Trauma:  
The Value in Cultivating an Environment of Optimism

by Dr. Khaleghl Quinn, Ph.D.

 

The Buddha describes it perfectly: 

 "All sentient beings will drink from the well of suffering at some point in their life."

In the Four Noble Truths he brings hope to us by saying “There is a way through the suffering.” - Za-zen, or the art of sitting still and breathing.

In this blog, I will address the value of cultivating optimism as both a prevention and a cure to trauma.

Each of us is a magnificent flowing energy system with a beautiful purpose as each of us is a glorious piece of the ever-evolving consciousness we call life.  Energetically, each of us is a river flowing to the greater consciousness we reference as God or Source. True to being individual rivers, when we are in our natural state of well being our energy flows ever - instinctively into our destinations.  When the flow is interrupted our river can either become distorted in such a way that renders us lower functioning or we can find ways to adapt and open new pathways that can enhance our experience along the way to fulfillment.

Having observed literally every member of my biological family stun doctors by returning from traumatic “death” experiences including myself I know how potent the intervening mindset of optimism is when one is at such a critical turning point.  I will be elucidating each of our experiences over time in subsequent articles.

It is known in the medical world that the moment we are traumatized or stressed a variety of hormones are secreted that span the spectrum from adrenalin and cortisol to oxytocin.  Although there are complex developments that can occur within the process of returning to a familiar state of homeostatic experience one can access the power of choosing how one can utilize the traumatic occurrence.  While under such extraordinary stress one can sink into feeling helpless or one can utilize the flow of oxytocin to see the situation as an opportunity for personal growth.  Whereas the cortisol (stress recycling) response can drive us to isolate - which is not usually supportive of healing - oxytocin, (the warm and fuzzy-feeling inducing hormone) on the other hand activates an urge to reach out, to be hugged, to socialize, and to generate value and purpose toward the traumatic event.

One of my favorite philosophers/psychologists, Victor Frankl, author of Man's Search for Meaning, points out a compelling way to utilize intense stress and trauma.  During World War II he tragically lost most of his family in concentration camps in Auschwitz.  Sitting in a prison he channeled his trauma and loss into creating a new branch of psychology he called “Logotherapy" or "purposeful therapy.”  He literally utilized his philosopher to propell himself into his life purpose.  He observed in himself and others that when a why or purpose could be derived from traumatic events closure came quicker, as did healing.

The Tibetan yogis and healers have known about optimism for thousands of years.  They call it the inner smile.  They believe our smiles are our spiritual/neurological tools for healing.  When we smile we are inspired - full of the bigger picture we often call spirituality (the corners of our mouths turn upward in response to the magnetic uplift we experience when inspired), and when we are feeling grounded and content (that bowl of the smile).  It is almost as though the two to one ratio is a code:  Double the focus on uplift to produce the bowl of contentment!

So, it is fair to say, cultivating all activities that bring a smile to your insides and your face is the simplest most strategic way of promoting preventative health, healing, and quite possibly life extension.  

The lotus is a great teacher of Optimism Medicine. It knows so well how to utilize the mud to its advantage.  
I invite you to be the lotus!