I'm here to tell you a little secret. Your survival instinct is actually killing you. We can help you retrain your brain to conquer fear and build resilience. I know the title of the book sounds a little strange at first. Your survival instinct is there to help you live your best life. So, how can it possibly kill you? Let's take a moment to listen to a true story.

In 1983, a patient was admitted to a hospital in the United States with a persistent case of ergonomics. Have you ever wondered what hiccups are? In simple terms, it's hiccups. If you have hiccups for a long time, frequently, and can't stop, you have persistent hiccups. Don't worry, though. There are ways to get rid of them! At that time, the poor patient had been suffering from this awful disease for more than two years. It was sometimes causing epilepsy, and his condition was very serious. The hospital tried so many different methods, but sadly they couldn't cure him. Finally, they had the brilliant idea of doing a craniotomy to cut off a nerve in the brain to interrupt the hiccups. Unfortunately, the patient's family didn't agree. They thought it was just hiccups, bless their hearts. They thought it was just hiccups, so they didn't think a craniotomy was necessary. They were looking for another option. They heard that hypnosis could cure this disease, and they were so happy to find that there was a psychiatrist in the hospital who could perform hypnosis! They were really excited to ask him to treat them. Back in 1983, hypnosis wasn't as well-known as it is today. The hospital and other doctors didn't think it was scientific, but the family kept asking, and the hospital had to agree.

On the day of the treatment, the psychiatrist just walked into the ward and was really surprised. Lots of doctors had come to see what was going on. They wanted to see how the charlatan was going to hypnotise the patient. Once the treatment began, the psychiatrist chatted with the patient in a kind and reassuring manner. The poor patient was hiccupping every ten seconds or so, which made the conversation a bit tricky. The psychiatrist soon noticed something interesting. It seemed that the patient, who had come from a cold region, would briefly stop hiccupping whenever the two of them mentioned "cold." The psychiatrist thought it would be a good idea to go deeper into the subject of "cold" and used hypnosis at the same time. As the psychiatrist spoke more slowly, the patient's hiccups became less frequent, which was great to see! In less than ten minutes, the symptoms had completely disappeared! Everyone was amazed! Even the psychiatrist was surprised at how well hypnosis worked.

The wonderful psychiatrist who helped this patient is Mark Schein. He's a clinical assistant professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. He's studied all kinds of fascinating things, like mental flexibility, resilience, and hypnotism. And he's shared his findings with the world in a really accessible way. Later on, as medicine changed and grew, Mark Schein came to see that hypnotism was just a way to get to the heart of the matter. What really made the difference in treating hiccups was that he'd found the cause. Oh, I'd love to know what the cause was! It was simply the survival instinct kicking in too strongly. That poor patient with hiccups had suffered some loss in his life before he became ill. It was so sad! That loss caused him to develop anger. Medically speaking, anger causes hiccups. So, his emotions were manifesting themselves through this symptom. At first, hiccups were just a little hiccup, but something in the brain made the patient think that those losses were a big deal. This made the patient angry, and that anger stayed with him, making his body react in a way that eventually led to chronic hiccups.

Many of us are facing some tough health challenges in our lives today, such as insomnia, obesity, and chronic fatigue. I'm sure you're also listening to this book and going through similar experiences. It's so common for these health problems to be the result of a miscalculation that has occurred in the survival instinct. It can make us feel anxious and afraid without us even realizing it. It can even lead us to engage in unhealthy behaviors that get worse and worse. This is how the survival instinct can sometimes get the better of us. That's why Mark Schein has written a book that reveals this process. It's called "Your Survival Instincts Are Killing You," and we're going to talk about it today.

So, what exactly is the survival instinct? Our amazing brains have a very important part called the limbic system. Our bodies have some pretty amazing ways of letting us know what's going on inside us. When something happens that we find surprising or scary, for example, our bodies react in ways that send signals to our brains. These signals contribute to some very primal emotions, such as anger, fear, joy, and so on. When something negative happens, our limbic system, which is the part of our brain that controls our emotions, feels discomfort. It creates a negative emotion, and our brain has to find a way to generate pleasure to end the discomfort. This is something we all need, and it's what Mark Schein calls the survival instinct. So, you might be wondering, how does the survival instinct harm people? Mark Schein says there are six stages to this process, and they're all pretty tricky!

