, in response to Erica’s question. Also, another simple identification is noticing an opposition. From a Partswork perspective, there might be two (or more) parts that are arguing about a matter/idea/possibility, etc. Finding a way to honor and/or reassign those parts around an issue could be a way to help a client move into integration of that opposition/belief.

On the topic of integration, there is the opportunity to take a wider view. Certainly, we are all creatures living with trauma and disregulation, past into present, on multiple levels. This is a big part of coaching, and therapy, due to the challenges of our culture and being human. Also, I was thinking about integration from a systems perspective. It can also be developmental. Part of the normal course of the growth spiral. I mention this because I started to wonder about the mentioned state of being of ‘perfect integration’. Is this enlightenment or is it death? Is it both? It feels solid or all present. Whereas the possibility of growth and integration feels fluid. Growth, marked by the challenge and integration process, seems like what can make life juicy, if appropriate. Or life can be difficult or even suffering, if the challenge is “inappropriate” or heinous. Anyhow, I wanted to make a case for seeing the multiple levels of integration–as something we do to make sense of wounds or something we do because we are ready to grow into a new developmental stage.

[Erica Wrona]

Hi Ivy,
I just have to say how much I loved reading your observation about “perfect integration” being death or enlightenment. So true! (errr, or so I suppose…)
I think it’s so important to explicitly or implicitly share with clients there is no “ending point.” There are optimal functioning behaviors, and behaving in ways that better serve us in the moment or particular life phase, but even those will change over time. It reminds me also of Partswork in that different parts will show up depending on the circumstances, or lie dormant until called upon. I love the idea of embracing imperfection in all of this, as there is no perfect ending, just a messy adventure that we and our clients can learn to ride with grace and humility.

[Hannah]

Hi Everyone,

I have not yet had the opportunity to work with any clients since our brain and change 2 face to face. I was waiting until I had a coaching experience to write about but that hasn’t happened yet!

The concepts we learned during the face to face have continued to come up in many facets of life. I find my new understanding of ritual has been very impactful for my own life. I’ve always been big on creating ritual as a way to infuse my life with sacredness and intention, but now I’m seeing it as a way to work with snapback in a proactive, non judgmental way. I’m loving the two times that ritual can come into play; when I have time (a regularly scheduled part of my morning or evening or driving or whatever) and when it is needed as a reinforcement (when I notice I’m in a snapback moment). I’ve been playing with the three types of ritual and have noticed that I most often create presencing rituals like mantras so I see an opportunity for myself to work on releasing and action type rituals as well. I think that because I’m most drawn to presencing rituals, these are the ones I’ve often guided my client towards, without even realizing there were other options! So this is something to be aware of when I’m guiding clients in incorporation! My biggest takeaway about ritual is the importance of it bringing us back into that euphoric threshold state where both our quiescent and arousal systems are activated.

Another piece that I think will be a game changer when working with clients is the understanding of layers of integration and how they continually happen throughout the session (and beyond). Knowing that the brain wants to do this naturally as part of its drive to move toward balance will help me track the energy of my client and of the session. I love what Michael (I think?) said about this; “Through coaching we can do this natural process in awareness and sooner.”

The stone throwing exercise and the understanding I gained from that about programming the RAS has also come up frequently for me. Even during a rock climbing class! I heard the instructor talking about a process he calls VISA (visualize, initiate, step, actualize) and to me this sounded so similar to the sequence we learned for programming, especially beginning with visualizing! The importance of visualization, whether for stone throwing, rock climbing or making a change in our lives cannot be overlooked! I told my instructor about this similarity and started using the technique we did in the stone throwing exercise – getting myself into a mindset where the thing has already happened. After that, all I had to do was surrender and let my body carry out the thing which had already occurred in my brain. When I remember to do this, my climbing is significantly improved! Having this physical experience was really helpful in understanding the programming process. Something I’ve been wondering about is an example of how this plays out in other life situations that are less based in physical action but more in psychological change. What does it look like to visualize, build up the need, surrender and act in a behavior change situation? I imagine that these stages are drawn out over time and done repeatedly before the change actually occurs. Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated!

[Erica Wrona]

Hi Hannah,
I tried out visualization during the transition from living in the yurt to our house in Fort Collins. I would intentionally visualize the layout of each room, the intended function, and the available furniture and items. I did this for about a month, (having lived in the house 3 years prior and having a general sense of the space,) I was able to visualize each room and “try out” different furniture arrangements in my mind. By the time we moved in last week, I knew where every item was going to live and it was the fastest move-in experience EVER! Having a month to visualize the move-in process made the real deal feel like it had already happened. Because in my mind, it already had!
I was trying to think of other examples that are not physical manifestations, and I came up with a more “out there” visualization. I’ve tried to think of people in different ways to improve my relationship with them. I’ve done this with both my mom and sister, by putting titles in my phone for them. My mom ends in “full of grace” and my sister is “strong, powerful woman.” These were NOT how I viewed them many years ago. That’s how I wished them to be. And of course, since I can’t control how others act, I wanted to change how I act towards them. In some weird way, they became the phone titles. Did my viewing them differently change how I perceived them? Did they actually transform into the phone titles on their own? Did my viewing them in a different way carve out the path for them to act differently? I may never know. They did indeed change into those phone titles, no matter how far off they seemed from those titles years ago when I named them that. On my end, my changing my perspective of them, I wonder if my RAS searches out the qualities that embody the title, and maybe they haven’t changed after all, but my brain thinks they have. Weird, huh?

