Mario Alonso Puig: “Going to the past to regret or to the future to be anxious is what generates more anxiety”

Mario Alonso Puig: “Going to the past to regret or to the future to be anxious is what generates more anxiety”

personal development

In his book ‘Reset your mind’, Dr. Mario Alonso Puig reveals surprising and often little-known aspects of the relationship between the brain, the mind and what happens to us

“Every human being, if he wants to, can be a sculptor of his own brain.” The famous phrase of the doctor and scientist Santiago Ramón y Cajal does not appear by chance on the cover of the latest book by Dr. Mario Alonso Puig. In ‘Reset your mind’ the author shows surprising and often little known aspects of the relationship between the brain, the mind and what happens to us. He also argues that if we want to increase the Self esteem and to enhance capacities such as intelligence, memory, intuition, creativity, leadership or an entrepreneurial spirit, we need to know how to awaken our great dormant potential.

Now, more than ever, we all face challenges that we must act calmly, enthusiastically and confidently if we want to turn them into opportunities for growth. learning y personal growth. And to find out how to do it, he invites us to travel through its 49 chapters the paths that the brain and the mind follow to create that reality that we live. The objective? Learn to influence those processes that impact our way of perceiving, thinking, feeling and acting.

It ensures that there is an enormous potential dormant within us, how can we develop it in a context as harsh as the one we are living in?

We all have a curious experience and this is what makes in certain highly complex situations a capacity for decision, resolution, creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit that leaves us completely misplaced. However, we see that other times before another type of challenges we become irascible, we feel helpless, we block ourselves or we simply run away. There are certain situations that have the ability to impact on a very deep level and unfold something that is dormant that it would be impossible for it to arise otherwise. We have it inside. What it is about is knowing how to find the way to reach that center where that potential is and to be able to awaken it.

In his work he has made a synthesis effort to help us understand how the brain works through its four operating systems, what is the function of each one?

The tendency in the West is to divide everything and forget that it was initially a unit and that is why in ‘Reset your mind’ I have done this synthesis work where I connect concepts such as brain, mind and transcendence or spiritual part. The four operating systems are the ones that are governing our physical, mental and spiritual life.

El hypothalamus (a kernel the size of a pea) is a key element in our survival and is the one that houses the first operating system. The second is in the limbic system, which is focused on the affective world, that is, on the importance of generating bonds and connections. The third operating system is physically located on the left hemisphere, which is what has allowed scientific and technological progress, since it is what allows us to use language and numbers. And the right hemisphere, that it is the great unknown and that it gives physical support to that unconscious, that opens the door to the life of the spirit. Above it is the fourth operating system, with the ability to capture deep realities that go beyond language, numbers and reason.

It also describes five ways of knowing reality (both exterior and interior): reason, feelings, sensations, intuition, imagination … Can these ways of knowing reality be more or less present in each person?

We all have these five ways of knowing reality, but those who put all the weight on the intellect and detach themselves from sensations, corporeality or feelings cannot penetrate the information that exists in these worlds. They are intellectually impeccable people, but they have a great illiteracy when it comes to understanding the affective world, both their own and those of others. People who have disconnected from their body, which is common after major emotional trauma, find it difficult to have bodily sensations. Those who consider that intuition is silly and never pay attention to that feeling that tells you what to do, but does not tell you why, stop being sensitive to those messages that come from the unconscious. And those who have not cultivated imagination, which is an inherent quality of the human being, can be confused with fantasy. But fantasy is a kind of elucubration (which can be entertaining) that does not have the ability to connect with deep relationships or to manifest things that exist in the background world, as happens with the imagination.

All these capabilities can be trained but will depend on the dedication we put into their development.

And we also have sensors, which is everything that helps us capture what is around us and inside us. What happens if any of the external organs such as sight, hearing or smell are missing? Is there a greater development of the rest of the senses?

Yes, it is something that is scientifically proven. When, for example, a person does not have the sense of sight, they develop hearing to surprising levels, so that some blind people can hear a conversation at a much greater speed than the rest and are able to pick up sounds they do not understand others. Why it happens? This is because the areas of the brain that do not work at the audiovisual level are used by the other senses, that is, there is real growth and the appearance of new circuits that allow them to ‘see’ through touch. This is possible because the areas of touch, related to tactile sensations, occupy areas of the cerebral cortex that cannot be dedicated to the functions of sight.

Ensures that the hypothalamus is a key structure in the control of the internal balance of the body …

Yes, it is a very primitive structure in its reactions and exceptionally adept at managing the fundamental parameters that allow the supervivencia and the procreation of a kind. For example, it is in charge of regulating the internal environment. When there are dangerous chemical alterations within the body, the hypothalamus must immediately correct them. It is a kind of chemical thermostat orchestrating the response, both for example in relation to sugar levels and with what has to do with the body’s temperature. It thus regulates the internal environment, but also the external environment, that is, it has to be sensitive to everything that poses an external threat. And it must also guarantee procreation. In short, it is responsible for monitoring the internal and external environment to protect life and protect procreation.

To modulate these primary reactions of the hypothalamus we have the limbic system, which is the one that is most linked to emotions …

Well, from the absolutely precise point of view the hypothalamus is part of the limbic system, but I have separated it (and I emphasize this in the book) so as not to create confusion because the hypothalamus, although it is part of this system, is far from evolutionary other structures of the same. What happens is that as new brain structures are added over older ones, the latter have to be able to control those that remain below because they are more reactive and abrupt in their behavior. That is why there are several structures in the limbic system like the amygdala and the nuclei of the septum that do have the ability to control and modulate the hypothalamus. It is not that they can do what they want with it (because the hypothalamus is quite autonomous), but they can modulate their reaction so that it is not violent or excessive. For example, a young child who has not yet developed his limbic system sufficiently has a highly developed hypothalamus to control his internal environment. The moment he is hungry he screams outrageously. But when he finishes eating he falls completely asleep. That is what the hypothalamus mediates. But when he grows up he does not start screaming but is something more modulated. You are not suppressing hunger, but you are regulating it so that the reaction is more fluid.

