Reality vs. the Story we tell Ourselves: Can your Brain tell the Difference?
The average person is consciously aware of the difference between reality and imagination. However, research suggests that there are parts of the brain and the mind that cannot distinguish between these two.
The brain and mind are often considered to be synonymous. While our brain is a biological, physical organ, the mind is an abstract concept. Our mind is divided into two basic components – the conscious and the unconscious.
In this blog, we will explore the evidence to find the answer to this question, can your brain tell the difference between reality and the stories we tell ourselves?
Difference between the Brain and the Mind
While the conscious can definitely tell the difference between reality and imagination, the unconscious mind cannot. If we cannot find evidence for our minds' origins within our brains, it would mean that the mind exists as a body-independent entity.
When we receive information through our senses vs. information created within the brain, the brain processes information in different ways. Afferent information is the material that travels toward the brain from our senses.
Efferent information is one that the brain can produce by itself without external stimuli. Thus, it is safe to say that the conscious mind and the brain are aware of the difference between reality and imagination.
Relationship between Imagination and the Brain
In 2007, Dr. Kaushik Ram was doing a comprehensive study on animal behavior by conducting brain surgeries on sharks. As one would expect, these surgeries were very intricate and had to be precise. The inability to perform surgery accurately would result in the loss of a priceless specimen.
Before conducting these surgeries, Dr. Ram would often visualize the exact methods and techniques which would be used in the operating theatre. Unless these visualizations were perfect, he would not operate on the “real” subject.
Here’s how he explained these visualizations:
“I would visualize the entire surgical procedure in my head as a “dry run” and only when I didn’t make any mistakes in my head would I perform the actual surgery. Performing “dry runs” proved to be a powerful tool and only one of my surgeries was ill-fated.” – Dr. Kaushik Ram.
The Importance of Neuroplasticity
The doctor’s dry runs seemed to pay off, and he seldom made a mistake. To be precise, he only made a mistake once during such surgeries. The reason behind its effectiveness seems to lie in the brain’s “neuroplasticity”.
Neuroplasticity
The basic premise behind neuroplasticity is as follows: When you exercise a muscle, it gets stronger; similarly when you exercise a part of your brain, the neural pathways strengthen. Scientists at Harvard, led by Professor Alvaro Pascual-Leone, found that the mere act of visualization and “imagining the feeling” of an activity (playing five notes on the piano for five consecutive days for 2 hours) increased the size of the associated brain areas by a factor of 30-40 times.
These results are obviously not a coincidence. The aforementioned researches lead us to believe that the neurons don’t necessarily realize the differences between what is real and imagined. Even though the brain cells change, we are almost always aware of the act of imagination and objective reality. Thus, understanding of reality is a function of the brain as a whole, while individual cells in the brain cannot distinguish between the two.
The Reticular Activation System
Our discussion extends beyond the physical to the more abstract concepts of the unconscious mind and its relationship with the nervous system. At any moment in time, we are bombarded with a million stimuli. It is natural that one would become overwhelmed if all this information was processed by the brain simultaneously.
To avoid this, the brain has a sort of gateway called the “Reticular Activating System” (RAS) which allows some information to reach the areas of processing while discarding others. What the RAS discards and lets in are greatly dependent on our beliefs and biases. Something that fits into our definition of “normal” is processed a lot faster than something unexpected or novel.
These beliefs are usually unconscious and therefore we are unaware of what affects the way we perceive most of the information around us. The key to changing this “way of thinking” lies in training the unconscious mind with affirmations, visualizations, and mental imagery that serve us. There are two basic ways in which we tend to perceive the world – positive and negative. Naturally, a positive bias allows an individual to be optimistic even in the face of a threat, while negative biases make us disproportionately apprehensive.
How Negative thoughts affect your Life
Negative thoughts are a part of life. However, it poses a problem when negative thinking becomes a habit. A seasoned pessimist could think about the worst-case scenario even when they have just won a billion-dollar lottery.
Following are some ways in which negative thoughts plague your life:
Stress and Anxiety: The more we exercise, the anxious and apprehensive part of our brain, the stronger it gets. No matter how well things are going, you always seem to be walking on eggshells.
Hypochondria: Everyone falls sick from time to time. A pessimist, however, googles their symptoms only to find that the world is but an echo chamber. Whatever you put out there, comes back to you. The pessimist believes that their illness is different, it’s dangerous, and their worst fears come true.
Strained Relationships: A negative mind is primed to believe that others don’t want them to succeed. These people have a general sense of unease and distrust around people who try to get too close to them. As a result, their social relationships are strained.
Low Standard of Living: While high expectations can potentially hurt you, low expectations are no good either. People who are overwhelmed by their negative thoughts expect the worst from themselves, others, and the future in general. By setting extremely low goals for themselves, these individuals live life at the bare minimum, unable to realize their full potential.
Depression: Cognitive Behavioural therapy is based on the premise that depression results from negative, irrational thoughts. As the name suggests, these thoughts are irrational and incongruent with reality. Negative thoughts sometimes make us believe things that are not true, almost like having a very convincing delusion. Such negative delusions lead to low mood and, ultimately depression.
How can you be more Positive
It is easy to point out how negative thoughts have been affecting us, but old habits die hard. Even if you have had a pessimistic outlook for decades now, it's never too late to change for the better.
Here are some ways in which you can think more positively:
The “Is it True?” Technique: One of the easiest ways to get started on your journey toward healthier ways of thinking is using the “Is it True” technique. After spiraling into a series of imagined negative scenarios, just stop yourself for a second and ask, is it true? As you answer no, you realize just how irrational your thoughts are.
Expect the best and get it: Start by setting realistic goals that you do have the potential to achieve. Expect that you can achieve them, even if everyone else seems a tad better than you. Expect the best and get it.
Visualize what you want: What if everything works out? What if you get that job? What if you get accepted into your dream college? What if it all works out? These questions will immediately trigger a positive thought. If you think about it for a bit longer, you will start imagining all the scenarios where things aren’t all that bad.
Never complete a negative sentence: When you’re practicing thinking more positively, you’d often catch yourself in the middle of a negative thought. The moment you find yourself thinking about how it’s going to be bad, remember that this is an irrational thought that doesn’t serve you. Instead, choose a positive substitute that serves you well.
Be kind to yourself: Beating yourself up every time you think a negative thought is only going to make things worse. It’s okay if you spend another day thinking negatively. Habits take time to change; it won’t happen overnight; till then, be patient and kind.
The Takeaway
Positive thinking probes your mind to imagine positive things. Even if these positive scenarios don’t play out word for word in the real world, the mere release of dopamine when you visualize your best life is quite rewarding.
The brain doesn’t know the difference between what’s real and what’s not. This is your sign to take a leap of faith. Think of better thoughts and see if you can create and better reality.