[Heber Howard]

Hey Hannah, I appreciate your inquiry into what it would look like to visualize, build up the need, surrender and act in a behavior change situation. It seems to me that this is describing the mythic image. From what I understand about the idea of the mythic image is that in your mind’s eye the image you are holding is already a reality, you are now waiting for your body to catch up to that image. It seems to me that this is a really powerful and useful method of creating change but could also cause some dissociation. If the belief is there that you are one thing but your external reality doesn’t match your internal reality, that creates a lot of anxiety and unrest for the system. The system will need to resolve the dichotomy and either work to change into the internal image or dissociate/lash out every time the reality of that internal image is threatened.

[Anna Switzer]

Anna’s Final post:

I think I have been putting off writing this post for a couple of reasons: 1) I wanted to hear some more voices — so thank you to Hannah and Ivy for joining in 🙂 and 2) It will be my last official EBI post, which brings some bittersweet feelings with it.

The number one thing that is hanging out for me one month after our final face-to-face is the SNAG concept. (Stimulating neuronal activation and growth – had to go back and look up what it stood for 🙂 “Snagging” the brain is the key to everything we do in coaching sessions — helping people drop the surface-level story that brought them in and getting them to stimulate new ways of thinking/being. Super cool. And, the two ways I remember to SNAG are through novelty and/or importance. When the brain faces something new and/or something that is very important to the person then they are more likely to participate fully in the session and then eventually in the rituals that are created in the session. Ideally, in my mind, the “Power Snag” would include both novelty and importance. Two things come up for me personally around this:

First, I, too, have had some amazing rituals come into my life through the EBI program and the coaching sessions I’ve had with my peers. In particular, the very last session (in which Erica and Heber were my coaches), ended with a ritual that has lasted longer than any of the rest. I think the reason it has stuck with me is that it is simple, novel, and important to me. It really does put me in a joyous state and reminds me of who I am and who I am becoming. So, thank you both for that!!

Secondly, for those of you who have been following the saga of my relationship through these posts, David and I have had a massive breakthrough. In a different context than a coaching session, but in a novel way (for us) I was able to bring some things to his attention. These things (and our relationship) were important enough for him to really listen and act. I snagged his brain for sure, to the point, that he is now seeking some additional help in order to dive into some deeper layers for himself. I am really proud of him, and our relationship is better than ever. It feels like we are a team again. Nize!!

Lastly, I will share a new nature connection practice that I have adopted — and in two weeks since I learned of it I have only missed one day. The ritual is to lie face-down on the earth. Being face down is a way to have my heart closer to the earth’s “heart” and I find it to be an amazing experience. I usually lie like that for 15 minutes, outside (even in the snow!), for about 15 minutes and have whatever conversation I need to with “her”. Afterward, I usually sit up for another 5 to 10 minutes for a “sit-spot” experience. The whole thing leaves me feeling connected, calm, healthy and quite literally “grounded”. I invite anyone to try it!! And, I’d love to hear of your experiences….!

I have not had a coaching client since late December, but have printed post-cards and business cards and am getting my website out there a bit more. I am excited to keep working with people, learning a ton, and staying in touch with all the people I have gotten to know through EBI. I am truly grateful for all that I have gained through completing the program…

Thanks so much!!! Signing off for now~
Anna

[Erica Wrona]

Summary Post:
My biggest take-away from Brain 2 is the absolute need to give our brains something to work on. My brain feels like a machine that loves to go to work! I might as well give it something awesome to produce for me. I look back to any goals I’ve written down over the years, and 97% of them have happened. (That is a wild, non-scientific estimation.) I’ve also noticed that when I’m not clear on next steps, or am in a state of confusion or overwhelm, it is my brain’s chaos that makes me feel anxious and unsettled. If I were to give it something to chomp on, it would happily go to work on it, day and night. This goes along with the theory of “getting what you focus on” and the importance of having clients focus on what they WANT, not on what they DON’T want. Any Law of Attraction followers, here? The brain does not distinguish between want and not want, only seeks out and provides what we focus on. #IlovetheRAS
There are some interesting points in this article:

The Neuroscience of The Secret

I am so grateful Michael spoke about manifesting and what is actually happening in the brain. Simply knowing the vast quantity of information our brains sift through, and provide us with the nuggets that are related to our intentions/goals/visualization is so powerful and gives so much credibility to the science of coaching and how the brain operates.

[Hannah]

Summary Post:

Oh man. This is my last EBI post! And it looks like probably the end of this thread! I’ll start out by saying how grateful I am to have had the EBI experience. I feel like I know myself, (especially my parts and my brain) in a much deeper way than when I started the program.

