Happy Fat Tuesday everyone!  Recently I came across a lecture series about practicing mindfulness meditation.  I am a fairly consistent about meditating but sometimes I go for long periods where I don’t meditate at all despite being well-aware of its benefits.  I began to follow this lecture series as a way to renew my meditative practice.

Oftentimes people who seek out meditation are expecting relaxation or even a transcendent experience. You can become more relaxed as an overall benefit or perhaps experience transcendence as you learn to take a step back from a situation that might otherwise mire you in needless suffering or unfocused thinking. However meditation is not for relaxation or transcendence per se.

The lecturer describes meditation as cultivating positive habits of the mind, much like you would tend a garden. The act of meditating allows you to provide a fertile ground for positive thoughts while mindfully weeding out what inhibits growth.

One of the critical steps in preparing oneself to maximize the benefits of mediation was the notion of taking a “moral inventory” of one’s thoughts and behaviors.   What might be standing in the way of your personal growth? I hadn’t heard this notion of moral inventory connected with maximizing the benefits of mediation. It certainly made sense when the lecturer laid out the rationale:

“Mindfulness must be practiced within the wider context of one’s life…personal ethics…a disordered ethical life will disrupt our efforts to practice meditation much like weeds in a garden.”

So he suggested taking a personal moral inventory in light of these five ethical aspiration:

1.  I will endeavor not to harm others.

2. I will endeavor not to steal.

3. I will endeavor not to misuse sexuality.

4. I will endeavor not to use false speech.

5. I will endeavor not to consume toxins.

The first 4 are in many ways obvious. You certainly can cause harm to yourself and others directly.  You can harm others by stealing their possessions or ideas. Misuse of sexuality can cause significant suffering. Bending  the truth is also quite harmful.  The 5th ethical aspiration was very interesting though  for it went beyond overeating, overuse of alcohol, smoking and drugs.   The lecturer states:

“Today guarding our minds against intoxication would necessarily include the type of information we take in. Like other stupefying substances, we can become addicted to media stimulation.”

We certainly can lose ourselves in TV, the internet, and social media.  If there is anything that can lure one into the trap of mindlessness, it’s media stimulation.  Yes. Yes and hmmmm.

So today is Fat Tuesday followed by a period of 40 days of reflection and ethical self-appraisal.  This period corresponds with the spring preparation theme, the idea of preparing the ground for a bountiful garden. What better time to prepare oneself for personal growth?   As for me, ethical aspiration #5 is probably a great place to start.

Psychological type theory (the basis for the MBTI assessment) states that your psychological type does not change, that it’s innate or wired into you.  Still a significant number of people can retake the assessment and come up with a different result.  There are many reasons why this happens:

1. An individual might think his job calls for a particular behavior so his responses favor that demand.

2. Cultural ideals might make an individual respond in a certain way.  An example would be “Men are thinkers.  Women are feelers.”

3. An individual might be working to develop a certain phase of his or her personality.

4. Severe stress known in psychological type parlance as “The Grip” might skew results.

5. An individual’s upbringing may not value a certain preference so it is denied.

6. An individual might falsify their responses attempting to “choose their type.”

Also note, that as individuals mature, they develop personality overlays known as facets enhance and add new dimensions to the personality.  Therefore while type can be thought of an individual’s inborn temperament, it is a dynamic model in which the personality takes on new dimensions.   Type is not a static.  It becomes richer and more individualized over time, given the right mindset and opportunity to learn and adapt.

The Christmas Tree Brain is my recent blog posting about an asynchronous macro-state of brain activity as measured by an electroencephalogram  (EEG).  It is based on the work of Dr. Dario Nardi.   It is characterized by various brain regions firing at different amplitudes and frequencies as a result of electrical activity in the brain.   Colors of blue, green, yellow and red, illuminate the EEG screen, with an overall look resembling a Christmas tree.

This whole brain pattern comes from transcontextual thinking where seemingly unrelated thoughts and concepts are quickly blended and related in the brain, often resulting in extremely creative and often vastly entertaining output.  Those who are most likely to show this pattern have psychological preferences for extraverted intuition namely ENFPs and ENTPs and to a lesser extent, INTPs and INFPs.  Apart from any neuro data,  it is well-accepted that ENFP/ENTP types are adept at connecting elements that normally don’t go together and are energized by this.   They can also be major procrastinators with poor follow-through when the exciting suddenly becomes routine.

