Goal Motivation & Interpersonal Neurobiology:
Becoming Self Actualized Through
Mindful Living
By: Christina Adamko, I.D. # 9703659
PSYC. 223, Dr. Harry Galina
April 5, 2010
I’ve been having all sorts of revelations lately based on the amazing experiences I keep
having in my life: I’ve come to realize that all the goodness that is to be had in existence
does not come haphazardly. We work at it. At last month’s yoga nidra (sub-conscious
yogic meditation practiced during the full moon), the instructor spoke about some ideas
developed by author Gregg Braden on positive energy and healing. According to Braden,
we create positive change by contributing such energy into the world. We feel and be the
very change that we want to create. If we want someone to heal, we feel as though there
is already healing and therefore emit this very sentiment, rather than brooding in sadness
or anger, which perpetuates the negative and prevents healing to occur (Braden). I also
recently read an article in Shambhala magazine about a new area of science called
interpersonal neurobiology and how the practice of mindfulness can help us to heal and
live happier and healthier lives. I started applying these ideas with what I have been
learning about goal motivation in PSYC 223, there is a beautiful web of connectedness
here.
Can feeling and being what we want actually work? Is the mind really this powerful? It
can be difficult to grasp … considering however that placebos for example, may be some
of the most powerful ‘drugs’ available, the human mind demonstrates its own capacity to
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heal the body. We have the tools; what remains is for us to take control of this incredible
power that we possess. Perhaps then, the world is ours to design, for we are ourselves
creations and thus born of the essence to create (Cameron, 26). If we have the ability to
change the energy that exists within us and to change the energy that we transfer unto
others and into the world (which I believe we do!) then we are in a divine sense the
masters of our own domains, which of course has an effect on our immediate
environment. If we would resolve the things that pre-occupy our consciousness, then
perhaps we could allow ourselves to think and feel more mindfully, thus creating a better
world for everyone. Distractions after all, dissuade us from achieving our goals.
Mindfulness motivates us to actualize our dreams by increasing our focus. How
wonderful would it be if all persons could realize their spiritual potential? But this is an
over idealization of something complex, and perhaps the transferring of responsibility
onto others. It begins and ends with the self. We want to ask, “What can I do to heal
myself and share this healing, positive energy with the world?” I believe the answer is
indeed quite simply to be healing and to generate goodness and kindness by being
goodness and kindness.
So what exactly is mindfulness and interpersonal neurobiology? How does it relate to
goal motivation? According to Dr. Dan Siegel, co-director of the UCLA Mindful
Awareness Research Centre and author of The Mindful Brain, the definition of
mindfulness includes the following: “ (1) observing, noticing, bringing awareness, (2)
describing, labeling, noting and (3) participating, all of which are done (1) nonjudgementally with acceptance, (2) in the present moment, and (3) effectively” (Siegel,
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12). The goal is to practice mindfulness in every aspect of our lives. We come closer to
achieving this through meditation, yoga, tai chi, and/or other forms of practice that allow
us to quiet the mind, focus on the breath and experience every moment. If we jog
mindfully, for example, we are aware of what we are doing as we are doing it as opposed
performing mindlessly, that is to say by daydreaming and letting the mind wander.
Daydreaming can also be in and of itself a mindful practice, if that is what we are
choosing to focus on at a given time (13).
Interpersonal neurobiology is the science of mindfulness. Siegel and other researchers
have studied how mindful practice induces a state of brain activation , and because of the
wonderful plastic nature of our brains, “this intentionally created state can become an
enduring trait reflected in long-term changes of an individual’s brain function and
structure” (Siegel in Shambhala Sun, 68). From the critical psychologist’s point of view,
a common argument that arises is “whether those individuals with differing brain activity
and structure are those who’ve chosen to meditate” (68)? Indeed, such questions remain
open to study but new research allows scientists to study novices and identify the positive
changes that follow (68).
