Manas (Emotions) and Feelings


Fear is a powerful emotion and can be a big limitation for climbers, yogis and yoginis.

Antonio Damasio is one of the world’s experts on the neurophysiology of emotions. He describes emotions as automatic, unconscious and biologically determined. An emotion refers to internal changes in body state (chemical, visceral, muscular) and the accompanying changes in the nervous system, caused by external stimuli. Emotion is an unconscious arousal system that alerts us to potential dangers and opportunities. For example, when we feel fear, our mouths become dry, our hearts begin to race and our muscles contract. Feelings are differentiated from emotions, according to Damasio, occuring after we have become aware in our brain of such physical changes. It is the mental process. Only then do we experience the feeling of fear. Emotions strongly influence our thoughts, words, and Kriya (actions). Often we are unaware of this process.




Damasio also says that the brain regions that account for emotions are the amygdala at the center of the triggering event, and the hypothalamus which is at the center of the execution. The amygdala is the shape and size of an almond. The amygdala is strongly involved with emotion and the fight-or-flight response. When we feel fear, or even think of things to make us anxious or scared, more blood flows to the amygdala! We may or may not be conscious of our emotions. The amygdala stores fear memories. If a similar event occurs that has been stored the same neurochemicals can be released. Our amygdala can be prone to error. It may see danger when there is none. There is roughly a quarter of a second gap between the time an event occurs and the time it takes the amygdala to react. It is possible that a skilled meditator may be able to intervene before a fight or flight response takes over, and perhaps even redirect it into more constructive or positive feelings.

Research by Paul Ekman, suggests that mindfulness and meditation can tame the amygdala.

A natural fear of falling is a major challenge to climbing, balances and inversions. We often imagine what might happen, instead of just being in the moment, adding fuel to the fear. The beliefs and fears one has about a situation are often totally different from the actual outcome. Being aware and mindful of these beliefs and questioning them can begin to take some of their power away. One way of feeling fear is a physical sensations, such as butterflies in the stomach, or muscle tension. If we hold these sensations with awareness they can begin to unravel and dissolve. To be free from fear we have to become familiar with it, begin to work with it and understand it. We can learn to accept the situation and trust the process. The simple act of trust can replace fear. It can be a huge waste of time and energy worrying about what might happen and a source of unhappiness. “Instead of saying, 'It's terrible, I'm anxious; I must quickly find some thought to relieve the anxiety', I now say 'Anxiety is perfectly normal and is to be expected in this situation'........... It's an opportunity to learn, yes. And this is a reversal in most of our culture.” David Bohm

"Well, rather we acknowledge that things which we think we ought to get rid of are actually the clue to what we need to learn. But it's necessary to stay with these thoughts or emotions despite the difficulties to learn what is really going on.” David Bohm


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"Just as my legs began to circle around overhead, the thought flashed through my mind that this was perhaps a bad idea. If I hurt myself, no one would be there to help me. Suddenly I froze in mid-air. The next thing I knew, I was lying on my upper back and neck on the mat. I wasn’t hurt, but this experience taught me not to let fear interrupt my concentration once I was committed to action. That element of gym philosophy would, in time, translate into an important part of climbing philosophy for me." Lynn Hill, Climbing Free

"But my momentum had stalled. Fear had set in. Sewing machine leg was building up at the ball of my foot. My forearms were bloating and aching as blood swelled up in the veins. I had to think fast. The options presented themselves. I could reach out quickly and wrap two of my fingers through the steel eye of the bolt and hang from one finger. But no, that would be as digit friendly as grabbing a knife……..Option 2 then became clear: I had to calm my nerves and keep going past the bolt to a more secure place to stand. From there I could easily clip the bolt. I took a couple of deep breaths and climbed on. My gambit worked, and a second later I was clipping a carabiner to the bolt, feeling a tingle of new energy running through my body." Lynn Hill, Climbing Free

What does the concept of "no fear" mean to you?
Nancy: Everyone has fear. It's the way you channel your fear—whether you let it control you or you channel it—whether it's real fear or made up fear. Are you in an avalanche zone? Or is it part of your imagination? Fear keeps you alive.

Lynn: Fear is normal, it's a part of life. For me, it can be very important because if you look down in a serious situation, you want to know where you're going to land, or put in another piece of protection or downclimb. Fear is a good indicator. Sometimes you might feel fear that is unreasonable and you have to say, 'Okay, I'm okay' and keep going. It's a red flag and I can either focus and get past that situation or I can go down.

http://classic.mountainzone.com/climbing/hill/
Kathleen Gasperini, Mountain Zone Correspondent