It may come as no surprise that many comedians, talk show hosts, journalists prefer extraverted intuition. Some of these types might be Dr. Suess,  Robin Willians, or Conan O’Brien.   Experiencing the creative output of one of these types can be both exhilarating and tiring.  Seriously, who doesn’t want Robin Williams to tone it down a notch sometimes?

While this brain state can be a decided  advantage in many areas of life, it can also lead to peaks and valleys in creative energy because the proverbial switch is either firing on all cylinders or it’s off because it is waiting for the next spark to set off new energy.  It can also be a  liability if no one is able to follow your line of thinking.  As an ENFP myself, I have experienced the benefits of this:  incredible creative energy, clever turn of phrase, and  spontaneously turning a mundane activity into an event.  I have also seen the glazed over look in people’s eyes when they don’t get what the hell I am saying or I can’t get inspired to do anything and procrastinate looking for that spark.

Fortunately, there are many strategies that one can use to ameliorate the downside to Christmas Tree Brain.  One of them is meditation.  Meditation is not a relaxation exercise.  It is training the brain to be aware of what it is doing and make gently make corrections.  If one is rigid in his thinking, meditative practice can make those patterns easy to detect in the moment.  Likewise, a mind that is distracted or wildly off topic can also be gently reigned in if it is trained to do so.

Meditation won’t change an individual’s personality, it will only enhance it giving a larger array of ways to behave given a particular situation.  If you have the gift of transcontextual thinking, at times, you have to know when to stop riffing and get to the point.  Or let someone else talk.  Or know when you haven’t been understood so you can circle back and clarify.  You have to know when you are distracted and not following through.  You won’t lose your yuletide mojo but you will know when it’s overdone.  Meditation leads to an enhanced state of awareness, something we all can use to maximize our strengths while managing our blind spots.

To try a sample 11-minute meditation led by Dr. Daniel Siegel, follow this link.

Few were surprised when the analysis of former NHL player Derek Boogaard revealed extensive brain damage and degeneration associated with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.  The brain is not designed to take multiple traumatic hits and be unaffected by the damage.  It doesn’t matter if you’re a 300 pound football player, an elite hockey player, or a housewife.  The brain remains among the most vulnerable areas of the body, and no amount of physical training and conditioning will alter that fact.

Certain occupations in life involve an element of physical risk.  Policemen get shot. Roofers fall off of roofs. Those in the military face risks constantly. Apparently, commercial fishing is  quite dangerous too. The people who do these jobs know what the risk is and they decide to do the job anyway.   It makes no sense to try to cover up the potential risks associated with any occupation, including athletics.   Jobs that have a higher incidence of concussions and blows to the head put an individual at risk for CTE.  CTE is the equivalent of environmentally caused dementia.

Apparently, the NHL is not convinced that there is a link between CTE and hockey. I am not sure what they are looking for as far as proof.  Would they go as far as to agree that concussions happen relatively often in contact sports?  Would they accept the fact that CTE is caused  by repeated blows to the head? Give these athletes the facts and let them decide if they want to take on the risk of playing the sport.   So many times an organization will try to underplay what might damage their immediate interests, and it results in a  worse problem down the line!

It’s never easy to take a proactive stance on anything. This isn’t the first time I have struggled with trying to make peace with the idea that I love to watch hockey and football and yet I know there are very significant  risks to the brain.  Decades of working with brain injured clients has created this dilemma for me.  In some ways, it seems hypocritical to be a fan of these sports and at the same time, point out what I see as a huge risk to people who play these sports. I can only imagine how difficult it would be if my life was and my livelihood was completely tied to these sports or promotion of these sports.  Derek Boogaard’s brother still plays hockey because in his words, “What else would I do?”

It isn’t an easy problem to solve. Still, it would behoove the NHL and NFL to become actively cooperative in trying to discover what risks are involved in playing a sport especially revealing the worst of these consequences. Don’t hold anything back and let the players, their families and their health care providers make informed decisions about what to do.  Also make necessary changes as a league  to improve conditions and have policies in place to minimize risk where possible.   However, the only way to arrive at a solution is to agree that there’s a problem.  How much more evidence will be required before professional sports acknowledge significant link between potentially compromised brain function and contact sports?  As the Minnesota Brain Injury Society stated in their 2010 Walk for Thought campaign: Play hard but play smart.

