Wise Mind

Imagine this…

Your body is flooded by anger. It is a very visceral experience -- maybe you feel your body temperature rise, your heart start to beat faster, your fists begin to clench. Maybe you feel an urge to scream or throw something. 

You might think to yourself, I’m pissed, but it’s also possible you don't have access to the capacity to label or articulate your emotional experience. When you’re stuck in Emotion Mind you’re typically experiencing sensations and struggling to  articulate them. It’s more like being in the middle of the fire, not standing back and observing or describing the flames--a task that would require you to also have access to your logical mind capabilities.  

Now think of a time in which you were “stuck” in Logical Mind. Maybe you felt detached from your feelings, stuck in your head, or even numb. It is difficult to experience a sense of connection with others or even connection with ourselves when we are rigidly fixed in our reasonable mind. Now this is not to say that being fully in Emotion Mind or fully in Logical Mind is always problematic--there are absolutely times when it is a strength to be fully engaged in our emotions or fully engaged in analytic thought. 

It is when we become stuck in one of these two states of mind and not able to move flexibly between all the states of mind as internal and external demands change that we find ourselves in trouble.  

Wise Mind - what is it?

Think of the mind as a venn diagram. On one side is “logical mind”--the part of your mind that thinks through cause-and-effect, problem solves, organizes language, and focuses on knowable facts. This is the state of mind one is typically in when doing taxes or focusing on a task at work. 

On the other side is “emotion mind”--the part of your mind that experiences physical sensations and emotional states. It is non-verbal, highly visceral, and can be quite intense. This is the state of mind one might be in when playing with a puppy or when fuming with anger.

Think of the mind as a venn diagram. On one side is “logical mind”--the part of your mind that thinks through cause-and-effect, problem solves, organizes language, and focuses on knowable facts. This is the state of mind one is typically in when doing taxes or focusing on a task at work.

On the other side is “emotion mind”-- the part of your mind that experiences physical sensations and emotional states. It is non-verbal, highly visceral, and can be quite intense. This is the state of mind one might be in when playing with a puppy or when fuming with anger.

When these two states of mind work independently from one another, it can be very difficult to integrate our thoughts and our feelings, and we can become vulnerable to becoming “stuck” in either emotion mind (e.g. we get flooded with emotions and lose access to clear thinking and problem-solving) or in Logical Mind (e.g. get cut off from our emotions and rely so heavily on logic that we act mechanically).

In the middle of this venn diagram is a mental state nicknamed “Wise Mind,” and it is that sweet spot in which you have access to both your emotional experiences and your critical thinking skills. This is highly useful because it allows you to take in useful information from your emotions (Does this feel dangerous? Does this feel pleasant? Does this feel uncomfortable?) while simultaneously being able to process these emotions with words, think about what this information means to you, and then utilize problem solving skills to make effective choices for the situation.

The science behind the Wise Mind

Let’s talk about the neuroscience behind this venn diagram metaphor of the mind. In reality, the brain is divided into two hemispheres, the right and the left, and they are connected by a complex network of connective tissue called the corpus callosum that allows the two sides to communicate with one another.  

Logical mind is a pretty good metaphor for the left hemisphere, which is typically responsible for logic, condensing experiences into language, symbolic representation, and analytical and strategic thinking, all of which are critical for problem solving.

Emotion mind is a good metaphor for what your right hemisphere typically does: visual-spatial processing, context-based and global processing linked to creativity, pattern recognition (for example in music, art, etc.), emotions, and intuition.

Sounds familiar, right? The neuroanatomy is not exactly as clear-cut as that, but the two hemispheres do typically process in different ways, and most importantly, they need to be able to work together in order for the brain to fully function.

While the corpus callosum isn’t the Wise Mind, per se, it is the structure that allows information to pass freely between your hemispheres, so that your whole brain is working collaboratively, able to synthesize different aspects of a situation and come to accurate conclusions and effectively problem solve.

Myth-busting emotions & states of mind

Myth: The solution to feeling out of control is to cut out emotion (AKA move entirely from Emotion Mind into Logical Mind).

Myth Busted: The experience of feeling out of control is accurately linked to being in Emotion Mind, but attempting to correct that by moving fully into Logical Mind only serves to sever our awareness of the feelings. It does not make our emotions go away, or even give us more control over them. Instead, it serves to disconnect or push our emotions outside of our awareness, making it harder to respond effectively.

The ability to make truly informed decisions lies in wise mind, where one has access to all the various pieces of information (facts and reason, as well as emotional input) and this allows for problem solving and choice.

For example, if you feel flooded with anger (Emotion Mind) and you are able to say to yourself “I am feeling angry,” you are by definition propelling yourself into Wise Mind and are also able to access a selection of behaviors to address that anger (could be to confront, could be to take deep breaths, could be to walk away). In this instance, the awareness is there and the choice is there.

Tools

Mindfulness

Being in wise mind is an exercise in mindfulness. Mindfulness is defined as being aware of one’s internal experience and external environment in the moment and without judgment. 

If you want to practice being more mindful and having more access to your wise mind, it can be as easy as simply observing and labeling an emotion in the moment. In pausing to observe and then utilizing language to label, we are activating both our right and left hemispheres simultaneously, which by definition is activating the Wise Mind.

When Feeling Overwhelmed

Emotion Mind and Logical Mind can be incredibly helpful metaphors for being effective with your emotions. The next time you feel overwhelmed by an emotion or a situation, ask yourself, “Can I be consulting my Wise Mind here?”

An easy way to encourage your mind to integrate emotion and logic is to take deep breaths and intentionally observe both the emotional information available to you, and the information available to you in language and in observable facts.​

Remember, this is not about being in a perfect state of Wise Mind at all times. It is normal for your mind to move between states multiple times throughout the day (even throughout a moment). 

It isn’t about rigidly controlling what your mind is doing from moment to moment, but being able to consciously and flexibly shift between various states of mind to best fit your current situation.