In many posts to come I will extensively focus on the extremely complex topic of human consciousness and its role in the Theory of Balanceology.  The posts to come are more variegated ones in my writing, because they delve into various layers of consciousness related to the human brain. This phase of my narrative  pertains to my deeper journey into experiencing, understanding, and my ability to reach different levels of conscious awareness and comprehension. I designate human consciousness as a human need that we must have access to in order to adequately function in a world of energy/matter that exists in space/time. In the process of addressing this overpowering and complicated topic it will take many posts, and some will be quite lengthy. I will cover detailed multidimensional and multilevel aspects of human consciousness. A significant part of my journey has been trying to tap into the various multiplex stages and levels of consciousness and perception. I will describe how my journey has involved experiencing and understanding the conscious perceptual world, and the massive unconscious apperceptual world. The complexity of these posts will include the overlap and interactivity of Neocortex and the Limbic Brain for intuition, emotion, and cognition. I will also investigate the overlap and interactivity between the spheres of consciousness and unconsciousness. I state that a deeper access to consciousness opens-the-door to help experience and satisfy basal Self and Belonging-Needs, and our other deeper needs of sexuality, love, emotionality, and morality.

The Theory of Balanceology dictates that humans are a nature-based species, and that we have innate natural needs. In order to have some meaning, health, and balance in life we  must satisfy these inherent needs as best we can.  The Theory of Balanceology maintains that humans have inborn Basal Self-directed Needs of safety/security, worth, empowerment, and enjoyment.  We also have the Basal Belonging-directed Needs of interpersonal connection and social connection.  The theory goes on and maintains we have the Deeper Needs related to sex, love, morality, emotions, and consciousness.  Over the last several posts I have concentrated on our Emotional Needs of fear, anger, sadness, jealousy and happiness.  Our core deeper emotional need has a host of feelings attached to each emotion.  Our goal should be to satisfy our emotional needs by finding a way to experience, accept, and express them as best we can. In the immediate posts to come, I will be focusing on our deeper need related to consciousness.

On a personal level, to  accept  natural  emotions, to be emotionally honest,  to experience those emotions (not to repress or suppress) allows us to go deeper  into our  human nature.  Acceptance  of our emotions  increases  awareness and a better understanding  of consciousness and unconsciousness.  That is, acceptance  and  experience of our emotions tends to help us develop stronger thalamic-cortical brain connections; thus,  allowing healthier  frontal  lobe feeling  interpretations of Limbic system emotions. Finally, acceptance  and  experience of  our  emotions  will be of help in leading to  Self and  Belonging-Needs being addressed.

On an interpersonal level, for two distinct individuals to meet, share, and experience the depths of each other’s emotions is a rare phenomenon. So much human meeting and interactions amount to surface level meeting. Honestly meeting and sharing deep emotions allows two individuals to go deeper into what it means to be a human being. Deeper emotional acceptance and connection allows for deeper person-to-person fusing. Deeper emotional sharing includes a Tong Len connection (giving and receiving). Tong Len connection is the meeting of two individuals where mutuality, synthesis, empathy, and harmony exist. This ability for deep fusion and connection can be transformational for the people involved.

Emotions can consume a huge amount of mind-body energy. Do I express, or repress my emotions? Repression consumes energy. Yes, emotions can hurt and emotions can cause pain. However, our emotions can guide us. We should try to be on working terms with all of our emotions. Happiness can help us understand when we are satisfactorily meeting our needs and are having a healthy balance in our life. Fear, anger, sadness, and jealousy maybe indications that we are out of balance, and may help indicate reasons for the accompanying dissatisfaction. We should  try to experience the five core emotions. By experiencing emotions and trying to understand them we are more likely to have a proper feeling response to them. By experiencing our emotions we are more human. Emotional pain is a warning;  no different than bodily pain. Proper amounts of fear, anger, sadness, jealousy, and happiness can motivate and contribute to (+) energy and healthy balance. Excessive amounts of the core emotions can overwhelm and contribute to (-) energy, and being out of balance.

At a gut-level, I instinctively know that connecting with other human beings is a huge motivational force in me. We spend massive amounts of mind-body energy trying to fulfill our need to belong with others. If we are truly on an empathetic path of becoming on intimate terms with our emotions, the stage is set for empathetic intimate emotional connections with others. For all of us, intimacy with ourselves and with others starts the process of deeper emotional needs being addressed as we actually experience them. I agree with Hugh Prather that, “the more I connect my feelings during the day, turn into myself to see what I am doing is what I want to be doing,   the less I feel at the end of the day that I have been wasting time.”  (1970)

Try to be on-guard as to how your Neocortex perceives an emotion, processes an emotion, and what interpreted feelings are being generated. Emotions and the feelings that emanate from them are present every moment of the day. For every experience we have there is a biological emotional reaction and a feeling response. It is important that we have an appropriate feeling response. It is important to know when we are over-reacting to an emotional cue. Travis Bradberry maintained that, “your emotions provide you with the cue to act when a problem is big enough to see, yet still small enough to solve.” (2005)  I know that any attempt I have to try and figure out the feelings generated from core emotions is a good thing. Connecting with emotions and the feelings they generate are helpful with the dynamics involved in satisfying motivational needs and the drive to take necessary actions to self-evolve. And, connecting with emotions and feelings are a major help in maintaining higher levels of meaning and balance. However, I have discovered that my attempts to figure out feelings emerging from emotions takes a lot of patience, practice, and energy.

Emotions matter because they are a major part of the human condition. Fear, anger, sadness, jealousy, and happiness all serve a purpose. Emotions are a powerful vehicle to let us know if we are meeting Self-Needs and Belonging-Needs. When our inherent needs are substantially satisfactorily met our emotional reactions can be much deeper and stronger. Emotions are basic indicators that let us know when life is in-or-out of balance. The emotional balance of one’s life is re-enacted in how needs are satisfied or not satisfied. When needs are not being met our emotions react accordingly. Emotions give us feedback related to environmental events and how to respond to those events. Emotions give us spontaneous feedback when we have a significant loss. Emotions are helpful in letting us know about our moral actions:  i. e. emotions give feedback when our actions are immorally based. Emotions give guidance when we are violating various aspects of the Natural Moral Code. Emotional reactions of guilt can be a sign of a healthy conscience at work. Emotions are a significant avenue for intuitive input and guidance.  It is a good idea to be on-guard to see if we are being emotionally honest by asking questions related to our emotions.

The positive emotion is about happiness.  Happiness is one of the five core emotions:  the others are fear, anger, sadness, and jealousy. Happiness rewards the Limbic Brain with pleasure and enjoyment. Happiness is about exuberance, being energetic, and excitement. The Mammalian Brain has the capacity to give us great pleasure, and that is a good thing. However, it is a good idea to keep in mind that the Mammalian Brain is conservative by nature and biologically can only tolerate so much hedonistic pleasure. At some point the Limbic Brain will reset itself and adjust to a more stable biochemistry. For the pleasure centered person, and chemically dependent person, this bio-chemical readjustment can lead to panic.  It is unwise for any of us to have a goal of always being happy.  Life just doesn’t work that way. I suggest in the Theory of Balanceology that we do have a choice to seek short-term pleasure of the body, or long-term happiness of the mind-body.