Stage 1: This can make you feel a bit anxious. Mark Schein came across a typical case that he found particularly interesting. This patient was an executive at a movie studio who worked really hard and often worked overtime. Over time, the patient found that even when her work was done, she would stay in front of the computer, preferring to reply to unimportant emails rather than leave the computer. Even though she loved her job, she didn't realize that she was feeling anxious and that it had already taken a toll on her. We all want life to be in a state of harmonization or balance, but because the environment is always changing and so are people, dissonance and imbalance are bound to happen. It's totally normal to feel confused sometimes, and we often face pressure, which can lead to anxiety.

The second way that the survival instinct can harm us humans is by making us feel uncomfortable. Many of us think that if we don't feel anxious, it's not happening. But the truth is, anxiety can cause a lot of harm even if we don't realize it. Anxiety can often act like an undercurrent, affecting our bodies in ways we might not even realize. It can cause blood sugar and blood pressure to rise, or cause some minor pain. This can all cause a bit of discomfort, but only to a lesser extent and without drawing our attention to it. However, Mark Schein says that we all have a "discomfort set point." This just means that we can only take so much discomfort before it starts to affect us. If we build up anxiety over time, it can make us feel worse than we usually do.

And then, finally, we come to the third stage, which is fear. Our lovely brains are made up of lots of different parts, and one of them is the nucleus accumbens area. This is where our bodies are governed. When we feel discomfort in our body, our lovely nucleus accumbens area sends out a signal to our wonderful limbic system in the brain, which then spawns the appropriate feeling of fear. Many of Mark Schein's patients tell him that they're afraid of being hungry, afraid of not being able to sleep, afraid of riding in an elevator, or afraid of forming close relationships with others. It's totally understandable that they have various fears. It's natural to worry about losing control over what's going on around us. Take insomnia, for instance. It might seem a bit strange that not being able to sleep actually helps to relieve fear, but it does! The reason is that whether we sleep well or not depends on our sense of security and control. It's only when we feel that everything is under control that we feel safe and can sleep more easily. Our bodies are amazing! They produce all kinds of responses to help us feel safe and secure. And when we feel safe, our survival instincts kick in.

The fourth stage is where things can get a little tricky. It's when the survival instinct kicks in and we make a miscalculation about how to stay safe. This is a really important step! Our survival instincts were formed way back in the early days of human evolution. Back then, survival was tough. If someone felt uneasy, their survival instincts kicked in. These instincts are particularly sensitive. If there's not enough food, it'll make you really want to find something to eat. And if you don't have any way to keep yourself warm, you'll want to make a fire and look for clothes. Thanks to the wonderful developments of civilization, we now have all the security we need to survive. We have plenty of food, lots of other good things to eat, and it's easy to get around. It's a bit strange, but the survival instincts that we need in the wild don't actually disappear. They just stay in our brains! And here's something a little strange. Despite all the comforts we have in our lives, we actually become more sensitive to discomfort. It's as if our tolerance for survival instincts declines, rather than increases.

I'd love to know why the survival instinct is becoming less tolerant. Mark Schein thinks that the use of microwave technology and the rise in popularity of fast food are two big reasons why. Can you imagine what it was like before microwaves and fast food? Even if we were hungry, we had to wait a little while before each meal to eat. This taught our survival instincts patience. These days, we're lucky to be able to eat food quickly at any time and in any place. But this does mean that our tolerance for hunger is greatly reduced.

This change in survival instincts shows us that we all want to get what we want, when we want it! This psychological effect means that even if something is just a little uncomfortable, we can't wait to fix it to avoid any risk and stay safe. It's so interesting how this urge has evolved over time. It's now influencing the way we make decisions, which can sometimes make us feel irritable and petty. Take traffic jams, for example. They can actually only bring about mild frustration, but more and more people are inclined to deal with them in extreme ways, such as swearing loudly or even venting their anger through violent means.

