Self – Defining Characteristic
Vilayanur S. Ramachandran, University of California, San Diego, posits the nature of self has five defining characteristics. One of them is the sense of embodiment and ownership of a body. Neurologist, Henry Head, introduced the term ‘body-image,’ which the brain is responsible for constructing.
Your sense of having a body involves the visual system, the vestibular system, and proprioception; the sense of body position and movement, a term coined by Charles Scott Sherrington in his book, The Integrated Action of the Nervous System. Proprioception correlates with dynamic body maps in the somatosensory, motor, and parietal cortices. Most notable is the primary somatosensory receiving area (S1) in the somatosensory cortex, where the sensory homunculus or “little man” resides. The neurons in this region are responsible for cutaneous (skin), visceral (organ), and proprioceptive sensation, as they fire to represent each part of your body–from the ********* to the internal organs–with the help of sensory input that travels from peripheral nerves, through the spinal cord, and into the brain.
With this complex and multifaceted construct of the body system, and ‘body image,’ it seems that humans would have a clear and definitive sense of their body self. Yet, the opposite is more often the case, than not. People have become disconnected from their body as one of their five defining characteristics. Psychologists and Psychiatrists call this dissociation. How and what prompts this phenomenon is multifaceted as well.
Imagine if every time you cried or were scared as a child, your mother was there to hold you, to comfort you and to guide you through the moment. No matter how scary or overwhelming a new adventure was in your life, imagine you knew your mother would be there in the perfect way. Maybe all you need is a word of encouragement, sage advice or just someone to listen as you sorted things out for yourself. Indeed, that is the perfect scenario.
Inside everyone, there is a piece of our Spirit that is the perfect mother. It is the piece of our Spirit that knows how to hold us and protect us and love us. Sometimes we lose our connection with that piece of our Divine Self. Perhaps it was not modeled in your life, and your connection with that part of yourself is weak and inexperienced. Or because of the ups and downs of life, you lost the connection. The soul essence that is a nurturing Mother Holding You, can assist you in reawakening and reconnecting you with this aspect of your Divine Self. It is like the Global Positioning System (GPS) network for that part of your Spirit that has become temporarily lost.
When you have a spontaneous or overwhelming urge to find ways to nurture yourself, you pave the way for a healthier lifestyle. Your nurture-seeking impulses are often the result of filling an unmet need; or a reluctance to risk being rejected or having unmet needs. As a result you may believe that satisfaction comes from outside of yourself. By taking care of your body self in a loving and gentle way, however, you use your desires to help yourself. Bodywork or eating well nourishes your body and frees you from your immediate concerns. You then have more time to think about the joys of being who you truly are and connecting to your spirit. Give yourself a healthy treat today that connects you to your Divine self, and you will discover the true meaning of pleasure.
By: Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD
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Filed under Improvement by on Sep 5th, 2010. 