DBT 6: Mind States – Accessing Your Wise Mind

Mind States – Accessing Your Wise Mind
To review: the central concept of DBT is mindfulness. The concept of mindfulness comes from both Western and especially Eastern (Zen) meditation and spiritual practices. Mindfulness means being in the present, being aware of what is happening and what you are doing, observing what is going on, participating fully in what is going on around you. It is a skill that is practiced and learned throughout DBT, little bit by little bit.  By learning to live in the present, you can have a life that is more in tune with your goals. The three primary states of mind are Reasonable Mind, Emotion Mind and Wise Mind. Reasonable Mind A person is in Reasonable Mind when they are approaching things intellectually, thinking logically, planning behavior, paying attention to empirical facts (facts that can be observed or measured or counted), focusing their attention, and when they are "cool," that is, not emotional in their approach to solving problems. Consider: What are some examples of the way you use Reasonable Mind? How can Reasonable Mind be helpful? Can you think of any times when it is not helpful to be in Reasonable Mind? Emotion Mind  A person is in Emotion Mind when their thinking and behavior are controlled mostly by their emotions.  Logical thinking and planning are difficult, facts may be distorted or made larger or more important, thoughts and behaviors might be said to be "hot," and the energy of the behavior tends to match the intensity of the feelings. Emotion Mind is reactive. Some examples of emotion mind might be: ·  having a fight with someone you disagree with ·  going on a trip on an impulse, without planning ·  going out to fly a kite just for the fun of it ·  snapping at a salesperson because they don't have the item you want Consider: What do you do when you are in Emotion Mind? In what ways can it be helpful or good to be in Emotion Mind? What are ways that it might not be helpful to be in Emotion Mind? Wise Mind Wise Mind is the coming together, the overlap of Reasonable Mind and Emotion Mind. In this overlap, they produce something bigger than either of them were separately. What is added is intuition, a feeling of "knowing" what's right, the right thing to do or the right way for things to be.  You can experience intuition about what's right or appropriate without thinking about it; the wisdom becomes natural. As you bring Wise Mind skills to problems, you will develop mastery. Mastery, the feeling of being competent and under control, does NOT mean you won’t make mistakes. Keep practicing. "Wise mind is that part of each person that can know and experience truth. It is where the person knows something to be true or valid. It is almost always quiet, It has a certain peace. It is where the person knows something in a centered way." (Linehan) Sometimes you may access wisdom when suddenly confronted by another person and stay calm under pressure. Sometimes you may find that in the midst of crisis you intuitively know the right thing to do. Sometimes approaching a difficult problem generates an insight that unlocks an inner door. Sometimes Wise Mind is seeing the whole picture not just the parts. Sometimes when faced with a difficult dilemma, Wise Mind reveals a clear choice. You will develop self-agency and self-awareness as you develop mindfulness, regulate your emotions, are effective interpersonally, and tolerate distress. Self-agency is the feeling you have when you are in control of your own behavior. Rather than feeling your behavior just happens, self-agency owns the behavior and takes responsibility for it. Self-awareness is the sense you have that your different roles, feelings, attitudes, and mental states fit together coherently. Qualities of Wise Mind Wise Mind is calm. It is almost always quiet and peaceful. When change or acceptance is necessary Wise mind is the serenity of knowing which course to take. Wise Mind is not trapped in all-or-nothing thinking and can focus on what is effective and functional. In Wise Mind, you are in control of emotional mind. Behavior is not mood dependent (controlled by one’s emotions) but at the service of one’s inner wisdom. Eventually, objective self-observation and self-description are attainable from this slightly detached point of view. In fact, you can learn to experience extreme emotions like anger or fear while staying in Wise Mind. This takes lots of practice – for everybody. Likewise, in Wise Mind, you are able to access the knowledge of reasonable mind. Wise Mind is courageous, i.e. feels scared but does what is needed in the situation anyway. Willingness is doing what is needed in each situation. Willingness often requires courage. Wise Mind is confident. Self-confidence is knowing you can handle whatever problems in life comes along. When Wise Mind becomes clear, fear disappears. Wise Mind knows you are doing the best you can under the circumstances. When you skillfully approach your problems, you are in Wise Mind and doing the best you can. Through mindfulness, you will develop the skills to access your Wise Mind. With Wise Mind as the basis for problem solving, you will improve the quality of your life. Everyone has this Wise Mind. Some of you may not have found it yet.  But it is important that you learn to find a place of calmness inside you, to let go of the intense emotions, so that you can sense the wisdom inside you. Some of you will experience Wise Mind after a crisis. It is like the calm after the storm.

Meditation and Wise Mind

Mindfulness exercises like meditation develop inner calm, emotional control, perseverance, and a strong sense of self. Meditation heals the damage of stress. One of the simplest meditation exercises is to follow your breathing. When you meditate on your breath, you can find Wise Mind in the physical center found at the bottom of your inhalation. You can develop the ability to find your center during meditation and get to know this calm centered place well. If you learn where your center is and how it feels, you can go to this place, confident that you are responding in Wise Mind. Although meditation may be unfamiliar, you can cultivate the ability to be mindful.

Meditation and mindfulness develop your ability to observe what is going on within yourself in any situation. One way that people commonly experience this is to step back from one’s thoughts and feelings and release your attachment to these mental phenomena. The goal here is to reflect on your thinking and feeling, independent of the circumstances, observing what is going on in one’s mind like watching clouds drift through the sky.

Consider:

Do you ever have this intuition that something just "feels right?" The right thing to do or say or plan for? Could you give us an example?

Do you have other ways of knowing this? This is what we mean by Wise Mind. It takes into account your logical thinking and planning and your emotions, but it's something more, a place of calmness and wisdom.