Spring 2024 Newsletter
Introduction
The Mindbridge Newsletter is taking a Spring Break this month as we regenerate and regroup. There are so many exciting things to look forward to in the remainder of 2024: our organization is gearing up for all variety of partnerships, launches, and announcements!
Please take a moment to enjoy our abridged Newsletter, where we offer some resources on staying in the human rights game even when it’s tough, and spotlight concepts that help us examine our internal barriers to progress.
This newsletter will feature some neuro-breaks and other mindful approaches to rejuvenating the mind and spirit as we emerge through our next seasonal transition!
Getting to Know Your Guardians
Each guardian has their own methodology and it is important to try to identify which you are negotiating with, within both yourself and others. Guardians may show up as knee jerk responses and/or more deeply embedded and insidious thoughts and behaviors. Knowing the qualities and characteristics of each guardian allows us to approach them with effective strategies. Here are some examples:
Some faces/characteristics of individual guardians include:
Confirmation Bias: The tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses.
Trigger Effect: When something hits too close to home we may become triggered, defensive, and move away from the topic due to the perceived pain of its association with loved ones/things.
One & None: When presented with new information, focusing on ONE example that contradicts or nullifies the new information.
Too Busy: Continually excusing oneself from the work of mitigating bias because life is always just “too busy” to make time for the work.
The Missionary Mindset: The idea that because I do good work in this world, I am absolved from having to inspect my own relationship with racism/bias.
So, How Can We Address Our Guardians?
When our Guardians start to show up, it is important to tune in to your feelings and behaviors:
If you feel hurt, taking a step back before engaging will allow you to better respond.
Don’t be afraid to talk to someone how you feel
Become aware of topics, situations, etc that make you feel defensive
Be curious; seek to understand and not necessarily to respond
Take responsibility; you might not have intended to be defensive but perhaps your impact was
Practice your communication skills and take into account how to respond
And sometimes, the activation of a trauma guardian can mean the best course of action may be to step back from, rather than move toward, the discomfort of the situation.
Healing trauma is a process that requires time, intention, and often professional guidance. Compassionately holding space for oneself, taking a break to tend to self-care needs, and seeking the help of a trained professional are all options to help one engage productively with a trauma guardian.
As a society, we are beginning to unpack the ways in which implicit biases and social inequity have impacted every facet of the human experience. These forms of biases, inequities, and harm permeate the human condition, ultimately impacting the degree to which we are capable of having healthy relationships, both with ourselves and with one another.
To make actual, meaningful change, we must be willing to slow down and intentionally listen to the stories and experiences of those whose lives might be different from our own. And yet what often stands in the way of our connection to our fellow man are not the loud and overt grievances shared over social media but rather what lies beneath it - the often quiet, implicit and deeply embedded processes within our psyche itself.
For decades psychologists and neuroscientists have studied the mechanisms underlying social division and violence, exploring the ways in which our tribal psychology, or “groupness,” impacts our ability to empathize with others or when we feel pleasure at another person’s pain. So what are the mechanisms underlying Us vs. Them? Let’s talk about these survival mechanisms: our Guardians.
Why Should We Get to Know Our Guardians?
It is important to look at the ways that our brains try to protect us from experiencing the necessary discomfort that accompanies transformative change. Our brain employs certain neuropsychological mechanisms in order to resist change and protect us.
Mindbridge calls these protective neuropsychological mechanisms GUARDIANS. The job of our guardians is ultimately to try to protect us; they are set up to guard us and are very good at keeping us from updating our knowledge files. However, they each have a different face and they respond to situations and scenarios differently.
Research Roundup
April Roundup: Welcoming Our New Research Scientist
By Emily Williams, Mindbridge Research Associate
The Mindbridge Research team is pleased to announce the addition of our new Research Scientist, Victoria! Joining the team back in March, Victoria has a background in social psychology, psychometrics, and applied social science. Mindbridge is so excited that she has joined our expanding team, and we look forward to her invaluable expertise and supervision experience as we take on new project initiatives.
Did You Know?
ASMR and its Psychological and Physiological Effects
From PsyPost, published April 1st, 2024 (see the article here)
By Emily Williams, Mindbridge Research Associate
Have you ever heard a particular sound, such as humming or tapping, that feels inexplicably relaxing? Researchers in Germany and the Netherlands recently did a systematic review of this lesser-studied phenomenon to understand better why this happens, and how it may be beneficial psychologically and physiologically for some individuals.
What is ASMR?
ASMR stands for: Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, referencing a relaxing but tingling sensation that starts near the scalp and moves down toward the back of the neck and upper spine. For those who experience the phenomenon, it usually follows exposure to various auditory, visual, and tactile stimuli (including but not limited to whispering, humming, and tapping). Now an increasingly popular form of relaxation and sleep aid on social media apps such as TikTok and Youtube, ASMR content can generate millions of views.
Does ASMR Really Help You Relax?
Despite its social media popularity, ASMR has been relatively understudied in the field of science. This prompted researchers from the Netherlands and Germany to examine 54 existing quantitative studies on the subject of ASMR, with a combined total of 11,140 participants.
Neuroimaging from these studies notes a significant correlation between experiencing ASMR and the activation of specific brain activity patterns associated with relaxation and stress relief. Additional physiological measures linked to ASMR include reduced heart rate and lower blood pressure. Psychological benefits also include a link to improved mood and higher openness to new experiences. The researchers finished the systematic review with a discussion on emerging psychometric tools to assess ASMR experiences, such as the ASMR-15 questionnaire and the ASMR Experience Questionnaire (AEQ).
While the researchers suggest that the subject of ASMR warrants further study to determine how it affects individuals (and why ASMR is not a universally experienced phenomenon), the present findings suggest that ASMR may have similar therapeutic benefits as mindfulness or yoga concerning psychological and physiological responses. The full article can be found here.
HAPPENINGS
April 2024
Here are some recent happenings from Maine Association of Nonprofits:
MANP champions the work and worth of Maine nonprofits and amplifies voices, contributions, and challenges of nonprofit organizations in our communities and beyond. In recent news:
The Role of Art in Community (Maine Calling) A number of art exhibits taking place in Maine highlight the role that art can play in helping individuals and communities heal and grow stronger. We’ll hear from artists about their work--and about current exhibits that have interactive components. One such exhibit features items from Lewiston-area community members that represent memories and healing, in the wake of the shootings last October.
Maine lawmakers need to fund bills to improve mental health services (BDN Editorial)
Arts hub in Norway is making headway with renovation of vintage factory (Mainebiz) An initiative to create an arts center in the Oxford County town of Norway is making progress, as a nonprofit called Lights Out Gallery renovates an old factory to become a physical hub for artists and the community.
New Americans play 'crucial role' in economy of Androscoggin County, report says (Mainebiz) Immigrants to Maine have become a key to solving demographic challenges in recent years, bolstering the state's workforce, building businesses and supporting economic vitality.