1st April 2008

I didn't realize that today is April Fool until my daugther fooled me a while ago. Being a fool can be a blessing sometimes especially human race is driving at the edge of competitiveness. We are always trained to program ourselves at all times so that we are able to be competitive. As such, most of the time, our perception is preoccupied with the top down approach from our neuron network. That what we called a bias mind.

To disengage from a top-down approach, one has to practice a mindfulness mediation, a term coined by daniel J.Siegel. "Activation of the middle prefrontal region (orbitofrontal and medial prefrontal cortices) is able to de-automate and disengage us from top down influences, such as prior expectations and our own emotional reactions' (Siegel, page 110 The mindfulness brain, 2007).


Lazar (2005) found those who practices mindfulness have thicker middle prefrontal region and insula region. When there is a bodily limbic reaction, it triggers to our mirror neurons network, and later transmitted to insula, a gateway to middle prefrontal region.

Siegel (2007) claimed that 'Mindfulness involves a curious, open, accepting, and loving (COAL) stance toward awareness of awareness'.

Siegel (2007) continues to argue that 'Mirror neurons and superior temporal regions create representations of intention by responding to goal-directed actions or expression. Since brain is an anticipation machine, this superior temproal regions activate with 'biological motion' that move with human intention.

SIMA (sensory implications of motor action) acts as resonance circuit that enable the brain to prime itself for the next anticipated event. SIMA links the mirror neuron systems, perception and motor action together for synchronization and coordination in our social life.

SIMA can be in a form of priming, not a prefrontal planning process, Stern (20030) called it 'Horizon of Future". It is not a pre-plan, but a moment by moment awareness, and the timing is reported in an order ot 10s of milliseconds. SIMA creates a state of neural integration with mental sensation of coherence, and this is what Siegel suggests "intrapersonal attunement'.

Finally, compassionate is about feel to feel, and emphatics is about mind to mind understanding.