Mind, Heart, and Body: The Inner Committee
How often have you felt a strange tension, a knot of anxiety in your stomach, or a crushing weight on your shoulders—with no logical, identifiable cause? Your Mind searches for a rational explanation. Your Heart registers the raw emotion. Ultimately, your Body is the one carrying the entire visceral load. Today, let’s imagine a crucial conversation between these three parts of your self, to truly understand what they are trying to tell you.
The Internal Debate
Mind: “I consciously processed that old event, analyzed all the data, and filed it away under ‘Conclusion.’ Why does the Body still feel this crushing pressure? Nevertheless, it’s completely irrational!”
Heart: “I am trying to feel free, to find joy, and yet you, Body, slam on the brakes with sudden, erratic palpitations!”
Body: “Forgive me, but I am the ultimate witness. I remember the jolt, the cold rush of adrenaline, the rapid pulse. Crucially, I hold the full, unedited history when you, Mind and Heart, try to hide it. The burden on the shoulders, that uncomfortable sensation in the gut, it is not punishment. It is my language. I am trying to warn you, to remind you what needs healing. I am the literal map of your experiences.”
Mind: “So, you’re telling us we should view this physical load as a message, not a problem? We need to decode it?”
Heart: “Are you saying the pain I feel is an old, unfinished story? And that we must finally bring it to completion?”
Body: “Precisely. I hold the past, but you are the ones who have the power to release it.”
The Body as Truth Detector
Mind: “Okay, Body, I get that you’re our ‘detector.’ But my logic is a perfect filter that sorts information. What are you doing? You just hit a blurry alarm every time we encounter people.”
Heart: “Exactly! I want to feel safe, to be accepted, but I feel like your alarm system is sabotaging my social goals!”
Body: “The alarm isn’t blurry, you just refuse to listen. For example, when you feel that sense of unease in a conversation, it’s because I’m recognizing that something is fundamentally wrong. I am your personal truth detector. I don’t sabotage you, I protect you.”
Mind: “This is all we needed now.”
Heart: “I don’t know if you’re right.”
Body: “All you need to do is learn to listen to me. I will always be the voice of your truth.”
The Deeper Dilemmas
Mind: “That’s all… comprehensible. But how do we manage it when we want other people’s approval?”
Heart: “Yes! I feel that too! I just want to be loved and accepted, but my heart is racing like crazy and my words get stuck! Why do you betray us like this, Body?”
Body: (Taking a breath, as if preparing to deliver a valuable truth) “I don’t betray you. I protect you.”
Mind: “From what?”
Body: “I protect you from becoming someone you are not. The Mind attempts to draft a plan to be liked, and the Heart wants to please everyone. In essence, I remember who you genuinely are. The racing heart is my way of telling you that this environment is not safe for your authentic self. The sweaty palms are the voice of your intuition telling you to stop.”
Decoding Paralysis and the Whisper
Mind: “Let’s talk about self-doubt. Why is it that even though I’ve analyzed all my talents and skills, every time I have to make a decision, I feel completely paralyzed?”
Heart: “And I feel this deep fear of making a mistake, followed by the compulsive need to prove my worth to others. It’s like an unrelenting whisper inside me.”
Body: “That paralysis and that whisper are the voice of your insecurity. Your body is trying to protect you from moving away from who you truly are. Consequently, it is the diagnosis of the lack of confidence you feel, telling you to trust your self, not the external validation of others.”
The Financial Knot: Anxiety’s Archive
Mind: “Fine. Let’s move to finances. Logically, I should be calm, since I’ve run all the calculations. But why does a knot form in my stomach every time we discuss money? Body, what does that mean? Is that also ‘storage’?”
Heart: “And I? I want to buy gifts for the people I love, to be generous! But I feel like our financial worries are holding me back. In fact, I feel that weight even in my sleep, Body!”
