I found Daniel G. Amens book as I took a course in Cranio Sacral Therapy and we were being taught how to change the brain with our hands and intention. I am going to give you a little bit from that course, because this is a big area. Daniel G. Amen says: ”Your brain is the hardware of your soul. It is the hardware of your very essence as a human being. You cannot be who you really want to be unless your brain works right.”

Amen defines 5 different areas of the brain. It’s the deep limbic system, the basal ganglia, the temporal lobes, the cingulate system and the prefrontal cortex.

In the course I took we didn’t only learn Amen’s thinking of these areas. We also learned which element and what defence. Below is a very brief summery of these teachings.

Deep Limbic System

Mechanism: Fold
Problematics when unbalanced: Feeling loss of love, depression
Solution: To create good conditions for emotional attachments in relationships and enhance positive thought patterns. Nutrition: Needs fat in order to operate properly. Associated with: Earth and The masochistic defence

Basal Ganglia

Mechanism: Fake
Problematics when unbalanced: Angst, fear
Solution: To become friend with and master fear.
Nutrition: Balanced diet. High-protein and low-carbohydrate diet.
Associated with: Air and The rigid defence

Temporal Lobes

Mechanism: Fight
Problematics when unbalanced: Aggression, irritation and bad memory.
Solution: Positive experiences and joyfull use of your body (song, music, dance, work-out).
Nutrition: Diet depends on aggression level.
Associated with: Fire and The psykopathic defence

Cingulate System

Mechanism: Freeze
Problematics when unbalanced: Worrying and compulsive behaviour, mental round-about.
Solution: To cut loose from routines and see new possibilities.
Nutrition: Increase serotonin levels.
Associated with: Water and The oral defence

Prefrontal Cortex

Mechanism: Flight
Problematics when unbalanced: Not paying attention and impulsive behaviour.
Solution: To learn to focus and prioritize.
Nutrition: High-protein and low-carbohydrate diet.
Associated with: Ether and The schizoid defence

The questionnaires

The questionnaires Amen has in his book is one questionnaire for each of the 5 areas of the brain. You mark it from 0-4 and get a sum for each area, thereby seeing what area is out of balance. If you have 5 or more 3 and 4 in any specific area, that can indicate an unbalance in that area.

For every area Daniel G. Amen has a recipe that you can try out to balance the areas. The summary of these solutions is behind the text Solution below every area above. He also consider medicating can be good with certain unbalances.

ANT’s

He also have a term he calls ANT’s, which is Automatic Negative Thoughts. He says that ANT’s ”are cynical, gloomy, and complaining thoughts that just seem to keep marching in all by themselves.”

The ANT’s are as follows (RED ANT = Paticulary harmful):

”Always/Never” thinking – Thinking in words like always, never, no one, everyone, every time, everything ”You never listen to me.”

Focusing on the negative (RED ANT) – Seeing only the bad in a situation ”Just because we had a good year in business doesn’t mean anything.”

Fortune-telling (RED ANT) – Predicting the worst possible outcome to a situation ”You don’t like me.”

Mind Reading (RED ANT) – Believing that you know what othes are thinking, even though they haven’t told you ”This situation is not going to work out. I know something bad will happen.”

Thinking with your feelings – Believing negative feelings without ever questioning them ”I feel as though you don’t care about me.”

Guilt Beating – Thinking in words like should, must, ought, or have to ”I should have done much better. I’m a failure.”

Labeling – Attaching a negative label to yourself or to someone else ”You’re arrogant.”

Personalizing – Investing innocuous events with personal meaing ”You’re late because you don’t care.”

Blaming (THE MOST POISONOUS ANT) – Blaming someone else for your own problems ”It’s your fault.”