It appears that parking spaces have been on my mind as of late. Perhaps you read my article in June’s issue that spoke of me saying a “prayer of thanks” for nabbing a rarely available primo parking spot. It started me thinking about a few of my friends who always seem to be able to find great parking anywhere, anytime. I wondered, do these people have some kind of special “parking angel” hovering close by just waiting for the opportunity to use their magical powers, or is there something else at play? It turns out it could all be occurring in a part the brain called “The Reticular Activating System” or RAS for short.
The RAS is a web-like structure of bundled cells that rests in the most primitive part of the brain known as the Reptilian brain. Located at the core of the brain stem RAS also includes neurons located in diverse parts of the brain and spinal column. It mostly controls wakefulness, sleep-wake transitions, and attention. Some common disorders in RAS are ADD, sleep disorders and Alzheimer’s to name a few. What does this have to do with parking you may be asking? RAS is also a very sophisticated filtration system responsible for filtering out all sensory information it deems as unimportant and prioritizes that which it believes is valuable. You see, at any given moment you are bombarded with over 2 million bits of information. Your brain can process roughly 150 bits and is only consciously aware of around 40. The RAS acts as your very own “guardian at the gate”, allowing only those visitors in to see you who are on the VIP list.
How does your brain decide who or what is important enough to get through? Well, let’s say you are in search of a parking space. Because your brain has determined a perceived value in finding a space, it begins a screening process of its external environment and begins to limit its focus from any other stimuli around it- screening only for an open space or a perceived threat. This sense of hyper-aware focus can appear to create a parking space where none existed before. You can try this on your own. Simply bring something to mind, like a green shirt or elephants. Make believe that this item is of extreme importance to you, and then wait to see what happens. Shortly thereafter, you will begin to see green shirts or elephants showing up all around you. “But surely our RAS must be for something more important than just great parking spaces or elephants?” you protest. Absolutely. RAS plays a huge role in whether we see the world as a wonderful, magical place filled with opportunities or one filled with sadness, lack or fear. It is the part of the brain that comes into play when you desire to manifest something. It is at the heart of the statement “What you focus on you will find”.
From the moment you were born, based on your emotions, your brain began to create a data bank of things that were considered valuable and “true” and those that were not. Over time, these filters became your default system, filled with beliefs and conditioned thinking that in some cases are so strong many are willing to die for them. About 95% of the time, it isn’t even our conscious mind making decisions for us but rather our conditioned brain. The filters are different for each person based on their hierarchy of needs. Where this creates roadblocks is that many live day to day on auto-pilot never examining their old beliefs and outdated filters which are now running the show. RAS is constantly comparing your external world with your internal beliefs, and if they are in conflict, this can create cognitive dissonance. Here is a common example: If you grew up in a belief system that taught you couldn’t earn a living as an artist or a musician, your brain would filter out any and all evidence to the contrary. Any opportunities that might come along to contradict that, you would not be aware of them. RAS will have filtered them out. “Well, I would notice and grab the opportunity” you think. Not really. RAS is so good at doing its job; you won’t even notice that you didn’t notice. Another example of this is when you have a belief about a certain race of people or a particular person or religion. Any information that may be shared by that person or group, even if it were accurate or helpful, would be filtered out as untrue or unreliable and therefore not get through.
There is good news, however. The conscious part of your brain, the frontal lobes, have the power to override the RAS system. All you need to do is place your focus on what it is you want, not on what you don’t. By learning to examine your thoughts and beliefs, you will begin to notice all of the limiting ones that are holding you back, keeping you in fear and directing your life. If you can embrace a daily consciousness practice, you will learn to maintain greater and greater states of awareness putting you back into the driver’s seat…and I’ll just bet you find a great parking space to boot!
