Hope, neuroscientists say, resides in the orbitofrontal cortex, one of the most confounding parts of the human brain, which somehow directs our decision-making and expectation and memory and emotional behaviors and our hedonic experiences — which is to say, what devastates us and what makes our life worth living. It is located just above our eyes: it dictates how we see the world. I wonder if this is why, to envision a hoped — for beyond or to focus better on a hopeful wish or a prayer, we close our eyes, or look up.
— Anna Badkhen, from “To See Beyond: A Hoping in Three Pictures” in “Bright Unbearable Reality: Essays” (New York Review Books, October 18, 2022)
Notes: Post Title & Inspiration: Aldous Huxley: “It’s dark because you are trying too hard. Lightly child, lightly. Learn to do everything lightly. Yes, feel lightly even though you’re feeling deeply. Just lightly let things happen and lightly cope with them. Quote Source: Thank you Beth @ via Alive on All Channels.
…or we focus on a star or a cloud as it wanders by or the sacred feeling when the air is sweet and the heart is full – if we’re smart, we find one thing that feels sacred and if in doubt, close your eyes and whisper ‘thank you’
YES! exactly.
And where ‘the third eye’ is often marked or believed to be
Third Eye. Love that.
The third eye is a chakra located in the middle of the forehead between the eyebrows. It’s associated with intuition, insight, and mysticism. The third eye is the sixth out of seven chakras that control the meridian of the body, mind, and spirit. It can take us to a place of higher consciousness and enlightenment
Thank you Beth. I learned something today.
Well… My lizard brain says that I risk losing one happy chemical by seeking another happy chemical. Where is hope ?
All over! Look up!
5th dimension the God head
4th dimension the mind
3rd dimension human brain
2nd dimension mammalian brain
1st dimension reptile brain
Darn!
🙂
I love the marriage of poetry and science. Here’s to hoping…
Yes!
I am not a great fan of hope. I might sound like an old curmudgeon but it suggests to me that we’d rather live for a better day (is that possible in the way we envision it?) than inhabit the present moment. Put it another way, I don’t need to be hopeful to have a conversation with someone, even if I might hope they say or opine on certain things. But then again, I might be in the minority on this one. Take care, Julian
I’m closely if not squarely aligned with you Julian. However, I interpreted this passage as less about Hope in the purest context, but an ability to look up at a different angle and see all possibilities, rather than just the dark ones that seem to rise to the surface. Happy Holidays to you and your family.
And to you David. I’m back on WordPress for 2024 having made the decision to stop hosting my own blog. I’d forgotten how much I’d enjoyed the experience, especially, like now, the engagement. It reminds of the ‘old’ days of blogging. Have a wonderful NY and great 2024. Blessings to you and yours. Julian
So glad you are back Julian. Happy New Year.