Getting Help From the Noticing Brain

The noticing brain allows us to be in the moment, allowing us to differentiate the past from the present moment.  When we are using our noticing brain we are expanding our window of tolerance.  

The noticing brain is the part of the brain that allows you to be aware of how you are feeling in your body.  It can help you become aware of feelings, thoughts, and impulses you may have at any given moment.  By being aware of these thoughts you can learn to remove judgment reducing shame which then allows you to make change.  

Meditation is shown to increase activity in the noticing brain (medial prefrontal cortex) while decreasing activity in the amygdala which can create a calming effecting, leading to a more regulated nervous system.  

For trauma survivors free-floating meditation may actually be more activating because the internal awareness associated with meditation can actually be triggering.  For trauma survivors, mindful noticing may be more helpful in beginning to notice the sensations associated with our emotions and compulsive behaviors.  

Mindful noticing is simply noticing without judgment or interpretation.  Doing this can have a calming effect because it allows you to stay in the present moment rather than playing the memories in your head of an event from 5 years ago.  

When we notice a feeling as just a feeling and a thought as just a thought it is less overwhelming.  Mindful noticing also trains us to be more aware of each thought or feeling with curiosity rather than judgment.  

The noticing brain also allows us to be more aware of our compulsive behaviors helping us to understand where we are in the abstinence/relapse cycle, and to recognize the unpleasant consequences of self-destructive behaviors.   

In the next step we will do a Mindful Noticing Meditation.