MIND !
What exactly is this thing called ‘mind’, ever wondered ?
Well let me help you with this one. To begin with, it is the first step to do anything. When we “think” of doing something...anything, it is our mind which comes into action first. Mind, as defined by the New Oxford English Dictionary, is the faculty of consciousness and thought of a person or the person’s intellect. But honestly speaking, I believe this four-letter-word, MIND, cannot be contained so easily in just mere definitions as such. Its got to itself far more than what these definitions or rather more than what this kind of paperwork can explain. Its all in the mind...I hope you’ll agree with me on this once you’ve made it to the final line!
Well let us consider a situation. You have a very important work to do and suddenly you realize that you’re getting late for it. Then what do you do? Be it unwillingly or out of habit, but you may first of all PANIC, because it occurred in your “mind” that you’re going to be in a problem if you don’t land up doing your job on time. It was your mind which worked and told you, “Hey dude! You better hurry up…”
Here’s another example. Let us consider two people, one is a very easy-go kind of a person, calm and composed. While the other is a much tensed one, who takes tension for even the small things in life. Now let’s put them in an emergency situation, say for example…EXAMS ?! (Aah, the smile on your faces). Though exams are not supposed to be an emergency situation, but... THEY ARE ! Ok, so which of the two do you expect will go through easily? The first person, obviously. He may sit down, draft a study plan, revise routinely. Andeven if not all this, even if he ain't that studious, then at least he’ll breathe easy, pray to God and look at himself into the mirror and say “I’ll do the best I can, whatever the outcome be !” And what about the other person? Gosh! He may start panting the day exam dates are out. Andeven if he’s a studious person, his tensed attitude may cost him, in case he forgets something out of mere anxiety. He's panicked to meet his targets, scared to mess up his exams and earn a bad rep, and thinks "I want score high.. I want to do this and that...". He’s far from even believing, forget saying to himself “I’ll do my best”.
So where exactly is the problem? It’s all in the mind.
It was the first person’s mind-setup which allowed him to take things in a composed manner. In case of the second person, when his mind was itself not at ease then how can we expect him to “take it easy”?!
It’s all in the mind my friends, like the saying by John Milton – “the mind is its own place, and in itself it can make hell of Heaven and heaven of Hell”!
What exactly is this thing called ‘mind’, ever wondered ?
Well let me help you with this one. To begin with, it is the first step to do anything. When we “think” of doing something...anything, it is our mind which comes into action first. Mind, as defined by the New Oxford English Dictionary, is the faculty of consciousness and thought of a person or the person’s intellect. But honestly speaking, I believe this four-letter-word, MIND, cannot be contained so easily in just mere definitions as such. Its got to itself far more than what these definitions or rather more than what this kind of paperwork can explain. Its all in the mind...I hope you’ll agree with me on this once you’ve made it to the final line!
Well let us consider a situation. You have a very important work to do and suddenly you realize that you’re getting late for it. Then what do you do? Be it unwillingly or out of habit, but you may first of all PANIC, because it occurred in your “mind” that you’re going to be in a problem if you don’t land up doing your job on time. It was your mind which worked and told you, “Hey dude! You better hurry up…”
Here’s another example. Let us consider two people, one is a very easy-go kind of a person, calm and composed. While the other is a much tensed one, who takes tension for even the small things in life. Now let’s put them in an emergency situation, say for example…EXAMS ?! (Aah, the smile on your faces). Though exams are not supposed to be an emergency situation, but... THEY ARE ! Ok, so which of the two do you expect will go through easily? The first person, obviously. He may sit down, draft a study plan, revise routinely. Andeven if not all this, even if he ain't that studious, then at least he’ll breathe easy, pray to God and look at himself into the mirror and say “I’ll do the best I can, whatever the outcome be !” And what about the other person? Gosh! He may start panting the day exam dates are out. Andeven if he’s a studious person, his tensed attitude may cost him, in case he forgets something out of mere anxiety. He's panicked to meet his targets, scared to mess up his exams and earn a bad rep, and thinks "I want score high.. I want to do this and that...". He’s far from even believing, forget saying to himself “I’ll do my best”.
So where exactly is the problem? It’s all in the mind.
It was the first person’s mind-setup which allowed him to take things in a composed manner. In case of the second person, when his mind was itself not at ease then how can we expect him to “take it easy”?!
It’s all in the mind my friends, like the saying by John Milton – “the mind is its own place, and in itself it can make hell of Heaven and heaven of Hell”!
Well this was one aspect of the mind. There’s another more enthralling aspect to our minds which I wish to discuss. An aspect which if understood and worked towards in the right manner, will not only enlighten us but will also ‘empower’ us. And to explain this aspect, I’d like to first talk about the “placebo effect”.
It is the measurable, observable or the felt improvement in health which is not attributed to any administered medication or an invasive treatment, but rather has a psychological component.
