Common Sense Living

Posts Tagged ‘living without fear’

Image via Wikipedia

Ok, I’m a dork. I read tons of studies looking for ways that we all can stay healthy without falling victim to the pharma-system. I found this one fascinating and thought I’d share it with you.

On the one hand, it’s really something we already kind of know – If you’re learning to ride a bike and you fall, get right back on it. If you have an accident – get back in the car and drive. Now science is finding why that’s true. What will be really interesting is how they will find a way to apply it to existing fears.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH NIH News
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) <http://www.nimh.nih.gov/>
Embargoed for Release: Wednesday, December 9, 2009, 1 p.m., EST

CONTACT: Jules Asher, NIMH press office, 301-443-4536, <e-mail:NIMHpress@nih.gov>

NON-INVASIVE TECHNIQUE BLOCKS A CONDITIONED FEAR IN HUMANS 
Recalling Emotional Memory Opens Window of Opportunity to Re-Write It

Scientists have for the first time selectively blocked a conditioned fear memory in humans with a behavioral manipulation. Participants remained free of the fear memory for at least a year.  The research builds on emerging evidence from animal studies that reactivating an emotional memory opens a 6-hour window of opportunity in which a training procedure can alter it.

“Our results suggest a non-pharmacological, naturalistic approach to more effectively manage emotional memories,” said Elizabeth Phelps, Ph.D., of New York University, a grantee of the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

Phelps and NIMH grantee and NYU colleague Joseph LeDoux, Ph.D., led the research team that reports on their discovery online Dec. 9, 2009 in the journal Nature.

“Inspired by basic science studies in rodents, these new findings in humans hold promise for being translated into improved therapies for the treatment of anxiety disorders (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml), such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/index.shtml),” said NIMH Director Thomas R. Insel, M.D.

The results add support to the hypothesis that emotional memories are reconsolidated — rendered vulnerable to being modified — each time they are retrieved. That is, reactivating a memory opens what researchers call “reconsolidation window,” a time-limited period when it can be changed. 

“This adaptive update mechanism appears to have evolved to allow new information available at the time of retrieval to be incorporated into the brain’s original representation of the memory,” explained Phelps.

Earlier this year, LeDoux and colleagues exploited this potentially clinically important insight to erase a fear memory in rats. They first conditioned rats to fear a tone by pairing it with intermittent shocks. A day later, the rats were re-exposed to the tone, reactivating the fear memory. They then underwent a process to rewrite the fear, called extinction training, in which the tone was repeatedly presented without shocks.

However, the timing of this extinction training proved critical. Fear of the stimulus was erased only in rats trained within a 6-hour reconsolidation window after re-exposure to the feared tone. Fear responses returned in animals trained after the window closed, when the memory had apparently already solidified.

Normally, extinction training suppresses but does not erase the original fear memory.   By first reactivating it — sounding the tone — just prior to extinction training, LeDoux and colleagues permanently erased the fear memory. In the new study, Phelps and colleagues similarly conditioned human participants to fear colored squares by intermittently pairing them with mild wrist shocks.
As with the rats, a day later, the memory was first reactivated by re-exposing participants to the feared squares. A measure of nervous system arousal confirmed that they experienced a fear response. Extinction training — repeated trials of exposure to the colored squares without shocks — followed.

Again as in the rats, a day later, the fear response was banished only in human participants who underwent the extinction training soon after the fear reactivation. Those trained after the 6-hour consolidation window remained afraid of the squares — as did a control group that received extinction training without first experiencing reactivation of the fear memory.

In a follow-up experiment to gauge long-term effects a year later, 19 of the original participants received a potent regimen to re-instate the fear: four shocks followed by presentations of the colored squares.

Remarkably, those who had undergone extinction training within the reconsolidation window were largely spared significant effects. By contrast, those whose training had been delayed 6 hours or who hadn’t experienced fear memory reactivation prior to extinction training experienced significant reinstatement of the fear response.

In a similar experiment, the researchers also confirmed that the fear memory was blocked only for the specific colored square for which fear memory was reactivated prior to extinction training. The effect did not generalize to a differently colored square associated with the shocks.  This indicated that memory re-writing during reconsolidation is highly specific and that prior reactivation with the specific stimuli is critical.

“Timing may have a more important role in the control of fear than previously appreciated,” Phelps suggested. “Our memory reflects our last retrieval of it rather than an exact account of the original event.”

Evidence suggests that the behavioral manipulation may work through the same molecular mechanisms as experimental medications under study for quelling traumatic emotional memories.

“Using a more natural intervention that captures the adaptive purpose of reconsolidation allows a safe and easily implemented way to prevent the return of fear,” suggest the investigators.

The mission of the NIMH is to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research, paving the way for prevention, recovery and cure. For more information, visit the <www.nimh.nih.gov>.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation’s Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit <www.nih.gov>.
———————-
REFERENCES:

Preventing the return of fear in humans using reconsolidation update mechanisms. Schiller D, Monfils MH, Raio CM, Johnson DC, LeDoux JE, Phelps EA. Nature. 2009 December 9.

Extinction-reconsolidation boundaries: key to persistent attenuation of fear memories. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19342552?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=1) Monfils MH, Cowansage KK, Klann E, LeDoux JE. Science. 2009 May  15;324(5929):951-5. Epub 2009 Apr 2.PMID: 19342552

##

This NIH News Release is available online at:
<http://www.nih.gov/news/health/dec2009/nimh-09a.htm>.

