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Scientist Reveals Four Things He Does Everyday To Boost Happiness

by News7

Are you happy? You would be in the minority.

According to recent Harris Poll Surveys, only one third of Americans say that they are happy. But according to scientist and entrepreneur Floyd “Ski” Chilton, many of us are going about happiness all wrong.

“There’s a misconception that happiness is natural and you just have to flip a switch,” Chilton, who is a professor of in the school of nutritional sciences and wellness at the University of Arizona, told Newsweek. “But happiness is hard. And happiness is not natural.

“We have within our heads these two competing minds in one brain, and they’re constantly competing for our thoughts.”

The first of these two minds is our slow-thinking conscious brain—our stream of reasoned thoughts that help us solve complex problems and decisions.

The second is our so-called “lizard brain,” an ancient system of fast, automatic reactions and feelings from our subconscious.

“This mind is unconscious,” Chilton said. “We don’t know what its saying, but we feel everything it says.”

Unfortunately, this ancient brain cares more about survival than mental health.

“The only thing that was important to this 60-million-year-old brain was that you passed your genes on to the next generation,” Chilton said. “It didn’t care if you were happy.”

Many of us think happiness is like a switch in our brains. But Chilton says that happiness is not natural and is hard to achieve.
PeopleImages/Getty
This subconscious survival brain is significantly faster than our conscious mind. And this explains why happiness is not a “natural” condition.

“These unconscious minds remember our threats, our childhood trauma; they focus on our future and not getting kicked out of the tribe,” Chilton said.

Therefore, to be truly happy, we must change our relationship with this ancient reptilian mindset, he adds.

“We must reprogram our brains to make the conscious part of our minds able to carry out constant surveillance to control these unconscious emotions, feelings and reactions,” Chilton said.

“It’s as if our unconscious minds are these trains that are coming down the track, and our conscious mind is sitting on the platform. We’re standing on that platform and each one of these [minds] is vying for attention. The train arrives, the doors open, and we have to choose whether to get on that train.”

To control our subconscious, Chilton has devised a four-part framework for daily mindfulness. However, Chilton was not always a proponent of meditation.

It was a traumatic accident that supercharged Chilton’s mindfulness journey. He explained: “An Arabian horse broke my pelvis in half and, for the next six months, I was sat in a wheelchair and was told I may never walk again. And so my mindfulness journey just went on steroids after that.”

From his wheelchair, he developed his four-part framework, known as CAST, which he details in his newly published book: There is Another Way to Happiness: The Four Step CAST Process that Will Transform Your Life.

So what is CAST?

Consciousness—”when you awaken to consciousness, you realize that there are two yous in you and they are competing for your thoughts.”Awareness—recognizing the traumas and anxieties held by our unconscious minds.Surrender—acknowledging these unconscious thoughts, respect them, show compassion, but don’t get whisked away by the train.Trust—embracing the process of mindfulness.The book guides readers through a 13-week mindfulness journey to help beginners and experienced meditators learn to tame their reptile brains.

“I meditate three times a day but they’re not all long meditations,” he said. “But there are at least three times a day in which I sit down and think: ‘What am I thinking? Why am I thinking it? Is it making me happy?’ ”

While you are guided by your subconscious, it is like being in a dream.

“Your unconscious mind is feeding that dream, and it’s feeding it nightmares,” Chilton said. “So wake up. This is a beautiful life. This can be the most magnificent journey, or it can be hell.

“And if the unconscious mind continues to drive, your life is all about getting to the next goal. But life is also short. We don’t want to waste it, not at all.”

Is there a health issue that’s worrying you? Do you have a question about mindfulness? Let us know via [email protected]. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.

Uncommon KnowledgeNewsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Source : Newsweek

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