When making a big decision there might be many aspects to take into consideration;
• How will the decision affect your life and those who are important to you?
• Will it contribute to your happiness?
• Does it fit with your values?
• What financial implications are there?
• Etc, etc?
These questions need answers
Yet finding those answers and weighing up so many diverse factors can produce stress and leave us going round and round in circles and - still decision-less!
The problem is that many of us make decisions using only one or possibly two of our three brains. Each of our three brains is responsible for a different aspect of the decision making process so it makes sense that using all three brains is going to lead us to wiser, more evolved decisions, better leadership (of our own life or leadership of others) and less stress.
But are they really ‘brains’?
Well, yes, in fact they are. The definition of a brain is ‘a complex, adaptive, neural network’. Without going into the technical details, this means your heart and gut brains can also perceive, assimilate and process information, remember and adapt to new circumstances and information. Cool eh?
You already know what the brain in your head looks like
The brain in your gut, known as the enteric nervous system, is located in sheaths of tissue lining the oesophagus, stomach, small intestine and colon. And the heart also has it’s own complex nervous system, the ‘heart brain’.
While we now have scientific evidence of our three brains, the concept isn’t new. Many esoteric and ancient teachings and disciplines going back over two thousand years indicate that it’s more the norm than the exception to reference three souls or forms of intelligences.
Today we have even more knowledge
Neurolinguistics and behavioural modelling, backed by neuroscience and ancient wisdom provide skills and techniques to take advantage of this combined knowledge. This is what mBIT - Multiple Brain Integration Techniques - was developed for; To evolve our decision making using all three brains and provide us with a road map for successfully negotiating our way through life.
Your Heart Brain
Your heart brain generates the body’s most powerful and extensive rhythmic electromagnetic field,
~ sixty times greater in amplitude than the head brain. It permeates every cell in the body. The magnetic component is about five thousand times stronger than the brain’s magnetic field and can be detected several feet away from the body. It’s in constant communication with your head and gut brain.
It’s responsible for how you relate to others, love, passions, purpose, dreams and goals, values, joy, trust, appreciation and compassion - and importantly - the opposite of those.
Your Gut Brain
Your gut brains prime functions are; self preservation, your sense of identity, courage and action (or non action!) At a very basic level your gut brain determines what’s ‘you’ and what’s not ‘you’ and gets rid of anything that falls into the latter category. So if you eat something that doesn’t agree with you, your gut will try to eliminate it. This might be through diarrhoea, vomiting or both (oh joy!).
You can’t ‘think’ your way out of either of these things. They are your gut brains way of making sure you get to live another day. The gut brain also produces valium in times of massive stress to suppress panic. In fact, your gut is a veritable chemical factory. It produces 85% of the bodies serotonin (a neurotransmitter which is involved in learning, behaviour, depression, ageing, sleep and memory) and contains 70% of your immune system. At it’s highest expression, your gut brain provides you with the courage to take action.
Your Head Brain
Your head brain makes meaning, thinks, is logical, analyses and has cognitive perception. It is capable of also doing the reverse of those functions! At it’s highest expression it’s infinitely creative.
No doubt you already have an idea about the possibilities of using your three brains and how decisions made using all three are likely to be less stressful and more aligned with who you are?
So why don’t most of us use our 3 brains already?
I think some of us do, some of the time. There are often constraints that prevent us integrating the three neural networks consistently. For example, I remember being in a people-based role where my heart brain knowledge was not valued. I was frequently told, “Never mind how you FEEL - What do you THINK?’ Over time, I began using my heart brain less and less. Yet, I realise now that the heart brain functions are essential for working with people. Likewise, if you’re not taking action on something you feel passionate about, it’s most likely your gut brain is providing the stumbling block. But just about any constraint can easily be overcome using the mBIT techniques called mBraining.
There is a belief that underlies the mBIT techniques and it’s this: that at the deepest level you CAN make great decisions. By learning how to involve all three of your wonderful brains in the decision-making process you will not only make the best decisions for you but also begin living at your highest expression; personally bringing more compassion, creativity and courage to the world and reconnecting with your purpose.
This is the aim of mBIT - developing more compassionate, creative and courageous people who will lead by example and have a positive impact on the evolution of the world.
