“What do you do with feelings?” is a question each of us has asked ourselves when we drown in anger, grief, or hate. The human journey is all about coming to terms with these feelings and eventually transforming them into love.

Chanchalam hi manah Krishna pramathi balavaddriham, tasyaham nigraham manye vayoriv sudushkaram (Bhagavad Gita, 6/34)

“O Krishna! The mind is unsteady, tumultuous, obstinate and powerful; therefore I think it is as arduous to subdue as to control the wind.”

As I read this familiar stanza from the Gita, I recognized that the struggle to control the mind’s turbulent waves was not mine alone. Steering the journey to peace is like a boat caught in stormy seas. And yet, it is this very storm that teaches us to discover our True Self.

My own quest for meaning spanned 25 years—from Reiki to Vipassana—until I reached Shamanism. Here are six curated treasures where ancient wisdom meets the hard evidence of science.

1. Affirmations: The Neuroplasticity of Belief

Affirmations are not mere “positive thinking”; they are a targeted architectural tool for the brain. For example, I seize the opportunity. I love money and money loves me back.

• Neuroplasticity: Our brains are not static. By repeating an affirmation, we engage in Long-Term Potentiation (LTP), strengthening the synaptic connections between neurons until a positive thought becomes a physical “highway” in the brain.
• Self-Affirmation Theory: Studies show that affirmations activate the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex, which helps the brain process “self-relevant” information and acts as an emotional buffer against perceived threats.
• The Filter: You are essentially programming your Reticular Activating System (RAS)—the brain’s gatekeeper—to prioritize opportunities over obstacles.

2. Art Therapy: Bypassing the Verbal Filter

Art allows us to observe sensations and recognize that everything in life is a process of arising and passing away.

• Deactivating the Inner Critic: Engaging in a creative “flow state” temporarily deactivates the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex, the area responsible for self-monitoring and criticism (the “Monkey Mind”).
• Limbic Communication: Trauma is often “locked” in the Amygdala as non-verbal imagery. Art therapy allows us to express these “wordless” emotions, moving them from the emotional centers of the brain to the logical centers for processing.
• The Dopamine Spark: The act of creation triggers a release of dopamine in the Nucleus Accumbens, providing a natural sense of accomplishment and reward.

3. Guidance Through Angels & Tarot: The Symbolic Mirror

These are sophisticated tools of Neuro-Semiotics—the study of how symbols impact our biology.

• Jungian Archetypes: Symbols act as a bridge to the “collective unconscious,” allowing the brain to bypass the ego and access deeper, intuitive truths.
• Directed Introspection: By using the “Barnum Effect” constructively, the brain “fits” a universal symbol to its specific current problem, sparking a targeted internal dialogue.
• Stress Reduction: Angelic imagery acts as a “safety signal” for the Vagus Nerve, stimulating the Parasympathetic Nervous System to lower heart rate and cortisol levels.

4. Nature Therapy & Cord Cutting: Biophilia and Grounding

Nature isn’t just a backdrop; it is a biological healer.

• The Biophilia Hypothesis: Humans have a genetically encoded need to connect with nature. Research shows that just 20 minutes in a “green space” significantly lowers levels of Salivary Cortisol (the stress hormone).
• Earthing (Grounding): Physical contact with the earth (like walking barefoot) allows the body to absorb free electrons, which has been scientifically shown to reduce inflammation and improve sleep.
• Recapitulation: Shamanic cord-cutting utilizes Mental Contrasting, a psychological technique that helps the brain “close” open loops of emotional baggage, freeing up cognitive energy.

5. Practice Awareness: The Amygdala Reset

Whenever overwhelmed, sit back and take a deep breath. Pausing is the best solution to avoid reacting from fear.

• Interoception: This is the scientific term for “Awareness”—the ability to sense the internal state of the body. Developing this skill increases the gray matter in the Insula, the part of the brain that helps us regulate emotions before they spiral.
• The 90-Second Rule: Chemically, it takes 90 seconds for an emotional flush to move through the body. If you can “Awareness-Pause” for 90 seconds, you are no longer reacting to the chemical—you are making a conscious choice.

6. Meditation: Mastering the “Default Mode Network”

Bandhuratmatmanastaya yenatmaivatmana jitah, anatmanastu shatrutve vartetatmaiva shatruvat (Bhagvad Gita, 6/6)

“He who is able to exercise full control over his mind… is his greatest friend.“

• Shrinking the Amygdala: MRI scans of long-term meditators show a physical shrinking of the Amygdala (the fear center) and a thickening of the Prefrontal Cortex (the logic center).
• The DMN: Meditation quiets the Default Mode Network, the part of the brain responsible for “rumination”—the endless loop of past regrets and future anxieties.
• Gamma Waves: Advanced meditation can produce Gamma brain waves, associated with “peak experiences” and a sense of universal love and connection.

A Note from the Author: This article was first published on lifepositive.com in May 2014. Returning to these words a decade later, I am struck by how the “Alchemy of Feelings” remains the most vital work we can do on this earth plane.

The 6 Steps to Alchemy: At a Glance

1. Affirmations: Rewire your neural highways.
2. Art Therapy: Let your Amygdala speak without words.
3. Angels & Tarot: Use archetypes as a mirror for the soul.
4. Nature Therapy: Lower cortisol through biological connection.
5. Awareness: Use the “90-second rule” to stop reacting.
6. Meditation: Physically shrink your brain’s fear center.