It's interesting to think that our survival instincts haven't really changed much since our primitive days. They still respond to discomfort in the same way they did back then, and they see all kinds of challenges as threats to our survival. As our survival instincts become less tolerant, it's only natural that we feel more anxious when faced with risk. Let's say, for instance, that you feel a little uncomfortable. Well, your survival instinct will see this as a serious threat to your safety. You feel a little hungry? Don't worry, we all do from time to time! But it does mean that you'll probably end up feeling pretty hungry if you don't eat something soon. We've all been there! When you fail at public speaking, it can feel like you'll be abandoned by your own kind. This might be a bit of an exaggeration, but the brain's limbic system doesn't care about that. Once the survival instinct is signaled, it spawns a series of more exaggerated and intense responses.

The fifth stage at which the survival instinct can really do a number on us is when it causes some pretty severe physical and mental symptoms. When the survival instinct feels threatened, it can cause some pretty intense physical reactions. The poor studio executive was just attending a summer work conference when the air conditioner in the room malfunctioned. It was so stuffy and hot in there! The poor executive suddenly felt like he was suffocating, his heart was beating faster, and he had symptoms of dizziness. This is the survival instinct at work, exaggerating the air conditioning malfunction as a lack of air, and believing that the instinct to breathe is seriously threatened. It's like the instinct is saying, "Oh my, I'm in danger of not being able to breathe! I've got to do something about this!" And so it manifests itself through physical symptoms such as the feeling of suffocation and dizziness. It's so interesting how our survival instincts can manifest in different ways in different people when they feel threatened. Some folks will always feel hungry, while others will always feel itchy skin. And some will feel physically weak.

All of these long-term symptoms, which might have started as a small cold or a stomach ache, are actually caused by anxiety in the unconscious state of the patient. At first, these little illnesses will be fixed in no time, but we might not realize that they're actually caused by some deeper psychological issues. We might think it's just a common cold or stomachache, but the root cause will always be there, lurking in the body and leaving a sense of Over time, these small issues can build up and interact with other factors, like gunpowder meeting sparks. It's like that saying, "Bang!" A small cold can turn into a chronic cough, stomachache, or something else. A little cold can turn into a long-lasting cough, and a tummy ache can lead to an eating disorder.

The sixth stage is a tricky one. It's when survival instincts start to harm us, and we fall into a vicious cycle of bad habits. Our wonderful brains secrete a chemical called dopamine when we think of pleasant things. Our brains are pretty amazing, aren't they? They secrete a chemical called dopamine when we think about pleasant things. But when we think about negative things, dopamine production is inhibited. As our anxiety level goes up, the discomfort gets worse. This makes our brains secrete less dopamine, which makes the discomfort even worse. It's a vicious cycle that can lead to feelings of existential dread. So, it's really important to understand that when anxiety triggers the survival instinct, it's often because the level of dopamine secretion is decreasing. When we find ourselves in a tough spot, our amazing brains turn to certain behaviors to help us out. These behaviors are really helpful because they make us feel good and help our bodies to find a happy balance. But here's the thing about dopamine: it has one quality that can be pretty dangerous. It's a funny thing about dopamine. It's secreted in abundance when we imagine something good, but when we actually experience the good feeling, the level of secretion starts to drop instead. So when folks have reached a certain level of satisfaction, the drop in dopamine levels can bring on new feelings of discomfort, causing them to once again turn to new, exciting behaviors.

It's so unfortunate that our patience is decreasing, and we always make mistakes in our behavioral choices. We end up resorting to bad habits that are short-lived. Sometimes these habits are things like repeated handwashing or burping that just won't stop. And sometimes they're addictive behaviors like alcoholism, medication, or even drugs. These habits have something in common: they can quickly satisfy our bodies' needs and temporarily suppress fear. But they can also cause dopamine levels to plummet, leading to a vicious cycle where we become more and more dependent on certain things and ultimately addicted. This is something that can happen to anyone, even bulimics. When their dopamine levels are low, they might feel the urge to eat more food. Once they eat, their dopamine levels drop again, and this can lead to a vicious cycle of binge eating.

