Life is all about whom we assign the role of our first responder — instinct, ego, mind, emotions, power of discrimination, or the observer, who sits atop this hierarchy and is equanimous, writes DEEPAK RANADE
Life is 10 per cent of what happens to us and 90 per cent of how we react to it. It is all about our reactions and responses that vary from a very primordial, instinctive, subconscious reaction to a far more orchestrated, measured, conscious and deliberate response.
The human brain is highly evolved and bears testimony to developing a highly complex neural circuitry, each one superseding its predecessor to adapt to rapidly changing environs.
The vestiges of all circuits remain rudimentary in the human brain and play a significant role in generating a spectrum of responses. The first responder typically refers to the neural network deployed by the brain to react or respond to situations. The choice of determining who is the first responder plays a crucial role in the process of response elicitation.
The available options are instinct; ego; mind, emotions; vivek buddhi, power of discrimination; and the last of all, sakshi bhava, the faculty of non-judgemental observation seated in heightened awareness.
These are mentioned in an ascending order of the evolutionary hierarchy of the human brain.
■ Instinct is the evolutionary legacy of every species. It is an embedded programme, essential for survival of the subject. It is the innate first responder that operates almost at a spinal level to eliminate any delay associated with more complex cortical neural pathways. Instinctive responses are totally somatic, primal and purportedly protective.
■ Ego: A construct of the neural networks, the ego is an extension of the ‘self-preservation’ module. It is an integrated sense of ‘self’, an identity far greater than merely somatic considerations with a wider spectrum of threat perception that assigns the subject a far more subjective definition. The ego, when summoned as first responder makes a biased, judgemental evaluation of the situation. The response, could, therefore, be more likely disproportionate or inappropriate. This disproportion gets amplified when the next in command, emotions are deployed.
■ Emotions are mediated by the limbic system, which evolved in the mammalian brain. The limbic system evokes responses, such as aggression, fear, hostility, territorial behaviours, largely to deal with sustainability, reproduction, and survival of the lineage. Emotions mostly work to your detriment when powered by triggering the fight, fright, flight response due to an aggravated sense of threat perception.
■ Power of discrimination: The next in command is the intellect, power of discrimination. This responder is a relatively new evolutionary upgrade of the human brain. The frontal lobes, the seat of abstract intelligence, are blessed with the power of restraint. Self-restraint is the hallmark of human intellect. It is the master that can transcend all the earlier responses and is blessed with the virtue of restraint. The prudence of knowing and implementing the Donts rather than the Dos. To D or not to D. That is the question.
The first responder that reviews the situation and makes a holistic assessment. This very controlled and deliberate responder might choose an appropriate time and place to express or respond. This responder is a master of the skills of delayed gratification. This responder is the principal agency of triggering very productive and constructive responses that effect progress and growth of the subject. It also is the fertile environment to fester vendetta as also any form of delayed retribution.
■ Observer: Sitting atop the hierarchy is the observer. He cannot even be termed as a responder. He dwells as a witness, who is completely non-judgemental. Untouched by any emotion. An awareness, that’s impersonal. Responses stem from the personal domain. This lord of observation is unflinching, and very neutrally relays all the inputs to the cognising entity for processing. He is completely equanimous.
The human brain is blessed with the capability of drawing curtains on this final act in the theatre of evolution. The epiphany of self-realisation that unmasks the true nature of the Self — an impersonal awareness that exults in its own bliss. ■
The writer is a neurosurgeon
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