The function of the limbic system is to generate those social and affective bonds, which are a competitive advantage in development. Mammals have a brutal competitive advantage over, for example, reptiles, because they do establish emotional bonds and cooperation is a fundamental element in their survival. Reptiles do not bond.

Throughout the work he analyzes the intense reactions we have and asks if the origin is biological, mental, social, cultural …

Initially, the foundation is biological, but as we grow and progress, the mental elements develop and the cultural elements have a greater impact. Then these three components, the pure biological or nervous system, the mental and the cultural component begin to form a unit. It is as if a tapestry were woven with three threads. There comes a time when the tapestry draws a figure made of three threads and if you remove one thread you can no longer recognize the figure. And that’s the thing about reactions. They are so deeply integrated that the strictly biological cannot be separated from the strictly mental or strictly cultural.

To what extent can we communicate with our own brain to progress and enhance our abilities through the power of language?

Language is one of the great mysteries with which we find ourselves. There is a superficial part that are the simple descriptive words (cup, book, paper …), which is a utilitarian dimension of language that helps us to describe things. But there is also a part of language that is not simply descriptive but creative and capable of generating change. For example, in my opinion, the difference between a book and a great book is that the former explains something and the latter changes you. So if both are made with words, how is it possible that one transforms me and the other doesn’t? The explanation is that the great book uses a transformational language that generates a series of images and sensations that have an impact at the unconscious level. What happen? That at the moment in which language traps or connects with the unconscious that person begins to undergo a series of transformations. Thus, just as we know that there is prose and poetry and that prose is a language directed fundamentally to the intellect and poetry is more oriented to the heart, there are also other languages ​​such as metaphor, the language of trance, pictorial language, language sculptural, dance and everything that is used in art that can generate a profound impact. One of the dimensions of the human being is deeply linguistic. That is why people who want to manipulate the minds of others begin to hijack language and try to change words to make an impact. That is why you have to be so precise and careful with the use of language.

Since the beginning of the pandemic the incidence of cerebrovascular accidents, strokes and problems related to brain health has increased, how can they be prevented? How can we pamper our brains?

It is important to do so. When talking about a myocardial infarction, everyone mentions the word urgent but cerebrovascular accidents Sometimes strokes are not given the importance they should, even though they present the same urgency as a heart attack. The first thing to do to prevent strokes or what can cause brain damage is listen to the body. When a person notices something strange such as a slight difficulty in speaking or moving a limb, or begins to see strange things or have blurred vision or see small lights, they should not think that they are nonsense, but they should immediately consult a hospital emergency room. Many serious strokes as well as heart attacks could be treated in the early stages, but sadly, things like a tingling in the left arm that appear out of nowhere or a sudden slurred speech are unimportant. It is convenient to respond appropriately when the body warns us.

But it is also convenient to prevent in three dimensions, in the biological, in the spiritual and in the mental. On the one hand we know that what we eat has an impact on the brain and that the Mediterranean diet is the best in the world to protect health and the brain. But it is also necessary to do physical exercise, because this not only protects the heart but also the brain. With physical exercise, blood vessels develop in the brain so that if an artery is blocked, there are other accessory paths (such as when a highway is blocked but it is possible to drive on neighboring roads). But, if physical exercise is not done, these accessory pathways will not develop and there will be a greater risk of suffering a stroke.

El rest it is also essential. Sleeping less than seven or eight hours a day puts a brutal strain on the brain. You have to take care of it because the lack of rest does have an impact on the functioning of the brain and of course on the possibility of developing a stroke.

And another important aspect is the mental dimension. Behind all known diseases there is a background of anxiety. It may have a greater or lesser importance but in everything that has to do with cerebral infarcts, the state of anxiety makes its appearance. Mentally, what is it that generates more anxiety: going to the past to regret or going to the future to distress us. What is there to do? Live in the present and this is worked with the practice of mindfulness.

And on a spiritual level we know that everything that is the gratitude solidarity with others or contact with the nature generates a state of balance in the body that makes it more difficult to suffer a stroke.

About the Author

Doctor, specialist in general and digestive system surgery and Chairman of the Center for Health, Well-Being and Happiness at IE University, Mario Alonso Puig has worked as a surgeon for 26 years and for two years at the Institute of Neurological Sciences of Madrid. In addition, he trained in mind-body medicine at the Mind-Body Institute of Harvard University and in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction with the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine Health Care and Social, attached to UMASS Medical School, in Massachusetts.

Throughout his career he has been invited to speak about leadership, managing uncertainty, stress, creativity, well-being and happiness in institutions in more than 30 countries on five continents.

He has received recognition for his communication and dissemination work and has written more than a dozen books, among which stand out ‘Wood as a leader’, ‘Living is an urgent matter’, ‘Reinventing yourself: your second chance’, ‘Now I’, ‘The answer’, ‘The guts quotient’, ‘The guardian of truth and the third gate of time’, ‘Take a breath! Mindfulness, the art of keeping calm in the midst of the storm ‘,’ Your three superpowers to achieve a healthier, more prosperous and happy life ‘and’ 365 ideas for a fulfilling life ‘.