Let's take a look at another real-life example together. There was this lovely agent in Hollywood named Bethany. Bethany was going through a rough patch at work, which was really taking its toll on her. She was feeling more and more anxious, and her physical and mental state was becoming increasingly fragile. Oh, poor Bethany! She once had a rough time on a plane. In this case, the bumps in the airplane awakened her survival instincts, making her feel that the plane was going to crash and that she was going to die. Understandably, she suffered throughout the flight. Luckily, the plane landed safely, but poor Bethany was so scared that she developed a fear of flying. To stay calm during the bumpy ride, Bethany ordered several drinks. Every time she flew after that, she made sure to have a drink to help her feel more at ease. This was her way of encouraging the production of dopamine. Sadly, it didn't help at all. It just made things worse. She found herself needing to drink more and more, and by the end of the day, the drinks just weren't doing the trick. So, Bethany turned to medication to give her a boost, and unfortunately, she developed a dependency on the drugs in higher and higher doses. Sadly, the drugs didn't work either, and poor Bethany decided she would never fly again. And for a Hollywood agent who has to deal with business all over the place, it's easy to see how much of a shock this decision was.

This case shows us how the survival instinct can sometimes harm us. It can make us feel anxious, and when we feel anxious for a long time, it can make us feel uncomfortable. This can make our limbic system, which is in our brain, think that we are in danger. This can then make us feel afraid, which can make us think that we need to survive. It's so sad when people believe they're under serious threat to their survival and overreact, leading to physical ailments. They turn to bad ways to temporarily satisfy their needs, but these don't help and can even cause more damage to their bodies. It seems that anxiety is at the root of the survival instinct that can sometimes harm us. So, you might be wondering, how does anxiety arise? It's so easy to get caught up in life these days that it's hard to find enough time to sit back and enjoy a little relaxation, isn't it? It's so easy to feel disconnected from the world when we don't get any text messages or emails. It's a sign that we've become a little bit dependent on external stimuli for our survival. As soon as those external stimuli diminish, anxiety sets in and discomfort increases. It's a funny thing, isn't it? We're all so influenced by what's going on around us these days. It's as if we're looking through a window and seeing the world through a kaleidoscope of external factors. And it's so easy to forget what's going on inside our own heads! This is what we call psychological externalization.

It's so important to be aware that psychological externalization can set a harmful frame of reference. One of the most notable examples is weight loss. It's so sad that so many beauty magazines and weight-loss programs promote thinness as beauty. This is just another example of how external factors can influence our lives. Young women often feel pressured to conform to external standards of beauty, which can lead to feelings of discomfort. To quickly alleviate this discomfort, they sometimes turn to extreme measures, such as relying on drugs or even taking drugs. Sometimes, external factors can be subtle. There's a fascinating psychological phenomenon called psychological matching. It's a fancy way of saying that two things that don't have anything to do with each other can end up being linked in our minds. Let's say, for instance, that you see an image on TV of folks having a good time while they're drinking alcohol. You might find yourself making a connection between the two and feeling like drinking alcohol is linked to happiness. Advertisers are really good at using psychological matching to influence our habits.

It's pretty mind-blowing to think that even if you're not paying attention to the ads, as long as those images are hitting your retina, they can change your brain activity. So, whether you like it or not, external factors can have a big impact on us. They can make us more and more confused and anxious. And they can even make it more likely for our survival instincts to go awry. So, according to Mark Schein, if we can find ways to ease our anxiety and discomfort, it might help to make the survival instinct a little less sensitive. I just wanted to mention that he says "alleviate," not "eliminate."

Our amazing brains are made up of so many different parts! One of these is the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for our intelligence and thinking skills. When we're faced with the same risk factors, our cerebral cortex will analyze them rationally and come to a safe conclusion. Our limbic system, on the other hand, does the exact opposite, which can cause us to feel anxious. When this happens, the good news is that the cerebral cortex tries to control the limbic system to help reduce anxiety. However, because the limbic system is so much older than the cerebral cortex, it's more powerful. This means that the cerebral cortex can't control the limbic system at all. Unfortunately, this means that anxiety and discomfort can't be eliminated.

Mark Schein has a great suggestion: since we can't control it, let's try to harmonize so that both the cerebral cortex and the limbic system of the brain are involved in managing the anxiety and discomfort. This is something Mark Schein calls "dual perception," which is when you get a double sensory experience. Take a moment to think about how amazing it is that we can experience the freshness of the sea breeze and the softness of the sand at the same time when we're standing on a beach. Or think about how even when we're bitten by a mosquito, we can still smile through the itching sensation. It's pretty incredible, isn't it? This is what I like to call double perception. It's totally normal to feel anxious or afraid sometimes. When we're in that state, our judgment can get a bit skewed. We might think that we're either in pain or not, when really, there's a whole range of possibilities in between. It's so interesting how our bodies work! Even when we feel pain in one area, other areas may still feel comfortable. So, when we make our sensory experiences absolute, it can lead to some pretty extreme reactions. This can cause us to get all worked up over things that don't really matter, like traffic jams or waiting in line. We might even get angry, sweaty, or have some pretty out-there thoughts!

