living at cause: brain science tells us how - to get the a.n.t.s out of our head

Living At Cause

All Souls Unitarian Universalist ChurchJune 12, 2016

Walker Alan Wynkoop, MD

Living At Cause

Brain Science Teaches Us How

Living At Cause

Brain Science Teaches Us How- To get the A.N.T.s out of our head

My Background Story

• Life long lover of the scientific method

• Living as a hand surgeon

• A student of Human Happiness for 17.5 yrs

Human Happiness Journey• 1998 Man Kind Project Sioux City

– Learning Emotional Literacy• 2010 – Present

– Whirlwind tour with Outstanding Mentors• Tony Robbins• Steve Linder• John Assaraf• Brendon Burchard• Daniel Amen

Emotional Literacy

• Emotions – We can manipulate them– Physiology– Thoughts

• Relationships between emotions– Anger usually covering up

• Sadness• Fear

Emotional Literacy

• Emotions – We can manipulate them– Physiology– The Amy Cuddy Story

• Brain injured as teen, lost her high IQ• She used “Fake it till you make it”• Now a Harvard Business School Prof

– Empowers business women with the “Starfish Position” (More at Circle Talk?)

Emotional Literacy

• Learn from People– I learn the most from

• People that bring up my my worst emotions• Situations that trigger me the hardest

• Learn from our surroundings– Cultures of Offices / Teams / Families– Books / Blogs / Etc

Living At Cause

• Why Introduce Living At Cause?– It summarizes the recommendations of all the

branches of psychology I’ve studied– Understanding and accepting this concept

usually shift one’s paradigm – It is difficult to accept at first so hopefully this

may prepare one for future growth

Brain Science

• Stuff– < 10 years

• Feelings– <16 years

Brain Science

• Stuff– Bio-Molecular– Electro Chemical– Functional MRI Imaging– Optogenetics

• Feelings– Positive Psychology– CBT & NLP

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Neuro Linguistic Programing

Brain Science

Brain Science: Stuff

• 90% of what we know about the brain mechanics we learned in the last 7 – 9 years

• “I feel really sorry for the people who retired five years ago,” says Michael Stryker, a neuroscientist at the University of California, San Francisco.


• Optogenetics!!– Fiber optic wires into mice heads to turn on and

off specific neurons pre-treated with markers!


• Functional MRI– Real time images of the brain– Can show rough images in the Visual Cortex

• How many objects• Placement of objects, close – far, right or left• Size• Color• Contrast


• Memories – A Neural Pathway

– Groups of neurons that are primed to fire together in the same pattern that created the original experience, and each component of a memory is stored in the brain area that initiated it.

http://www.human-memory.net/processes_storage.html


• Memories – A Neural Pathway

– The more Often the information is repeated or used, the more likely it is to be retained in long term memory

– The more Recently the information is repeated or used, the more likely it is to be recalled from long term memory



• Memories – A Neural Pathway• THE OPPOSITE IS ALSO TRUE

– That is why traditional talk-about-the-past psycho-therapy is no longer so popular

– New therapy helps get rid of the A.N.T.s so that the old hurtful pathways are not fired.


Brain Science: Stuff / Feelings Connection

• The CMS – How Our Brain and Body Talk– The Chemical Messenger System

• Endocrine hormones – e.g. Adrenal glands• Neuro Endocrine – Nerves to blood• Paracrine• Autocrine• Cytocine

Brain Science: Feelings/Behavior

• Positive Psychology – First papers on topic 2000 by Martin Seligman– Started Positive Psychology Center, U of Penn– Authentic Happiness website

• Inventories / Questionnaires • Videos• Pod casts


• Positive Psychology – Scientific testing– Fun vs Philanthropy– Gratitude Visit (explained at circle talk?)

• 3 or more months of measurable improved Life Satisfaction in both parties.


• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy– Core Beliefs control

• Thoughts• Feelings• Behavior

– And we can choose our thoughts!

By Urstadt - Photoshop, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46525261

Brain Science: Human Identity

• Our Identity or Core Beliefs:– Define our Model of the World – Control our emotional life– Control our behavioral life– Are based on the Core Memories


• Core Memories– Change every time we access them– We can find new beneficial meanings for the

same core memory• Core Memories’ influence is a function of:

– Recency– Frequency


• Jennifer Ouellette, author, science writer– Best Seller: Me Myself and Why– Online Video Talk– Her experiential pathway led her to the same

conclusion: • Our ID is a function of only two things:

– The memories we focus on– The meanings of those memories

• And I remind: We can choose both!


Bottom Line Summary:

• Our Identity is a function of only two things

– The memories we Focus on– The meaning we Choose for those memories


The One Sentence:• Ones identity lies in the cellular/neuropeptide

neural pathway you strengthen by Recent and Repeated thoughts.

• So choose thoughts that benefit you and visit them often.


Super Modern Breakthrough!

Brain Science: My Emancipation

• Scientific American MIND publication– 10 Big Ideas in 10 years of Brain Science– #3 Adult Brain is Malleable

• So, I’m not stuck with my Old ID!– I Choose the memories I focus on– I Choose those memories’ meaning

A.N.T.s

A.N.T.s

• Automatic Negative Thoughts

– Literally shifts the neuro peptides in our brain– And neuro endocrine hormone in our blood

Towards negative emotions and health

A.N.T.s

• Positive personal results have been reported after one week of A.N.Ts eradication

• An easy way to learn Living at Cause– Practice on yourself first– Introduce into your relations at your own pace

A.N.T.s

A.N.T.s

• The Universal A.N.T. Poisons:– ‘there is no failure, only feedback’– ‘Everything that goes wrong in life is a

disguised teaching in some way’– If only to say – ‘don’t do that again!’

A.N.T.s

• Dan Davis Spoke at UU last month– His suggestions for Negative Thoughts

• Say "thank you for the suggestion, I will take that under consideration”

• Then just imagine it on a piece of paper, crumple it up and throw it away

A.N.T.s

• The sheet backside gives the long version– Use it on persistent A.N.T.s

• Use the info to dissect the A.N.T.– And make a stronger A.N.T. Poison!

A.N.T.s

Thank You for Your Attention

• This slide show and Much More info at:– Facebook Community– Do an FB search:

• Live at Cause or• WWBrainScience• Click on:

Thank You

living at cause: brain science tells us how - to get the a.n.t.s out of our head

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