Wednesday, April 29, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Commentary...
Something fishy going on here...
Hope in the time of pandemic
By Mitchell Luftig
Columnist
Evolution designed our
brains for maximum effi-
ciency by automating as
many tasks as possible. The
brain stem oversees respira-
tion, the contraction of our
heart muscle, digestion, and
so on. Located within the
midbrain, the amygdala is
tasked with monitoring our
environment and alerting us
to danger.
We also come equipped
with an autopilot that enables
us to automate routine tasks.
Thanks to the autopilot, we
can simultaneously wash
dishes while dreaming about
our next vacation or prepar-
ing for a new project. The
autopilot also serves another
critical role 4 it perceives
and interprets information
gleaned from the environ-
ment, presenting us with a
comprehensible world.
The autopilot is so useful
that it serves as the brain9s
default mode.
Although the autopilot
offers efficiency, when we
are running on autopilot, we
lack a direct connection to
our experience: we eat, but
we don9t taste our food; we
hear words, but we don9t
listen in a way that leads to
understanding; we look at the
snow-capped peaks of Three
Sisters, but there is no sense
of wonder at their majesty.
We pass through the world
like a shadow, insubstantial,
going through the motions,
not fully alive.
The autopilot offers us
no relief from the worry,
fear, anxiety, depression,
or despair brought on by
the pandemic. The autopi-
lot can9t even conjure up its
familiar, comforting routines.
Clearly, we need to look else-
where to find hope in the
time of pandemic.
There was a time before
the pandemic struck and there
CHECK OUT
will be a time when the pan-
demic has passed. The fear
and confusion inspired by
the pandemic that makes it so
difficult to locate happiness
in the present moment will
not always reside with us.
There are three steps we
can take right now to reduce
our fear and despair, to find
hope. We can learn how to
savor the past 4 before the
pandemic struck; savor the
future 4 when the pandemic
has departed; and savor the
present moment.
Savoring the past.
Visualization exercise.
Recall your last trip to the
Oregon coast. Can you
remember the sounds of the
ocean 4 the crashing of surf,
the sound seawater makes as
it moves up the beach, gliding
over smooth stones? Can you
feel the warmth of the sun on
your back (or the coolness
of the fog), the grainy feel-
ing of the sand beneath your
feet? Can you smell the salty
tang of the ocean air? Do you
see little shorebirds running
around, trying to grab a meal
with their long bills? Are
there gulls circling overhead,
riding the swells, or huddling
together on the sand? Are
there interesting formations
out in the water?
Do you feel happy? How
can you tell? Where inside
your body do you feel happy?
Is it a warmth, tingling, puls-
ing sensation, or something
else? Take your time and
really savor your experience,
immerse yourself in your
happiness.
Savoring the future
(anticipatory savoring).
Now I want you to imagine
the trip you will take after
the pandemic ends. Explore
with your senses the sounds,
sights, smells, tastes, and
physical sensations. For
example, if you are walking
in a forest, do you see sun-
light filtering through the
canopy? Do you hear the
sounds of birds? Do the trees
give off a fragrant scent?
What does the bark feel like?
What does your clothing feel
like against your skin? Who
is sharing this adventure with
you? Is it a quiet experience,
or is there conversation or
laughter? How do you feel
walking in the forest? Are
you happy, playful, curious,
or content, or do you feel
something else? How does
this feeling reveal itself in
your body?
Savoring present
moments. Walk, bike, or
drive somewhere with a good
view of the Three Sisters.
Pretend that your eyes are a
digital camera. Put your eyes
in panorama mode and make
a sweep across the landscape,
taking in as many details as
possible. Experience the
majesty of these mountains.
Imagine that, like the moun-
tains, you too can weather
any storm passing over.
Increase savoring by
making outings memorable.
Imagine you have found a
quiet trail where you can
hike with friends or family
while maintaining social dis-
tance from others. When you
reach a special viewpoint,
turn to your companions and
slap high fives. Jump up and
down, spin in a circle, shout
for joy. Mark this happy
moment. (Please don9t do
this on the edge of a cliff!)
Savoring the past, future,
and present helps us to recall
the happy times before the
pandemic, to expect happy
days ahead, and, regardless
of what is going on in our
lives, we can savor the happi-
ness always available to us in
the present moment.
Savoring enables us to
turn on the brain9s direct
experience network and
idle the autopilot. When we
immerse ourselves in our
senses, we become fully
alive, feel more solid, hap-
pier, and hopeful.
PHOTO PROVIDED
Artist April Wright chalked a remarkable piece of art on her sister
Amy Bennette’s driveway in Sisters. The piece was inspired Amy’s
daughter Aeryn’s love of fish.
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