Image via Wikipedia

Most of us have a set of unique fears that relate to our own lives, like concerns about loved ones, financial worries and so on; but there are also many “universal” fears – or perhaps you might call them “collective” fears – that are communicated to us through our environment.

These fears often relate to situations and events that leave us feeling vulnerable and defenseless, such as worldwide ‘pandemics’ (…and ‘vaccines’), ‘terrorist’ attacks, economic and financial crises, and so on.

Not only do we see and hear constant references to these frightening scenarios in the media and from the people around us…

 …the energy of collective fears also seeps into the very fabric of our reality (the quantum field) and continues to resonate around and within us.

Since we are all connected to the collective consciousness, we can actually absorb this “fear energy” as we go about our daily lives – even if we don’t pay attention to the media hype and mass hysteria.

In other words, if society’s desire was to manipulate and control people by keeping them suppressed in a low vibratory state of fear …this can affect everyone…

Have you ever felt nervous, edgy, tense, or vulnerable for no apparent reason? Even when everything in your own life was going fine, you may still have been affected by these collective fears and felt uncomfortable as a result… 

…And to make it worse, the moment you begin focusing on these fearful feelings, the more you begin to magnify the collective fear energy without even knowing it… 

Reducing the Impact of Universal Fears

 It’s not easy to avoid absorbing these fearful messages, especially when you seem to be surrounded by endless examples of them every day. However, there are a few things you can do to minimize the impact they have on your life.

 An obvious first step is to limit your exposure to news broadcasts; especially when they always seem to pertain to frightening events that are beyond your control…

 Focusing on this force-fed fear programming only makes you feel more vulnerable and adds to the energy of the collective fear. Certainly you can stay informed about world events but it is advisable to seek independant, unbiased news sources on the internet, and then immediately start shifting your focus to something less fearsome. 

Empower yourself by remembering that most of the things you fear will never come to pass. In fact, when you remember that giving your attention to anything only makes it seem bigger and more intimidating, you can surely see the wisdom in being more discerning about the things you think about.

Deliberately focusing more on positive things will help override the negative input you receive each day too. When you take greater control of your focus and place it decisively upon the creation of a joyful and positive reality, you contribute that same energy to the quantum field. This helps minimize some of the fearful energy being contributed by others around the world.

 It’s true that there are many horrible, scary things to worry about – but there are equally as many wonderful, joyful things to ponder. Spend time each day thinking about the people you love, happy memories, and the great experiences that may be waiting just around the corner for you. It may not make the scary possibilities go away completely but it will lighten your mood, leave you feeling happier and less fearful.

 —————————————————————–

Download the new Free ebook – 22 Powerful Tools To Transform Your Fear Into Happiness, Peace and Inspiration.  – it’s crammed full of valuable tips, exercises and ideas – it could be the most important ebook you read this year.

This is a guest article. If you decide to purchase his product, I will make some commission. That is how this blog stays free for you. Thanks.

Image via Wikipedia

Fear can be a powerful influence in your life, often determining the actions you take or don’t take in many situations. At various times fear has probably stopped you from pursuing goals, making new friends, starting or keeping a romantic relationship, applying for a better job, starting your own business, or life changes that you would consider to be positive.

Can you imagine what it would be like to live your life without fear? Obviously you can’t eliminate fear altogether, nor would you want to. Some fears help keep you safe by discouraging you from jumping off a cliff or stepping into a line of fast-moving traffic. But the other kind of fears; the ones that prevent you from living the life of your dreams – how would it feel to release those once and for all?

For example:

Imagine if you had absolutely no fear of failure and you knew that you could accomplish anything you wanted – no limitations whatsoever. What would you do with your life? Would you change careers? Would you go back to school? Would you write that novel?

Imagine if you knew without a doubt that you deserved to have everything you want, and you had no doubts that you weren’t good enough or worthy enough. Would you finally allow yourself to get out and meet that special someone, fall in love and live happily ever after? Would you terminate the unhealthy relationships that are no longer serving you and haven’t been for years?

Imagine if you were no longer afraid to pursue your dreams and instead eagerly embraced opportunities to live every experience you wanted to live. What would you do if you could do anything at all?

You may be thinking “It’s great to imagine all this but I still feel fearful much of the time. I’m still afraid to fail. I’m still afraid to be rejected. I’m still afraid to take a chance. How do I get past those scary feelings?”

First of all, forgive yourself for being human. It’s completely natural to have these feelings, and there is nothing wrong with you – your body is wired to react strongly to potentially threatening situations. Your body can’t tell whether the threatening situation is truly harmful or not; it simply gives you the warning signs like a pounding heart, sweaty palms, shallow breathing, tightening muscles, and so on. Fear can be pretty darn intimidating – no doubt about it!

However, it’s important to understand that fear is just a feeling when it comes right down to it. It can’t physically hold you back from doing anything, and it can’t limit your potential unless you allow it to do so. Overcoming the influence of fear so you can live an amazing life is a simple matter of knowing how to diffuse the fearful feelings in the heat of the moment. This can be done in a variety of ways, including the use of calming affirmations, meditation, and breath work. When you calm the thoughts that are triggering the fear response, your body will automatically calm down too.

—————————————————————–

Alternatively download the new Free ebook – 22 Powerful Tools To Transform Your Fear Into Happiness, Peace and Inspiration.  – Crammed full of valuable tips, exercises and ideas – it could be the most important ebook you read this year.

This is a guest article. If you decide to purchase his product, I will make some commission. That is how this blog stays free for you. Thanks.