And the great thing about mastering dual perception is that we can feel anxious or uncomfortable while still being able to feel relaxed. It might sound a little strange, but feeling both comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time is what dual perception is all about. This is a great lesson! It teaches us that even though we might feel uncomfortable, we can relax in the presence of discomfort. This means that we are still safe! This is how the limbic system of the brain knows that everything is okay and doesn't get overwhelmed. And the good news is that the cerebral cortex will be more confident in managing discomfort through self-regulation, rather than controlling it by external means. This is how our lovely cerebral cortex and our wonderful limbic system work together to develop their coordination.

So Mark Schein has a great suggestion: we should face the anxiety and discomfort in our lives head on. Also, why not try adding a little pressure to yourself? You know, the more we challenge ourselves and push ourselves in situations with distractions, the easier it will be to cope with discomfort. In the good old days, when we were all cavemen and cavwomen, it was good to be comfortable. After all, that helped us survive! But these days, because our survival instincts are still there, it's actually better for us to learn to handle a little discomfort so we don't do more harm to ourselves. It's kind of like how vaccinations help us avoid getting sick.

In his book, Mark Schein shares some really helpful tips for coping with discomfort. He suggests three main ways to do this, which I'll share with you now. The first is to reduce the need for instant gratification. As we've chatted about before, we're all getting more and more used to getting what we want, when we want it. And while that's great, it can sometimes make us feel a little anxious. So, Mark Schein has a great suggestion for us: let's delay or reduce the satisfaction we get from these things. For instance, when you feel hungry, why not wait a little longer before eating to give your patience a little workout? Another great way to help yourself is to try to cut down on your use of modern technology. Just take an hour or two before bedtime to stop using things like computers and smartphones. We can try to empty our minds and just be still for a little while. Another great way to help yourself relax is to limit the stimulation your senses receive. For instance, when you're eating, try not to be distracted by the TV. Just focus on the taste and smell of your food instead! This allows us to give our full attention and learn to be satisfied with less sensory stimulation, which is a great way to live!

The second type of approach is to learn to accept imperfection, and we all have it! It's totally normal to not be perfect. If we always expect perfection, we can end up feeling frustrated and anxious. So, it's important to learn to accept imperfection while embracing the uncertainties of life. Mark Schein has some great advice for us! He says we shouldn't push ourselves too hard, that we shouldn't rely on external rewards and accolades, and that we should take a little time out now and then to focus on the things we enjoy, which will relax us. We can try eating foods we don't like, listening to music that doesn't interest us, or reading a book that challenges our perceptions. These imperfections might be a bit off-putting at first, but they're like exercising our muscles, making us stronger through a little bit of hard work and experience. As Mark Schein says, this will help us feel more at ease mentally, so that we're less likely to be bothered by things outside of ourselves.

The third type of approach is to establish a regular routine. We all feel more comfortable in situations that are familiar and predictable to us. So, it's a great idea to establish a regular life to help create a predictable pattern of living. We can create a schedule that gives our lives a bit more structure and predictability. This can help us to slow down and enjoy a little more rest and relaxation, whether that's listening to some soothing music before bed or getting some exercise.

And now, let's take a moment to recap the main idea of this wonderful book, "Your Survival Instinct Is Killing You." We can retrain our brains to conquer fear and build resilience!

Your Survival Instinct Is Killing You is a six-stage process. It's okay if you're feeling anxious, uncomfortable, or even a little afraid right now. We've all been there! The good news is that there are ways to ease this process.

The six stages are: first, anxiety; second, discomfort; third, fear; fourth, survival instinct; fifth, severe symptoms; and sixth, bad habits.

The best thing you can do to make this process easier is to face your anxiety and discomfort head on. This way, you can learn to coexist with them while feeling secure and desensitizing your survival instinct. There are three types of approaches you can try: the first is to accept that you don't need instant gratification all the time, the second is to learn to accept imperfection, and the third is to establish a regular life.