Habits of Perception

We are naturally creatures of habit. The front part of our brain likes to make maps of the world, allowing it to run in a kind of 'default mode.' While this frees up mental energy, it also leaves us vulnerable to repeating unhelpful thinking patterns, especially when we're stressed. 

On the other hand, the back part of our brain is where we pick up new information through our senses. Brain scans show that in people suffering from depression, the map-making part has become so dominant that it's actually suppressing the sensory part, making it difficult to expand our thinking!

As neuroscientist Norman Farb notes in his book on how to change our experience of life: 'The more we live inside the world of our internal maps, and the less attention we pay to our senses, the less happy we will be.' 

Wishing you more sensory moments,
Emily