Under the blanket

We’ve collected some interesting excerpts from the “Blanket” course for you. 

About stress. 

What happens to our brains under stress? Our mind, by the way, loses its ability to think intelligently, friends! 

In severe stress, the neocortex (the system responsible for intelligent and meaningful actions, analysis, logic, intelligence, and conscious decisions) deactivates, and the management of the body goes to the older and more primitive structure of the brain – the limbic system. The limbic system is our “emotional brain“, which is always on alert as it is directly responsible for survival. When it feels threatened, it immediately sends out an alarm that blocks all neocortex operations in literally a fraction of a second, essentially ceasing its activity. In doing so, we cease to control our thoughts and lose the ability to act adequately, constructively, and consistently. We begin to panic like a chicken with its head cut off.

It is important to know that in a crisis, when we feel like we’re in danger, we are not affected by phrases like “get yourself together, you mess!” or “come on, calm yourself!” because the neocortex, which also regulates the meaning of speech, isn’t actively functioning. And we just don’t understand the meaning of words at times like these.

So in stressful situations, you have to use exercises related to your body. By acting directly on your body, we will be able to quickly get ourselves together, organize our reactions and emotions, and calm down our limbic system. And then the sensible neocortex will again be at the head of all processes and will be able to start searching for positive resolution.

About emotional infection

Emotional infection is a situation in which a psychological state is transmitted from one person to another. Subconsciously mirroring the excitement of people around us, we begin to feel literally the same way that they do. In evolution, this mental mechanism was necessary for us to not to miss an important event, to receive an alarm signal, and to react to it in time.

At the same time, if previously it was thought that emotional infections are transmitted only through direct contact from person to person as a chain reaction then today, research shows that we are able to “catch” panic through virtual communication as well. The inability to see people and their facial expressions, in addition to hearing their voice, is compensated by new means of emotion transfer – of which being the Internet. It’s a certain style of writing: slang, use of capital letters, punctuation marks, stickers and emojis. 

About Acute Stress Reactions (ASR)

These include: delusions and hallucinations (if you have signs of one of these symptoms, you MUST seek help from a psychotherapist or psychiatrist), crying, hysteria, nervous tremors, fear, motor agitation, aggression, stupor, and apathy. 

An ASR can begin during moments of exceptional stress. And it should be noted that these are normal reactions to unusual circumstances. Their appearance indicates that the body is looking for ways to adapt to conditions that have suddenly been altered.

Of course, we don’t think that world events or personal experiences that are actively happening can cause you to have visions but, on the other hand, we are all very different, and we respond to severe stress in different ways. Therefore, to one extent or another, some of these ASRs may manifest themselves in us. And if that has happened, we need to know what to do.

One of the effective ways to deal with ASR is to discharge muscle energy, which is accumulated at the moment of overstress, preparing the body for response. 

You can work through your anxiety, acute condition, and stabilize yourself via the Blanket course. Look for it in the Course section.