Body: “It’s not about the money. Those are just pieces of paper. It’s about the fear the Heart feels and the anxiety the Mind suffers when the wallet is empty. Specifically, that knot is the collective anxiety of all three of us, pooled in one location.”
Mind: “Very well. I, as the Mind, can now grasp the logic behind all this. But what happens when things spiral? When a panic attack hits? I analyze, the Heart is terrified, but the Body literally collapses. Why?!”
The Ultimate Stop Sign: Understanding the Panic Attack
Heart: “It’s the ultimate betrayal! I feel like I’m dying, that everything is ending! Why do you do this to me, Body? To put me in such a state of terror?”
Body: “I am not putting you in a state of terror. I am forcing you into a state of wakefulness. Ultimately, the panic attack is my final message. It is the moment the body screams with all its might: STOP! Consequently, when you, Mind and Heart, ignore all my small signals, the palpitations, the knots, and the tension, then I am obligated to stop you in the most violent way possible. To save you from a path that is not your own.”
Mind: “Alright, let’s move to more charged topics. The love discussion!”
Heart: “Mind, love is an emotion, not an equation! And you, Body, instead of opening up to embrace, you create a lump in my throat so I can’t speak! I just want to express myself!”
Body: “Ah, love! That’s my favorite time! I am the one who feels the ‘butterflies’ in the stomach! Αnd I am the one who feels lifted. However, when your throat tightens, it is simply my way of telling you that what is coming is too immense to process right now. Everything you feel, I record.”
The Body: The Silent Archivist of Memory
Physical memory does not store events in the form of narratives, as the brain does. Instead, it holds records through visceral sensations and automatic reactions, which are due to the deep connection between our nervous system and the past. Specifically, the knot in your stomach you felt when afraid, the tension in your neck from insecurity, or the rapid heartbeat during a panic attack are all imprints of an old experience.
In essence, your body remembers the emotion and translates it into a physical response. The pain or discomfort you feel are not signs of weakness, but signs of your body’s memory attempting to communicate with you. Moreover, the idea that our body “remembers” is not just a metaphor. Modern studies in Neuroscience and Psychology, especially related to the management of stress and trauma, confirm that the brain and body are inextricably linked. Therefore, these physical reactions are the imprints of memory. Scientific models, such as Somatic Experiencing therapy, are based precisely on this principle: the belief that the body holds the record of the past, and healing can only come when we choose to listen.
The Power of Conscious Awareness
The goal is not to let the Body rule, but to learn to decode its messages. This true power lies in our conscious awareness. When the Mind stops judging and the Heart stops fearing, we can listen to the Body as a wise ally rather than an enemy.
Practical Steps to Inner Harmony
The answer lies in the practical application of the dialogue we created. Therefore, we must learn to hear our body:
- Observe the Body Without Judgment: The first step is to pause and pay attention. When you feel an uncomfortable sensation, a tightness, a tension, do not ignore it or dismiss it. Instead, observe it with curiosity, like a “detective” looking for clues. Ask yourself: “Where exactly do I feel this sensation? What shape does it have?”
- Connect the Emotion: Once you identify the sensation, the goal is to link the physical reaction to the underlying emotion. For instance, the tightness in the stomach may correspond to the fear of insecurity we discussed. Do not be afraid to name the feeling hidden behind your physical reaction.
- Choose a Conscious Response: This is where the Mind steps in. Conversely, instead of reacting impulsively or ignoring the message, choose a deliberate response. It might be a deep breath, a short break, or even the decision to speak honestly about what is bothering you. In this way, the Mind, Heart, and Body cooperate instead of colliding.
A Path Towards Hope and Change
Your body is not the enemy, it is your most faithful ally. Do not let it hold you back. Ultimately, every time you listen to it, you are not retreating into the past, on the contrary, you are building a future where your mind, heart, and body finally function as one harmonious team. Change is achievable, and it starts the moment you decide to listen.
Cognitive Compass 