Placebo, Latin for “I shall please”, is a pharmacologically inert substance (such as a saline solution or a starch tablet) given in the garb of a medicine. Working psychologically, it produces responses equivalent to that of the active drug, the degree of response varying from person to person. The idea of placebo, in modern times, originated with H. K Beecher. He conducted a number of trials to study and understand how “something” could be produced out of nothing. Initially, the idea of placebo and its usage did suffer many tests of faith, but thanks to the efforts of people like Dr. John C. Bailer, R. Barker Bausell and many others, which helped in proving and infact re-instating placebo as a potent medical aid.
A study, conducted by Atonella Pollo et all published in the Journal “Pain”, demonstrated that the placebos can help with serious pain. Here is an abstract from the study…
" A certain number of thoracotomized patients divided into three groups, were treated with Buprenorphine together with a basal i.v. infusion, for 3 consecutive days. The first group was told nothing about any analgesic effect (natural history). The second group was told that the basal infusion was either a painkiller or a placebo (classic double-blind administration). Whereas the third group was told that the basal infusion was a potent painkiller (deceptive administration).
Point to be noted : the analgesic treatment was the same in all the three cases, but the verbal instructions differed. The psychological outlook of the patients was thus, manipulated.
At the end of the three day treatment, the recordings of the doses of Buprenorphine were compared and it was found that the double-blind group showed a reduction of Buprenorphine requests (9.15mg). But the reduction of requests was even larger in case of the deceptive-administration group (7.65mg). whereas the natural-history group didn’t show much reduction (11.55mg). Despite dose differences, it was noted that analgesia was the same in all three groups.
It is the measurable, observable or the felt improvement in health which is not attributed to any administered medication or an invasive treatment, but rather has a psychological component.
Placebo, Latin for “I shall please”, is a pharmacologically inert substance (such as a saline solution or a starch tablet) given in the garb of a medicine. Working psychologically, it produces responses equivalent to that of the active drug, the degree of response varying from person to person. The idea of placebo, in modern times, originated with H. K Beecher. He conducted a number of trials to study and understand how “something” could be produced out of nothing. Initially, the idea of placebo and its usage did suffer many tests of faith, but thanks to the efforts of people like Dr. John C. Bailer, R. Barker Bausell and many others, which helped in proving and infact re-instating placebo as a potent medical aid.
A study, conducted by Atonella Pollo et all published in the Journal “Pain”, demonstrated that the placebos can help with serious pain. Here is an abstract from the study…
" A certain number of thoracotomized patients divided into three groups, were treated with Buprenorphine together with a basal i.v. infusion, for 3 consecutive days. The first group was told nothing about any analgesic effect (natural history). The second group was told that the basal infusion was either a painkiller or a placebo (classic double-blind administration). Whereas the third group was told that the basal infusion was a potent painkiller (deceptive administration).
Point to be noted : the analgesic treatment was the same in all the three cases, but the verbal instructions differed. The psychological outlook of the patients was thus, manipulated.
At the end of the three day treatment, the recordings of the doses of Buprenorphine were compared and it was found that the double-blind group showed a reduction of Buprenorphine requests (9.15mg). But the reduction of requests was even larger in case of the deceptive-administration group (7.65mg). whereas the natural-history group didn’t show much reduction (11.55mg). Despite dose differences, it was noted that analgesia was the same in all three groups.
These results indicate that different verbal instructions produce different analgesic effects, which in turn triggers a dramatic change of behavior leading to a significant reduction of opioid intake. Naloxone, an opioid antagonist, blocks placebo analgesia. So, to an extent, it can be said that placebo works by stimulating the opioid system of the body"....
On a separate account, Dr. Irwin Kirsch, a psychologist at the University of Connecticut, has said on placebo that the effect is psychological. The critical factor for any such placebo to work is our “expectation” of improvement, our “beliefs” and “thoughts” about what is going to happen to us. Thus it is consistent with the current knowledge that a person’s hopeful attitude and beliefs may be very important for their physical well-being and recovery from injuries or illness.
On a separate account, Dr. Irwin Kirsch, a psychologist at the University of Connecticut, has said on placebo that the effect is psychological. The critical factor for any such placebo to work is our “expectation” of improvement, our “beliefs” and “thoughts” about what is going to happen to us. Thus it is consistent with the current knowledge that a person’s hopeful attitude and beliefs may be very important for their physical well-being and recovery from injuries or illness.
In short, it is our mind which holds all the cards to our well-being while it plays its game from backstage. Imagine, a positive and "healthy mind" could help you cure from perhaps the gravest of injuries or pains, and what if we all practice SUCH a healthy mind for day-to-day life?
Open up your minds my friends, and empower yourselves. If you’re in any problem, any difficulties then start first not with your surroundings or yourself, but with your mind.
As it is said, “We are what our thoughts make us!”
And where do we nest our thoughts? It is, after all...
Open up your minds my friends, and empower yourselves. If you’re in any problem, any difficulties then start first not with your surroundings or yourself, but with your mind.
As it is said, “We are what our thoughts make us!”
And where do we nest our thoughts? It is, after all...
All in the mind !
When one is given the power to conceive a dream, he is also given the power to achieve it...It's all in the MIND. Whether you think you can or cannot, you are always right.
ReplyDeleteWell-written.
thanks... :)
ReplyDeleteAnd yes ofcourse, weLL-said !