What lessons can we learn from the Corona virus?
The host of NPR’s Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam, reveals the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, the biases that shape our choices, and the triggers that direct the course of our relationships. Recently he reminded us that the brain is designed to react to immediate threats. The fight or flight mentality. The reaction of your conditioned, fearfully programmed subconscious mind.
He pointed out that the current fear of viruses illustrates this fact. He reminded us that 1,300 people die every day from cigarette smoking related illnesses. 480,000 every year. Yet cigarettes are still legal. And people continue to kill themselves, and potentially their children, slowly but surely by smoking.
Your brain mostly reacts to current threats, even though current issues are far less deadly than others that we constantly ignore those in the future which will cause many more deaths. In how many other ways does your conditioned mind ignore or deny what you could change right now?
Disturbing facts about the flu
The CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) revealed that 2019 was a very bad year for the flu and that over a 5-month period (December through mid-April) 80,000 Americans died of the flu and complications last winter. 80,000! Why weren’t we washing our hands then? Why weren’t we protecting our elderly, our immune deficient, last year? Who decided that this year was worse? Weren’t 80,000 deaths important enough?
To date 61 elderly or immune- challenged people have died from the corona virus in the U.S. China, the epicenter of the outbreak, has 3,200 deaths. In every country so far, deaths from the common flu even in China are equal to the corona virus. In most other countries flu deaths are greater by a factor of 10 times!
Short term fears created by your fearful subconscious mind can overwhelm and control your thinking.
We should be taking precautions to avoid getting the flu of any strain. Every year we should do more. Only then can we adequately assess the true nature of a threat and take the proper precautions. We are told that the coronavirus has a higher rate of deaths than the flu. Common flu has a death rate of .1% and the corona virus is now thought to be around 1%. Some estimate the death toll in the U.S. could reach 200,000 to 1.7 million, even though most infected will experience mild symptoms. Many now doubt this worst-case scenario. Also, children are far less affected than the common flu.
So far nearly all deaths worldwide are from the elderly, sick or immune challenged people. Smoking is also considered a huge risk factor as nearly all the Chinese men who died reported were smokers and were 14 times more likely to be affected. The Italian population is also more elderly than the U.S and smoking once again is common there. Smoking and vaping simply put more strain on your circulatory system and more likely to develop pneumonia related illnesses.
It will be insightful to see if all these predictions for epidemic infections come to pass. Especially since past flu viruses start dying out in April. The hope is that the corona virus follows this same path. Soon we will be able to adequately assess which of our drastic measures proved successful or even necessary.
Should we ban all large gatherings every flu season?
What do you think? Societies are always faced with making difficult decisions, such as balancing entertainment from sporting events, plays, conventions, eating in restaurants, going to movies just living our normal life with the fact that during the flu season we will infect others…and between 30,000 to 80,000 people will die as a result. Yet few would want to cancel all these events and every year for at least four months change our lives so drastically.
Insights into your subconscious conditioned mind
Wouldn’t it be great if we also addressed those even more deadly decisions that we make and not let our short-term, fear-based subconscious programming overcome our rational, intelligent mind? Not just quit smoking and potentially spare 480,000 people every year, but also realize that alcohol related illness and accidents caused 88,000 deaths each year. And here’s the big one… poor diets account for 678,000 deaths a year. All together the preventable causes of death; poor diet, alcohol and cigarettes, account for 1,218,000 deaths each year!
The worst flu in history, the Spanish flu of 1918, killed around 700,000 in the United States. There’s no way that this current virus will be that deadly for we are far better prepared. Deaths from the Spanish flu were barely one-half of the deaths caused by poor personal choice decisions every year.
Should we be concerned about the flu, colds and other diseases? Of course. Wash your hands every day numerous times with soap and water! All life is precious. But shouldn’t we also see the larger picture to put things into perspective? Realize that as human beings our own programming and inner conditioning is responsible for most of the deaths that occur?
Decisions made in fear cause us to focus on short term issues and miss the larger picture.
While we hope our politicians continue to make good decisions about the corona virus, it is up to us as individuals to also be as healthy, wise and balanced as possible every day. Perhaps then will the needless deaths and destruction brought on by irrational inner programming lessen.
This is why it's so important for you to listen to your session audios.
This is why you use “until now” to change how you think and feel in the moment. This is why it is so important to overcome your negative programming and not allow old habit patterns and limited thinking to control your life.
Isn’t it time to make personal choices for ourselves and society based upon intelligence that truly support the common good for us all? We will transform ourselves, our society and the world when we resolve and release our own negative subconscious beliefs and behaviors.
Please use this challenge as a learning experience to continue your journey of self-discovery.
It will reveal how your mind works and the importance of focusing on the healthier you so that you overcome old, potentially more serious issues and fears. Take time to be by yourself in nature. Close your eyes. Reconnect with your grounded, trusting inner self. Remember to practice gratitude, to reconnect with all that you do have and the good and positive things in your life.
Get some exercise, take a walk, go for a run, do yoga, continue or begin strength training. Enjoy a movie, listen to music, call a friend, stay connected with loved ones.
Life is a series of ups and downs, so being at your best allows you to deal with challenges in the most intelligent, rational way. Whether they be viral outbreaks, natural disasters, mental and physical health issues or daily stress. Become a role model, a mentor, for others as you take control over how you think, feel, say and do. The future, your future, is up to you.
Comments