Chapter 2 - Evolution Of Suffering

Question 1

What are the three levels of brain development?

Answer 1

Reptilian, paleomamelion, neomamelion

Question 2

What are the two hemispheres of the brain connected by?

Answer 2

Corpus collosum

Question 3

What are there survival strategies for survivals?

Answer 3

Creating separations
Maintaining Stability
Approaching Opportunities and Avoiding Threats

Question 4

What does the left lobe do in the brain?

Answer 4

Distinguish that the body is separate from the world.

Question 5

What do the right lobe do?

Answer 5

See where the body is compared to feature in its environment.

Question 6

What does Buddhas Brain compare the division between you body and the world to?

Answer 6

A picket fence

Question 7

What does Buddhas Brain compare the divide between your mind and the world to?

Answer 7

A line on the side walk

Question 8

What does it mean for a star to go Nova?

Answer 8

.

Question 9

What does our need to be separate and independent cause us?

Answer 9

Suffering

Question 10

How many times a second does a neuron fire?

Answer 10

10-15

Question 11

What do neurons communicate across?

Answer 11

Synopses

Question 12

What is myelin?

Answer 12

.

Question 13

What do imbalances materialize as in the body?

Answer 13

Cravings

Question 14

What is the word in Poly for thirst?

Answer 14

Tanha?

Question 15

What is your brain continually trying to

do?

Answer 15

Maintain equilibrium, hold on to the passing moment, and find patterns it can rely on

Question 16

What is the differences between our brains attract and avoidance mechanism and our very distant ancestors?

Answer 16

They were attracted to or avoiding objects but we are doing this for objects as well as mental states.

Question 17

To simplify complex processes what does the brain do when it first sees something?

Answer 17

It sends information to the occipital cortex.

Question 18

What does the occipital cortex do when it receives information?

Answer 18

Sends it in two directions

To hypocampus for processing (threat or opportunity)

To the PFC and other parts of the brain for more in depth analysis.

But just in case, the hypocampus immediately compares to its list of, jump first think later set of similar images

The hypocampus then sends an alarm bell to the imigdula which sounds the alarm bell throughout the brain.

Question 19

How long ago did life begin

Answer 19

3.5 Billion Years Ago

Question 20

What happens after the first initial expedited threat response is sent out?

Answer 20

The slow but powerful PFC, which has been continuing to process information during the alarm bell, zeros in on the inert nature of the object

During all of these activities in this interaction have either been pleasant unpleasant or neutral.

Question 21

What is a hedonic tone?

Answer 21

Positive, negative or neutral?

Question 22

What are key neuro chemicals according to Buddhas Brain?

Answer 22

Glutamate - excites receiving neurons
GABA - inhibits receiving neurons

Neuro Modulators

Serotonin - mood, sleep and digestion
Dopamine - awards and attention
Norepinephrine - alerts and attitudes
Accetocoline - promotes wakefulness and learning

Neuro peptides

Opioids - buffer stress soothing and reduce pain, produce pleasure
Oxytocin - promotes bonding in couples
Vasopressin - aggressiveness to sexual competitors, supports pair bonding

Cortisol - released by adrenal glands during stress response stimulates amigdula and stimulates the hypocampus

Estrogen - effects libido

Question 23

What are the two systems that keep you chasing carrots?

Answer 23

1st
Cingulate cortex - see if your expectation meet your results and adjusts dopamine levels based on the conclusion (dissatisfaction) creates craving

2nd
Biochemical feeling tones that come from actual and expected carrots.
Pleasure chemicals surge into your system making them more likely to fire again in future.

Dopaminergic?

These systems work together.

So use this system to really focus and sink in the benefits of the result you would like to achieve.

Working out is good for me. I feel so good after working out etc!!

Question 24

What happens when a memory is flagged as negative?

Answer 24

Hippocampus gives it high priority status and makes it easily retrievable. This makes your brain like Velcro for negative experiences and Teflon for positive ones even though most of your experiences are positive.

Question 25

What is a good example of how the brain can’t let go of negative experiences but can easily for positive ones.

Answer 25

Trauma sufferers take much longer to return to baseline happiness then lottery winners

Question 26

What does anxiety make it harder to meditate?

Answer 26

Because the brain is constantly scanning its environment for threats.

Question 27

What are the three poisons of Buddhism?

Answer 27

Greed, Hatred, Illusion

Question 28

What are the three poison when boiled down?

Answer 28

Greed is the craving for carrots. Hatred is the aversion to sticks. Illusion is holding on to ignorance.

Question 29

What has the brain done in the last three million years?

Answer 29

Tripled in size

Question 30

What does the simulator of your mind tend to do?

Answer 30

Replay negative experiences of the past over and over and over again strengthening the neurological connection to negative feelings.

Question 31

What are some major issues with the simulator?

Answer 31

It has you constantly ducking sticks that never come your way.

Question 32

How do you increase self compassion?

Answer 32

Think about being with someone in the past who has been loving and compassionate towards you. This activates the neural networks associated with compassion and arouses neurotransmitters needed.

Question 33

What else can you do to activate compassion?

Answer 33

Actions initiate states so placing your palm on your heart or on your cheek. Saying phrases of compassion. Opening your heart and sense of being cared for.