As for CORTICAL control of auto-amygdala functions, i.e "conscious clicking
the amygdala from non-thinking reaction forward into conscious creative
advanced thinking"-- There is no controversy among learned persons about this
whatsoever. You can identify it, and then use it...
ILLUSTRATION of Intelligence Click
If you see a mountain lion in your path, if you do nothing but automatically
"click backwards", you run like hell, and then the cougar thinks you are prey
and you are the cougar's lunch.
If you see this same mountain lion, and you "click forward" you remember what
you learned when you stop and used your advanced brain to read the brochure
in the Forest Ranger Cabin near the entrance to the park that said "...if you
encounter a mountain lion, DON'T RUN, make yourself appear as big as possible,
raise your hands and wave, make lots of noise." And you survive.
THAT is the difference between clicking your amygdala backward and forward.
In terms of EMOTIONAL RESPONSE, the human brain is wired very well to reward
advanced thinking and discourage insufficient advanced thinking. That's where
the "pleasure and pain" come into the picture.
Its neuroscience.
"Clicking" is simply a convenient phrase to describe different functions
involving the amygdaloid body, both voluntarily modified processes, and
involuntary processes, which are extremely well known among even the most
modestly educated person.
It should be noted that the popular press emphasizes the negative conditioning
responses of the amygdala. However this "nutty" little organ also processes
and learns POSITIVE REWARD REINFORCEMENT. Its not just all punishment, fear
and pain conditioning. It helps you to remember when you do something that
feels good just as well.
The degree to which any individual has cortical control over their lower brain,
the degree by which any individual can click forward or backward-- this is
a matter of experience, education, and a knowledge of self and environment.
If the ideas above seem "wacko" to anyone... gee whiz. :-)
Brain Magic. Is the brain capable of "magic"? Consider this: Australian
Neurology Nobel Laureate Sir John Eccles. (Lecture: University of Colorado,
University Memorial Center Boulder, July 31, 1974.) "The brain indicates its
powers are endless."
The human brain is one of, if not THE most mysterious and "magical" things
in the universe. We are surrounded- IMMERSED DAILY in a continual environment
of things, powers, and phenomenon we completely take for granted, things that
were thought IMPOSSIBLE a hundred years ago and less, but now undeniable direct
and indirect expressions of human brain thought, creativity, and imagination.
Who is to say that out-of-body experience, prediction and manipulation of
clouds and weather, and all types of other-normal experience is not valid or
even possible with the human infinity think machine? We have just begun to
learn what is possible with the human brain.
Here's how Mother nature so cleverly wired up our brain to reward smart
thinking and use of brain potential, and discourage dormant brain thinking:
NEGATIVE NOTHINGNESS When you use little of your brain potential, i.e. just
the core reactionary part of your brain (McLean's Reptile Brain) excluding
more advanced frontal lobes type processes- you can only experience pain,
boredom, fear, and at very best, short term pleasure. Think of a reptile
sitting on a rock, all alone. But with your human body and brain. Bored. Lonely.
Cold. How about a teenager who hasn't yet grown into full frontal lobes
utilization (the frontal lobes are not fully developed till after 20 years
or more). Someone who hasn't clicked on "cause and effect" circuits.
"Hey lets get REALLY DRUNK!!! Let's spend all our money on 2 cases of BEER!
And go take dad's car for a spin!!! YEA!!!!!" This is short term fun of
insufficient frontal lobes processes. Hangover if lucky. Dead at 17 if not
so lucky.
Back in the late 1800's, Phineas Gage blew apart his frontal lobes working
on the railroad with an explosive charge and a railroad tie splitting his
cranium. He taught us that without the ability to "click forward" into our
frontal lobes (now mush on the railroad), life becomes a random sequence of
meaningless and frustrating events. POSITIVE REWARD: On the other hand-frontal lobes creative-imaginative-cooperative-intuitive-logical circuits
fully engaged:
Picasso or Einstein. Aerosmith after they got sober. Happy family life.
Job you like. A little money in the bank. Money saved for trip to Europe or
new drum set. Nature REWARDS frontal lobes thinking with PLEASURE. Self
esteem. Happiness of Success and goal achievement. "EUREKA!! I figgered it
out!" Don't that new song sound good? Don't that picture look pretty? Happiness
of Success and goal achievement.
Now, of course, no one wants to disengage permanently one's "reptile brain",
as Dr. McLean has called the primitive reactive core brain. You need this
instantaneous survival reaction- its there for a good reason. But you don't
want your life RULED by it. The frontal lobes evolved because the ADDITION
of advanced frontal lobes processes like: abstract thought; imagination;
planning; understanding cause and effect; concepts of time; creativity;
cooperation. This enhanced survival far beyond the limitations of the reptile
brain and "clicking backwards" alone. Thus, we evolved bigger and bigger
frontal lobes. To click forward into. Thank you Mother.
So, if someone has an objection to or denies the idea that one can "click
forward" and thus improve one's life and ability to survive- this would imply
that such a person does not believe it is in one's interest- much less a
possibility- to consciously and purposefully engage the vast unlimited
potential inside one's own brain, specifically in the frontal lobes functions
of CICIL (creativity-imagination-cooperation-intuition-logic). A rather
depressing and self-defeating attitude for anyone to have.
The trick is to remember and make use of frontal lobes processes and make long
term solutions rather than be a slave to reptilian brain backward clicking
short term solutions.
"Click your amygdala"-- This is a phrase invented by brain and behavior
researcher T.D.A. Lingo to refer to conscious cortical control of lower brain
functions. Its just a useful phrase to illustrate that you have a neuroprocess
that engages other brain processes--- like flipping the light switch on your
wall.
Example: You are startled by a loud noise in back of you. "Your amygdala clicks
backward, automatically"- Fight or flight reactions happen instantaneously
to enhance self survival. Or for example, you stumble upon a snake in a forest
path- amygdala "clicks" backward. [1]
Where as "clicking backwards" is an automatic process to engage survival,
fight or flight, and such-- "click forward" refers to conscious deliberate
cortical (higher brain) functions to overcome lower brain limitations. Thus,
you can engage "Creative- Imaginative-Cooperative- Intuitive-Logical"
process dependent on primarily increased frontal lobes processes to SOLVE the
PROBLEM of "snake in path".
The difference is, in the lower brain "clicking backwards solution"- you shoot
and kill the snake, or simply run like hell till you drop after you've run
out of breath or stumbled over a cliff.
In the higher brain "clicking forward solution", you identify the snake as
non-lethal, or you simply calm yourself down, you don't panic, and you walk
around the snake, or you back up slowly. I.e., you THINK instead of merely
REACT
The ability to CONSCIOUSLY and deliberately engage additional frontal lobes
options in a threatening, unfamiliar, and problem situation is a matter of
training, education, planning, and is available to anyone who has a
functioning pre-frontal cortex (most of us).