There's no time like the present

"Your brain is capable of handling 140,000 million bits of information in one second, and if you take hours or days or weeks to reach a vital decision, you are short-circuiting your most valuable property."

-Jerry Gillies, the founding director of The Biofeedback Institute


What is significant about this information is that I have what has been called the "limbic system" of the brain which carries out the massive list of bodily functions, perhap even encompasses our unconscious mind, or even keys into the collective function, and it operates under cover.

In other words I "work" without even reflecting on it: digestion, memory, learning, all my physical and nervous systems are just ticking over, controlled by the totally amazing power house of my brain.

I tend to feel, though, that I am my cognitive mind - that prefers coco-pops over corn flakes, dislikes the neighbours, justifies procrastination etc. This part of me can only process a pathetic amount of data a second, and is not hard wired into all my systems and beyond. It is as if it acts like a constant brake to my amazing God-given ability. I mean "handling 140,000 million bits of information in one second". How far out am I? And you too! Because we're all at it.

Mr Gillies' point, I believe, is that I should learn to trust my big, big brain and not my more trivial mind (used here in its limited sense).

This comes up again and again in my life, letting go to my better nature, or higher self, and not listening to my cognitive mind, which seems to sift and amplify my neuroses of fear, anger and resentment.

The exponents of pyschoneuroimmunology like Dr Nichol Clarke at Helionics have demonstrated the power of the limbic system to move away from past patterns and improve the quality of my aspirations. Tim Galwey found the benefit of collaborating with the limbic system in his ground-breaking "Inner Game of Tennis" in the 1970s. Harnessing our hidden unselfconscious powers was found to radically improve on court performance and enjoyment.

Fantastic subject, but as far as I can go with it tonight after a long, heatwave day.

Keep the breath!