Limbic Lag and Lent

Although the structure of the brain is quite complicated, in simplistic terms, there are two parts to the brains namely,

1.      The neocortex, which is located in the front of the head,, and receives and stores information for decision making and remembering.

2.       The other part is called the limbic system, which controls all the automatic systems of the body and the emotions.

Most importantly, the limbic system controls the survival responses, i.e., “fight or flight.” When a person feels threatened, these protective responses tell him/her either to defend himself/herself or to run away. The limbic system does not have a memory like the neocortex, not knowing the difference between yesterday or 30 years ago.  This explains why some of our childhood traumas still trigger so powerfully today. It is the limbic system that is most affected by our beliefs, behaviours and addictions, and it can be negatively programmed through traumatic experiences, such as growing up in a dysfunctional family.

Events come through our senses and are fed into various parts of the brain. The limbic system colours or tags these events with degrees of response as either safe or dangerous. If tagged dangerous because of past trauma, either real or imagined, it reacts by creating anxiety or depression. If the event is tagged having to do with survival, the limbic system can create a focused craving for behaviour that has been associated with survival in the past. The craving focuses our attention on that behaviour until we feel safe or normal again. Thus an addiction is created. Addiction is not about ‘getting high’, but it provides a way to feel normal (free of stress). The conscious mind learns to cooperate with the survival behaviour (addiction), and protects it from being challenged by a filtering process called denial. The result is the addictive brain.

The limbic system learned that having needs in a dysfunctional family resulted in vulnerability, hurt, abandonment, and isolation. In order to survive day after day in a dysfunctional/threatening atmosphere, a person has to find a system of thought that will allow for survival. Every time a feeling of vulnerability is experienced, fear creeps in and warns, “Danger!” Feelings of fear and panic signal you to flee from possible hurt. This limbic process responds automatically and subconsciously. Even after the painful or traumatic situation is over, the subconscious still believes that “If I have needs and trust other people, I’m going to get hurt and I won’t survive.” When trust issues come up today, the limbic system reacts as it was programmed to perceiving fear of vulnerability.

 Limbic Lag

Even though a person discovered false beliefs, uncovered the lies and finds and knows a new truth, there is a time lag between what the limbic system believes, and what the neocortex has learned. This is called limbic lag, a process that can be anywhere from a couple of months to years, but it will get shorter as the person continues to challenge the false beliefs, (traumatic memories) and risk trusting people. A person, for example, may have fear and panic attacks, but once he/she goes through them without doing the old behaviour, his/her limbic system will say, “Oh, we went through that and actually survived.” The next time he/she experiences the fear it will be less, and he/she will be able to make a good choice, rather than overreacting with a “fight or flight” response.

Old automatic habits aren’t changed quickly or easily, and are stronger if a person is tired. Many recovering addicts and trauma survivors have programmed the survival part of their brains with thousands and thousands of instances of avoiding unwanted thoughts or emotions, choosing not to “fight” with their issues, but to take “flight” into their addiction. Over time, this “flight” pattern becomes an automatic reaction. With a new identity based on new beliefs, they can change that ‘flight’ pattern or re-programme their limbic system.

Change happens one decision at a time. To begin to break the ‘flight’ pattern and decrease the time of the limbic lag process is listen to what your mind knows, and do what is best or right rather than what the emotions tell you would feel good to do (drugs, alcohol, sex, food),

It is comforting to know that there is a physiological reason why our feelings do not automatically come into line with our rational thought. This could be quite reassuring to us as during Lent, who are or may be struggling with our emotions after we have made a conscious decision to change a behavioural pattern. Change will not happen overnight even from the physiological viewpoint, although when we co-operate with God's grace working within us, the conscious decision and our feelings may begin to come into line a little easier.

However, change is possible.  In this time of Lent, we need to be encouraged to embark on a process to re-programme our brains, by discovering false beliefs and replacing them with the truth.  We may choose to get some professional help as a Christian counsellor/priest is in the position to facilitate a powerful change through the power of the Holy Spirit, as the client learns to trust God, himself/herself and other people.  The limbic system will make it very difficult for us to make changes that involve risk (like recovery) unless it feels it is safe. We do not need to take the risk alone. God walks our self-discovery journey through life with us as our companion.