Limbic brain the horse that carries all of us through life
Each of us harbors two different minds.
This is not a psychological distinction but a neurological one that manifests in our emotions, thoughts and behaviors.
The aspect of mind with which we are most familiar is the thinking one. Just consider how much time you spend in your head, focused on thoughts. That’s a function of a thin layer of brain tissue called the prefrontal cortex.
We are far less acquainted with the feeling (or limbic) brain, the prime mover behind most of our behaviors. Thinking in words and concepts is not its thing. It feels, reacts, creates, remembers and so on, but not in words. Instead, it does so in sensations and feelings, many occurring outside of conscious awareness.
So what? Well, if you’ve ever struggled with an emotional issue or personal change, you’ve likely discovered that thinking rarely improves the situation and can even make it worse (worrying, catastrophizing, etc.).
Which means if one wants to positively change some aspect of one’s self (personality, behaviors, attitudes, etc.), knowing how to interact and collaborate with the feeling brain is key. Consequently, psychotherapists need to open channels of communication with both of these aspects of mind. If we rely solely on the thinking brain, change is often out of reach.
Why? The feeling brain is simply more powerful. After all, virtually all our core feelings — anger, joy, love, sorrow — directly influence behaviors that can either promote or undermine our survival and well-being.
When one’s feelings prove counterproductive or debilitating, self-regulation and homeostasis break down. The thinking mind is all but powerless to correct this situation, requiring that we engage the feeling brain.
The challenge resides in the fact that the thinking and feeling minds “speak” different languages. Talk therapy, by definition relies heavily on spoken words and concepts. Unfortunately, verbal language is not the lexicon of the feeling brain. Instead, it employs metaphors, symbols, imagery and physiological responses as its “language.”
So, clients can literally talk about their problems for extended periods without experiencing transformations in mood, attitude and behaviors. I’m not suggesting talk therapy is without value. However, in the absence of parallel communication and processing between both the thinking and feeling minds, it has limited impact.
How is this done? There are three primary types of therapies that help. First are those that seek to rewire the brain through neurologically based approaches, such as meditation, brainspotting, behavioral gaming, hypnotherapy and EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), among others.
Another is comprised primarily of mind/body methods, such as tai chi, reiki, nature therapy, yoga and various other psychosomatic approaches.
Finally, there are creative/narrative therapies that use music, metaphors, expressive writing, drawing, symbolic painting, change rituals, etc.
The feeling mind is the horse, the thinking mind the carriage. Hitch the wrong one to the harness and you’ll go nowhere fast.