#127 Lion vs. Jungle

Be Nice to Your Limbic System, Please

Alberto Villoldo tells us that we evolved to deal with one lion roaring at us at a time. That lion’s roar triggers a fight or flight response. We fight or we flee. And, hopefully, we live to talk about the tale later.

But, the important thing to note is that the stress from that event, although extremely acute, is also extremely short-lived. We respond to the challenge and move on. Our nervous system resets itself, all good.

Alberto tells us that these days we’ve created a very different environment for ourselves.

With our 24/7/365 media exposure, we can track every single horrific thing happening in the world. Instantly. And constantly.

Then, for some truly bizarre reason when you slow down long enough to think about it, we continue the assault by consuming fictional horrors on TV and in movies for “entertainment.”

All of that REALLY compromises our primitive limbic system that evolved to deal with that single lion threatening us in that acute moment of stress.

Now?

Now it’s as if the ENTIRE JUNGLE is threatening us ALL DAY EVERY DAY.

That’s extraordinarily enervating and the consequences of it are serious. Our limbic systems simply can’t watch all that news and entertainment and say, “That’s happening over there and not to me. I’m fine.”

Your amygdala lights up and responds AS IF IT WAS HAPPENING TO YOU RIGHT NOW.

Get this: Did you know that individuals who watched more than six hours of news on the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing had MORE PTSD symptoms than someone who was actually THERE and experienced the trauma?

Yep.

Think about that for a moment. And, give your limbic system a break.

Today’s +1: -1 the news and violent entertainment today.

Go out for a nice walk. No threat of lions these days. 😃

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