5 important brain networks for climate solutions
Brain strategies for climate
How may we use our brain to feel, think and balance climate solutions better? People feel and think. In order to make clever lasting decisions – we need to balance thinking and feeling better – to create a balance of system thinking and feeling of the wholeness of the parts. What’s happening in our brain? Here are 5 important brain networks:
1)Primary emotions for motivation
We see, hear, feel/move, smell and taste. These senses trigger primary emotions deep inside us. Our emotions from the evolution of animals to survive - have given us biological, both fysiological and anatomical brain networks. These networks are not stiff – they interconnect in large degree. Short told our emotions are seeking pleasure and avoiding pain. When we look at the biochemistry and the physical brain networks we find 7 primary emotions. They are biological deep startpoint tendencies to emotions: Seeking, rage, fear, lust, care, grief, play. Short examples:
Rage treathens - to survive. Pople want to move away from rage and pain.
Fear hurts - safe, affiliation, bonding, liming. People want to move away from fear and pain.
Grief is when you lose what you are seeking: Seeking pleasure – may mean seeking both survive, safe and trust - seeking both lust, care and play. You may have grief about all these.
When primary emotions move up from the old hind brainstem, through midbrain and become amplified in amygdala etc, dances in the imagination (default mode) network and reach the front brain – they are influenced, modified, combined and divided and spread to the hundred diverse secondary and tertiary feelings you manage to put names on. Primary emotions come from evolution and we can not stop them. However of course we may analyse and think which of them are rational or irrational in our society and concrete context today. Our thinking may filter and select which emotions to trust in a concrete situation.
2)Seeking pleasure as the emotion for motivating us
Seeking is especially important: It is one of the 7 primary emotions mentioned above. We may understate it and view it as a separate primary emotion especially for motivation. The seeking emotion – may mean seeking both survive, safe and trust - seeking both lust, care and play - seeking as much as possible material and immaterial potential goods for now and the future. One aspect of it is ego interest. But we may also seek to share the wealth we have obtained – to our group.
We may understand this through Maslow needs for motivation - from safe to trust: First people need - survive, safety, inclusion, mutual respect – then it is possible to unleash potential, self actualisation for climate solutions:
Safe is secure, certain, affiliation, bonding, liming (like in family affiliation and bonding and liming).
Trust is both safe, include, and mutual respect (reciprocal respect).
In short: Trust or legitimity or positive reputation is based on safety.
First when people have trust, they may have much energy and attention to help solve common climate problems.
3)Imagination brain network (default mode)
Our senses trigger the 7 primary emotions that flow up in the midbrain to the imagination (default mode) brain network. Here is where the mind flows when our thinking logic focused mind at daily work and we are tired. We start mind wandering, daydreaming. Fantasy, sudden ideas pop up. Here also we have the creative problem solving ability. Here also we have the imagination or visualisation capasity of creating possible scenarios. However a lot of the fantasies and fears are only fantasy. If we take the truths test – is this true in the situation present now? – the answer is no, it is just fantasy.
Creative problem solving and visualisation - we need for climate solutions. But false fear fantasies - like I am not good enough, what will the others say, domesday feelings - are very little helpful. All our inner negative chat is tapping our scarce energy away from solving climate problems.
4)Conscious logical thinking brain network
The thinking logical brain network has potential to be conscious and focus according to a plan and will. But often the brain is not ruled by facts, but by feelings and fantasies, false wishes, hopes, beliefs. When tired of focus, the brain automaticly shifts, switches over to the imagination fantasy brain network (default mode). I help leaders to get their brain to stay in the thinking focus – and thenrelax: Each 20 minute as the focus goes slow: Yawn-stretch-relax-observe for 60 seconds. The yawning allows gliacells in your thinking brain network to recycle neurotransmitters and gliacells – in addition to give you a boost of oxygen. Then you may be capable of going into your thinking brain for a next 20 minutes work period. Please help your thinking brain to work for climate solutions!
5)Wholeness balance brain network (salience network)
When these 4 networks are one-sided – they need to be balanced by using, accessing the wholeness balance network. This brain network does intergrate parts so you achieve system level understanding. The whole system is more than the sum of the parts. It sees all interlinks. To balance feelings and thoughts. To open for both imagination and logic at the same time. Balance between me and others. Balance between present needs and imaginary needs in the future. Balance between one aspect, one interest and other interests and perspectives, balance between single detail solution and system level solution. Value weighting and empathy happens here. Trust is when your needs are balanced with other’s needs.
This wholeness overview brain network is underrated and under developed. In the western thinking fact society – feelings are entertainment. To manage to balance the wholeness of facts/logic and feelings/emotion/fantasy is a large need to solve climate problems. Get a balance between parts and system. Get a balance between you and others, between now and future!
Do you want to experience a session on sustainable neuro strategy: contact helge.christie@gmail.com
Resources:
My book: Kreativ i ekstremvær:
https://www.helgechristie.com/butikk/helge-christies-15-bok-kreativ-i-ekstremvr-e-bok