Listening to the Wisdom of our Body

by Tim Brunson, Doctor of Clinical Hypnotherapy

A tremendous amount of information can be gathered by listening to our body. Indeed, when we explore our consciousness beyond our usual awareness we can discover the programs that make up much of our personality and health. However, if this is beyond our cognitive thoughts and therefore seemingly out of our reach, how do we access it? Candace Pert, PhD, the Georgetown University professor who wrote Molecules of Emotion once said that if you want to see your subconscious mind, then just look in the mirror. Yes, our body is its visible manifestation. But, there’s more.

By paying attention to our physical sensations we begin to understand what is beyond our conscious awareness. Our limbic system, those brain organs that make up our ancient mid-brain, is the direct link between our mind and our body. In the discovery that should have earned Dr. Pert a Nobel Prize, she said that the neuropeptides generated by our thoughts and emotions talk to every cell of our body. However, this communication is not a one way street. By sensing our body’s feelings, we get a clue as to what our deeper conscious minds – and intelligences – are saying.

Let’s take this a step further. If we can begin effectively “listening” to our body by noticing our sensations in terms of muscle tension, gut feelings, blood pressure, etc., then we may be able to tell what is going on in our body and how it relates to the content of our feelings and emotions. On the other hand, as the consciousnesses of the body are literally programmed by our environment (i.e. perceptions and imagination) and the filters created by our conscious awareness, we have the opportunity to use our will to re-program both our minds and our bodies.

Guided imagery and hypnosis are two excellent methods for transforming our programming and our physiology. Hypnotherapists, psychologists, and psychoanalysts have used this for ages to change bad habits and to address mental pathologies. Sports psychologists know how this can affect performance in all areas to include weight lifting, platform diving, etc. Furthermore, recent research indicates that suggestion and imagination can produce increased wound healing rates and other physiological responses. Therefore, medical practitioners and other healers have the ability to enhance patient healing by learning how to activate the mind/body connection.