In the 17th Century French philosopher Rene Descartes argued that the mind does not require the body to think and the body cannot think. That our minds and bodies are separate. In the 400 years since, the Western medical model has based much of it’s structure, research, and practice on this idea - and missing a lot along the way. Fortunately, modern research is providing clues that resolve the “mind-body problem” in ways Descartes probably couldn’t have imagined.
Mind/Body Dualism is a Myth
Do you have a body?
That probably seems like a silly question, but think about it for a moment.
Do you have a body?
Does your mind drive around your body like a car?
Does that body take orders from you and carry your mind around?
Because saying you have a body implies ownership and hierarchy. But in reality your embodiment is much more subtle than that top-down mythology.
Here’s an example:
You probably know that serotonin is a hormone affecting mood. Some people call it a “happy hormone”. You might have heard the research that the majority of serotonin is produced in the gut - so a healthy gut microbiome can affect your serotonin production. If you read More|Better regularly you might also know that exercise has been shown to increase your sensitivity to the serotonin your body produces. All together meaning change in mood when you take care of yourself isn’t only about aesthetic changes! It may well be the neurochemical change that made you more sensitive to positive experiences.
YOUR MIND CAN CHANGE BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED IN YOUR BODY!
Is mind/body dualism a problem?
Why does this matter? Is the framework that separates mind and body a problem? In my opinion, it is when the Western scientific and medical models devalue holistic treatments, dismissing mind/body practices as too “woo woo”, and leave effective strategies for well-being unexplored.
Just consider how we react when someone’s symptoms are labeled “psychosomatic”. For most of my life in TV and popular media that label was code for “you’re crazy”. In reality, all forms of stress are experienced in the nervous system, which directly impacts all systems of the body - resulting in physical effects.
The same is true in reverse. Pain can have intensely negative psychological effects, and the body can be a powerful tool for affecting mood. Take for example the mounting evidence that movement is as powerful as drugs for combatting depression. Or the science backing up that breathing exercises can improve mood.
20 years ago those would’ve been dismissed by “serious” scientists.
10 years ago my old boss told me teaching meditation was outside my scope.
Today they’re all going mainstream in the fitness and wellness spaces… and health practitioners are finally getting onboard.
You ARE Your Body
The myth that your experience as a person is “top down” is rapidly evaporating. With it (hopefully) will be the separation that your mood, mental health challenges, and mindset are “all in your head”.
If mind/body separation is a myth, caring for your body becomes an essential tool to building wellbeing, accessing flourishing, and actualizing on meaning and purpose.
Many of us are growing out of the pandemic era with a desire to live more authentically. To heal trauma and live in self-alignment.
I believe to do so isn’t merely an intellectual exercise.
That to find integration means connecting with our whole selves - not only the “self” that lives above your collarbones.