Stress and Life

Understanding the Human Condition through the Lens of the Human Stress Response

After many years of regular meditation practice — initially in the discipline of Mindfulness Meditation and subsequently in Transcendental Meditation (having taken a course in the technique) — I have come to believe that an understanding of the human stress response is an important key to a deep insight into the human condition. Stress has a profound effect on human physiology and psychology, particularly when chronic stress builds over time. In the long term, the effects of chronic stress can be devastating — even fatal — unless one figures out, in good time, how to deal with it effectively.

When a child is very young, they are in a natural, innate state of profound relaxation — simply because that is the natural state to be in. The brain is primarily in a theta brainwave state, which makes it highly impressionable and quick to learn. In the terminology of TM (i.e., Transcendental Meditation), one may be said to be in a state of innate “unity consciousness,” which may be described as a kind of prelapsarian innocence.

In this natural state of complete relaxation and innocence, the child experiences a profound connection with the universe, especially with nature. (I must note, here, that I am speaking for myself, based on my own fragmentary childhood memories, on the assumption that my experiences in this regard are typical of most, if not all, children). Of course, this deep connection with nature is more deeply experienced when one lives close to nature or visits natural settings — less so if one is more used to an urban lifestyle. Nevertheless, it is a state of being that one tends to take for granted as a child, simply because one is born into this condition of deep connection with the universe — of innate “unity consciousness.”

The experience of life, over time, is inherently stressful. Even if the circumstances of one’s life are the most privileged and comfortable imaginable, stress in life is unavoidable. The eastern legend surrounding the childhood and youth of the Indian prince Siddhartha, who later became the world-famous teacher and mystic, the Buddha, was that he grew up in a highly sheltered palace, never exposed to poverty, pain, or death. When confronted by the hidden seamy underbelly of life — what one may call “the shadow,” in Jungian terminology — he was deeply traumatized, or stressed, as a result, and driven to abandon his life of sheltered palatial luxury in search of life’s ultimate meaning.

It makes sense at this stage to gain a deeper understanding of the human stress response and what it entails. When one encounters any sort of threat or danger to the self, as interpreted by the amygdala, which is the “threat filter” of the human brain, the human body responds by elevating the cortisol levels in the bloodstream. Cortisol is the stress hormone, secreted by the adrenal glands (the endocrine glands located atop the kidneys), along with adrenaline, the hormone associated with extreme panic.

The “fight-or-flight” or “acute stress” response in the body is triggered when an animal encounters imminent, life-threatening danger — or, at least, the perception of danger. In response, the body secretes hormones such as cortisol, adrenaline (epinephrine), and noradrenaline (norepinephrine) from the adrenal glands and activates the sympathetic nervous system when a perceived immediate threat to life or limb is detected. The body diverts blood flow from the digestive tract and internal organs, from the immune system, and from the prefrontal cortex of the brain (associated with higher cognitive faculties) to the limbs and extremities to facilitate quick locomotion. There is also a narrowing or constriction of one’s field of perception, designed to heighten one’s capacity to deal with a perceived imminent threat to survival.

Over time, chronic stress has devastating effects on human physiology, as it builds up, especially in the nervous and muscular systems. This constant, prolonged stress buildup contributes to a condition where the human system is less and less able to function normally.

For instance, with chronic, prolonged stress, nervous agitation continues to build, potentially leading to long-term psychological distress; the muscles become tense, rigid and less flexible or agile, resulting in a reduced capacity for action and locomotion; the bones become brittle, and the pineal gland (situated in the middle of the brain) becomes calcified (though poor nutritional habits also contribute to this significantly). The cumulative effect of prolonged stress on human physiology and psychology may be described as “aging” — essentially, the progressive failure of various parts of the body over time. I would suggest this is ultimately brought on by chronic stress, resulting from being disconnected from “source” — being out of alignment with the source energy of the pervasive “unified field.”

The end result of this process, if left unchecked, is death “by natural causes” — natural aging and death. Most of us take this for granted and accept it as the natural process of life and growing old — perhaps because we don’t know any better! We assume that human beings naturally grow old and die, that the body naturally decays, leading, ultimately, to death by “natural causes.” Perhaps we fail to recognize that the process is actually the result of a lifetime of accumulated stress in human physiology, which, when not properly addressed, leads to the processes we understand as “aging” and “death.” In fact, as I understand it, we experience a progressive physiological and psychological separation, distancing, and blocking off from source energy — the unified field of consciousness that permeates all of reality — “God,” essentially. This results in our gradual physiological and psychological deterioration over time.

Techniques such as meditation, yoga, qigong, deep relaxation exercises, sound baths/immersion, chanting, humming, breathwork, etc., help us manage accumulated stress in our nervous and muscular systems. Engaging in practices like these, over the long term, results in improved physiological and psychological functioning, deeper/heightened spiritual awareness, the expansion of one’s consciousness, a reignited sense of connection with nature and the universe (which may be seen as being a precursor to the experience of unity consciousness), a raised IQ and improved cognitive skills (which may be seen as being a precursor to the activation of the pineal gland and the acquisition of ESP and psychic abilities), and even, ultimately, to the reversal of aging and to rejuvenation and revitalization (to varying degrees). All of this accompanies a renewed sense of connection with the universe — the progressive attainment of unity consciousness.

The interesting thing about this phenomenon is how closely it parallels Christian theological concepts such as the prelapsarian innocence of humanity, the fall from grace resulting in human alienation from the Divine, and the need for reconciliation and reconnection with Divine Source through the forgiveness of sins in the person of Christ. These concepts are mirrored here as the childhood/originary state of innate “unity consciousness,” followed by the separation from source energy caused by the experience of stress and fear in life, and the need for the restoration of unity consciousness and reconnection with source energy through practices like meditation and the activation of the pineal gland (or “third eye” consciousness). Indeed, the Christian tradition also uses metaphors such as the restoration of sight for the blind, which parallels the idea of opening the “third eye” to expand consciousness and achieve heightened awareness of reality, especially of higher dimensions of being.

Christianity also speaks of the “kingdom of heaven” being “within you.” This appears to parallel the esoteric idea that one’s experience of the universe reflects one’s inner state of being. In essence, the key to the Kingdom of Heaven is within you — through self-improvement and self-transformation. Thus, it may be said, we are the shapers of our own destiny through the choices we make, the lives we lead, and the personalities we become. Self-improvement does, indeed, result in the experience of a more positive life — a more heavenly, abundant, ascendant life.

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