As we have seen in studying goal motivation, based on class lectures and textbook
material, the most important variable in determining our level of goal achievement is the
self. It is not enough to have a goal, we want to ensure that we reach our goals by having
a plan which includes: determining our own goal based on what we want to achieve
rather than what others may be projecting onto us; writing out a detailed plan of action
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that inspires us and keeps us on track; we want to make a commitment toward this goal:
visualizing is great but let’s work hard and be realistic (goal achievement requires talent
as well as effort); defining our goal specifically, creating sub-goals that are steps in
realizing the greater goal, etc. (Deckers, 268-269, 277-283). It goes without saying then
that reaching a goal requires an enormous amount of focus….focus which can be attained
by seeking and maintaining mindfulness. The more goals we accomplish, the closer we
may come, perhaps to being self-actualized. According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Theory, a self-actualized individual “fulfill(s) and utilize(s) one’s abilities and talents to
the fullest in whatever area one chooses” (138).
Perhaps then, mindfulness is what unites the art of existential philosophy (being-ness, in
short) with the science of interpersonal neurobiology, thereby creating an ideal entity: the
self -actualized human being.
At the most basic level of existence, human beings are made up of the very same subatomic particles that make up the universe and every single thing found in it, be it humanmade or existing in nature. If our vision allowed us to see through the lens of quantum
physics, there would be no divide between our bodies and the so-called empty space that
surrounds us (Einstein, 292) . We are the stuff that stars are made of. We are part of an
ever-expanding universe in a perpetual state of cosmic motion. We want to therefore
create harmony with the universe by keeping our selves in a likewise state. In yoga, we
expand our bodies to create space; drawing the healing ujjayi breath into the space we’ve
created. When we are stressed we contract, become retentive, and create tension, which
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damages us physically, emotionally and spiritually. So, in order to be healthy in mind,
body, and soul we must also expand within these dimensions of our lives. To be idle is
detrimental to our being. Intellectually, we want to challenge ourselves: read, raise
questions, think critically and listen. Physically, we feel better when we keep fit whether
it’s through running, mountain climbing or gardening. Finally, we awaken our spiritual
well-being by being mindful in all aspects of our life: we meditate, we focus on the
breath, we pursue each action with an active mind rather than ‘going through the
motions.’ In order to exist symbiotically with an ever-expanding universe therefore, we
do indeed make efforts to stay in motion, so to speak. It is hard work but the more that we
work toward mindful being and at actualizing our potential this hard work actually
becomes pleasurable, positively stimulating even. I know that it has for me! What could
be more inspiring than launching ourselves into the universe with the momentum of
knowing that the effort we expel is what enables us to truly live and to truly be happy?
We begin by focusing on one small goal. We use mindfulness to deepen our focus and
lead us toward achievement. We dedicate ourselves wholeheartedly to this goal. Once it
is attained, the pleasure that we derive from it propels us towards higher goals. It’s like a
self-driven mechanism. What started off as the tiniest particle explodes into an enormous
entity. We have only to observe it mindfully to stay on course.
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Works Cited
Braden, Gregg. “Gregg Braden
“Building a New Wisdom
Through Science and
Spirituality”. Books,
Audio & Video. 2010.
<http://www.gregg
braden.com/books_
audios_videos/>
(28 April, 2010).
Cameron, Julia & Bryan, Mark.
The artist’s way: a spiritual
path to higher creativity.
Newark: Penguin Putnam
Inc., 1992.
Deckers, Lambert. Motivation, Biological, Psychological and
Environmental. 3rd ed.
Boston: Allyn & Bacon,
2010.
Einstein, Albert & Infeld, Leopold.
The Evolution of Physics.
Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 1938.
Siegel, Daniel J. The Mindful Brain.
New York: Mind Your Brain
Inc., 2007.
Siegel, Daniel J. “The Science of
Mindfulness.” Shambhala Sun
March. 2010: 66-69, 9698. Print.
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