The client I worked with last summer got back in touch this week after recognizing some serious snapback. She’s asked for more sessions and I feel so much more prepared to guide her, knowing what I now do about the brain. This was a client who was able to clarify her want and her deeper need over four sessions but got stalled out due to lack of belief that it was actually possible to be the future version of herself she had identified. Looking back at my notes from our sessions, I’m so excited to get back into it with her! I have lots of ideas about how to flesh out what I now know is the mythic image! And how to build up the opposing parts she’s already identified in order to do this. And how to work on engaging both her “right” and “left” brain to support more integration. And how to find ways for her quiescent and arousal systems to be activated simultaneously.

On a more personal note, I want to share that I recently was able to use a new neural pathway that I’ve been working on forging and deepening for some time now. I’m talking life-long patterns here. I think this is largely due to some excellent coaching I received from my peers and mentor throughout EBI and most recently from a very helpful session with this great coach I know at “A Breath of Fierce Air Coaching.” Thanks, Erica 😉
I was finally able to hold compassion for myself and compassion for the “other” at the same time and with equal value. This allowed me to quit a job that hasn’t been serving me while giving compassionate feedback and feeling empowered all at the same time! Woah!

I’m sending you all big hugs and lots of love. Signing off for now – but I know this isn’t the end and we’ll all be in touch one way or another as our journeys continue.

[Heber Howard]

Initial post

At the beginning of my notes for Brain and Change 2, I wrote a note that says, “Setting goals is a function of the conscious mind but reaching them is a function of the nonconscious mind. Reaching those goals is where ritual comes in.” At first, I didn’t really remember this and felt pretty confused. I felt like this idea really contradicted some of the things that were taught in Brain 1. I think what I was remembering that really seemed to contradict this idea was the idea that we are our attention. We are our intention, meaning that with the intense focus of our intention we are able to initiate long-lasting synaptic changes in our brain. Therefore, what we do with our attention can change the structure of our brain. Coming back into this module with this question, I had to go through everything and make sense of this.

To explain the idea behind reaching a goal being a function of the nonconscious mind very basically it is programming and activating the reticular activating system, which is sorting information to call attention to things of importance to you. Of course, this will help you reach your goal by providing many opportunities for finding, coming into contact with, and making meaning of things that will help you to reach your goal. Creating and using a ritual is the way that one would program their reticular activating system. To go a little more in depth, there are a few reasons it is important to program the nonconscious mind in order to reach a goal. First and foremost, the nonconscious mind is vastly more powerful than the conscious mind. The nonconscious brain matter makes up about 83 percent of your brain and controls about 96 percent of perceptions and behavior. The unconscious mind also acts far faster than the conscious mind, about 800 times faster actually. Also, the unconscious mind never forgets but really only processes information as if it is happening now. Of course, if a memory is triggered because of an internal or external stimulus the nonconscious mind processes the information immediately and causes a reaction or behavior. On the other hand, the conscious mind has a very short-term memory span but does perceive the passage of time and can make decisions to program the nonconscious mind. Because of the power and speed of the nonconscious mind, holding on to a goal without really using the nonconscious mind is very challenging. This is often why snapback occurs when a person is moving into contemplation or action without a whole lot of awareness or intention.

[Heber Howard]

Summary

From this module, I took away the importance of recruiting the nonconscious part of the brain into helping with the getting the client to meet their goal. It is extremely helpful to understand what parts of the brain are being worked with during any given point during a coaching session in order to maximize the benefit and have a better understanding of the underlying goal (meaning strategy to get the client to their goal). The conscious brain sets goals and judges results and the nonconscious brain doesn’t have any goals but just executes the goals it is provided with by the conscious brain. So, the goal I will hold in mind most is how to get the client to set strong enough intention for their goals to dig that goal into their nonconscious brain and tracking how their nonconscious brain is processing these intentions. To do these things I will be using a lot more creating rituals. Before this module I really didn’t understand the idea of creating rituals, I wanted to believe there was a point because I appreciated most of what I had learned but I thought it seemed like a bit of a hippy dippy, feel-good reminder to the client that seemed like a cool idea. I realized now just how important the ritual really is and I am glad to have more of an understanding and respect for it. I think it is an interesting realization that the nonconscious brain is only processing information in a way you have told it to process. This gives a lot of hope to the client and really highlights the power of the ritual. The trick to creating a powerful ritual is to build belief in what the client is doing, belief in themselves, and belief in the ritual. In this module, I learned that if you can make someone believe, it is the most powerful tool you can use for it is the most powerful force in the universe. Largely what we are doing is working on clients belief of if they can or can’t.

After some progress is made, it is very important to know that there should be some expectation that the client may revert back to old habits. This is not a reason for concern but the relapse or “snap back” is a natural part of the ceremony of change. At this point, it is important to make sure they don’t just give up so get curious about it. Ask questions like, “what did you learn from relapse?” or just give them a reflection that they are not doing what they want and try to intentionally make them uncomfortable.