The Genie Within: Your Subconscious Mind by Harry Carpenter Page A
Authors: Harry Carpenter
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tiger is driven away. The caveman has expressed his idea (to fight off the tiger) with directed action (fighting the tiger). That evening he is at peace and regains his energy with a night of restful sleep. (The cycle starts over.)
Directed energy is an orderly, healthy release of physical and emotional energy. It is any act that is in harmony with the idea that originated it. Psychologists recommend that when you get mad you should express your anger in some way. Not in a violent way, but in a constructive way. Express it by talking or writing about it or by running around the block, for example. It is unhealthy to bottle up anger. When you do not express it in some way, this emotional energy is suppressed .
Suppressed Energy
You are on the freeway driving to an important job interview. Traffic comes to a halt. You are bumper to bumper and no off-ramp is in view. You no longer live in a cave, but you have the same body and response system as your caveman ancestors. When faced with an emergency or unsettling situation, your “fight-or-flight” response kicks into action. The kidneys release adrenaline, heart rate increases, and digestion stops, to name a few of the reactions. Yet all you can do is sit in your car and get more upset thinking about being late for your interview. You imagine you will lose this fantastic new job. (Remember: Your subconscious mind does not know the difference between real and imagined.)
This energy could be expressed by a primal scream, but the drivers in the cars near you might think you are crazy. If you cannot express the energy at the time your fight-or-flightresponse occurs, at least express it as soon as you get a chance. When you get home, you might go for a walk, punch a bag, or clean the house. In this way no, or little, harm is done to your body. The energy is expressed and you can sleep soundly.
Repressed Energy
When an event that triggers your fight-or-flight response occurs continuously, or often, and the energy is not expressed, the energy is repressed . Every thought or idea causes a physical reaction. So this repressed energy will be expressed as undirected activity, such as tension and anxiety. Tension and anxiety prevent relaxation of the inner muscles, which hinders the immune system and interferes with restful sleep. So, the natural Energy Cycle is broken and restful, restorative sleep is impeded.
CHRONIC STRESS
The body will find a physical outlet for repressed energy, such as fidgeting, nail biting, finger tapping, gum chewing, etc. If it persists, the outlet may become ulcers, high blood pressure, headaches, or worse.
Woody Allen expressed this law another way: “One of my problems is that I internalize everything. I can’t express anger; I grow a tumor instead.” Surveys of doctors have shown that many believe as much as 90 percent of their patients suffer from chronic fatigue.
Dr. Hans Selye (1907–1982), Professor and Director of the Institute of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, University of Montreal, was first to use the word “stress” in reference to the human body. During 30 years of research, he wrote 1600 papers and 33 books, including The Stress of Life for nonprofessionals.
Dr. Selye proved that repressed stress wears the body down until it becomes sick. In his classical experiments,animals were wired so that they could be given mild electrical shocks. He administered the shocks sporadically so the animals did not know when they were coming. Although the shocks were not severe enough to cause any harm, the anxiety of not knowing when they were coming caused stress . When this condition went on long enough, the stress impaired their immune system and the animals became vulnerable to disease.
A corollary of this is commonly observed in humans. After a spouse dies and the mate mourns too long, the mate’s immune system becomes impaired and he or she becomes ill and often dies.
Other examples were given in Lesson Three,
Directed energy is an orderly, healthy release of physical and emotional energy. It is any act that is in harmony with the idea that originated it. Psychologists recommend that when you get mad you should express your anger in some way. Not in a violent way, but in a constructive way. Express it by talking or writing about it or by running around the block, for example. It is unhealthy to bottle up anger. When you do not express it in some way, this emotional energy is suppressed .
Suppressed Energy
You are on the freeway driving to an important job interview. Traffic comes to a halt. You are bumper to bumper and no off-ramp is in view. You no longer live in a cave, but you have the same body and response system as your caveman ancestors. When faced with an emergency or unsettling situation, your “fight-or-flight” response kicks into action. The kidneys release adrenaline, heart rate increases, and digestion stops, to name a few of the reactions. Yet all you can do is sit in your car and get more upset thinking about being late for your interview. You imagine you will lose this fantastic new job. (Remember: Your subconscious mind does not know the difference between real and imagined.)
This energy could be expressed by a primal scream, but the drivers in the cars near you might think you are crazy. If you cannot express the energy at the time your fight-or-flightresponse occurs, at least express it as soon as you get a chance. When you get home, you might go for a walk, punch a bag, or clean the house. In this way no, or little, harm is done to your body. The energy is expressed and you can sleep soundly.
Repressed Energy
When an event that triggers your fight-or-flight response occurs continuously, or often, and the energy is not expressed, the energy is repressed . Every thought or idea causes a physical reaction. So this repressed energy will be expressed as undirected activity, such as tension and anxiety. Tension and anxiety prevent relaxation of the inner muscles, which hinders the immune system and interferes with restful sleep. So, the natural Energy Cycle is broken and restful, restorative sleep is impeded.
CHRONIC STRESS
The body will find a physical outlet for repressed energy, such as fidgeting, nail biting, finger tapping, gum chewing, etc. If it persists, the outlet may become ulcers, high blood pressure, headaches, or worse.
Woody Allen expressed this law another way: “One of my problems is that I internalize everything. I can’t express anger; I grow a tumor instead.” Surveys of doctors have shown that many believe as much as 90 percent of their patients suffer from chronic fatigue.
Dr. Hans Selye (1907–1982), Professor and Director of the Institute of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, University of Montreal, was first to use the word “stress” in reference to the human body. During 30 years of research, he wrote 1600 papers and 33 books, including The Stress of Life for nonprofessionals.
Dr. Selye proved that repressed stress wears the body down until it becomes sick. In his classical experiments,animals were wired so that they could be given mild electrical shocks. He administered the shocks sporadically so the animals did not know when they were coming. Although the shocks were not severe enough to cause any harm, the anxiety of not knowing when they were coming caused stress . When this condition went on long enough, the stress impaired their immune system and the animals became vulnerable to disease.
A corollary of this is commonly observed in humans. After a spouse dies and the mate mourns too long, the mate’s immune system becomes impaired and he or she becomes ill and often dies.
Other examples were given in Lesson Three,
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