Understanding personal strengths and cognitive style  is an important part of being effective in our work, relationships, and communication.  There are many tools and instruments that can be used to measure these strengths and preferences.  Some measures, such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator have stood the test of time as being both valid and useful in creating this self-understanding.

Despite being a highly accurate and validated tool, there are still some cases where individuals will have reported types that differ from their actual type. Or they may have different results each time they take the MBTI. Therefore, they may  require extra dialogue to arrive at a verified type.  Others  may have an accurate reported type but want to understand their type more thoroughly without having to spend too much time reading.   In other instances, particularly when trying to apply type to communication and relationships, an easy way to compare different types might be helpful.

Enter the Personality Puzzle, a multiple use card system to assist in all of the above tasks and more!  I became acquainted with Sue Blair, the developer of the cards, at the Association for Psychological Type International Conference in San Francisco in August 2011.   I was talking to another convention goer about her book The Eight Colors of Fitness , a book that uses psychological type to plan a fitness program.  After all, we are not all motivated by the same forces.  I had mentioned that psychological type might be a useful tool for planning effective rehab plans for brain injured people.  The problem was, that the standard MBTI might be too complicated for these individuals.

I was taken to Sue Blair’s table and introduced to her card system.  It was thorough yet simple in it’s design.  As I started to work with the cards, I began to see the enormous possibilities in using these cards in multiple situations. I also purchased a set for my daughter who is MBTI certified and a teacher.  She also saw the many possibilities for the Personality Puzzle.

So what are these cards?  They actually have 2 steps:

1.  There are pairs of cards representing each of the MBTI dichotomies (introversion v. extraversion, sensing v. intuition, thinking v. feeling and judging v. perceiving).  The client chooses which card of the two mostly fits their preference.  With this exercise, you can arrive at a possible type.

2. Next,  there are 16 cards that represent each of the MBTI types.  You can verify your type based on the above exercise or you can learn more about your type if you are fairly certain about what it is.  You can also compare several types either to clarify your own or to see how you might be different than another type.  You can also see your major strengths and blind spots on these cards.   If you are working with a certified type practitioner, these cards make it easy to clarify major points for the client during a dialogue.

Pretty elegant, eh?

Since that time, I have arranged to distribute these cards in the United States – my idea, because I was so impressed with their usefulness.  You may also like to know that Sue has other projects in the works using some of the same principles as her original product.  Stay tuned for that!

Meanwhile, if you would like more information about these cards or would like to purchase a set, please contact me  or email me at annholm@annholm.net

There are many intriguing findings in The Neuroscience of Personality, Dr. Dario Nardi’s book that reveals neural correlates associated with psychological type and personality. The macro or whole brain data are particularly interesting because they describe an overall  brain state.  Studying specific brain regions in relation to type also yields some compelling findings. Still, whole brain states reflect a different level , one where the brain is fully engaged or excited.

What do these macro brain states look like on EEG ? They are are either asynchronous one example being the Christmas Tree Brain (while engaged in transcontextual thinking), or synchronous where all regions of the brain are working in harmony and at maximum amplitude.  Nardi reports  6 colors that can appear on the EEG read out.  For example, a red macro state occurs when the neocortex is hyperstimulated, such as when we have  a moment of insight or see an attractive person.

Another such synchronized state features a blue colored EEG read-out and is associated with being alert and calm or performing an activity in which we have creative expertise. While technically not called The Blue Zen Brain,  it does capture the essence of a calm mind.  Dominant introverted intuitive personality types, specifically the INFJ and INTJ are the most likely to achieve this state.  Not only do they achieve this state when they engage in an area of expertise, they also show this pattern when tackling an unfamiliar, novel problem and or envisioning the future.  All areas of the neocortex are called to action to realize an answer.  The answer is often complex and difficult to explain.

Indeed, omplexity and perfectionism are often byproducts of  this elegant and visionary style of problem solving. However, seeing a material world that often does not match what the mind can see can be a source of stress for INTJ and INFJ  types.  There will always be an ideal that lies just out of reach when the mind is capable of conceiving such a thing.   Still, knowing the general tendencies of one’s mind as well as realizing that those tendencies represent one perspective out of many, is a useful point of personal insight. In this case, it can lead to strategies to accept  a less than perfect outcome when the ideal is not possible.

In the coming months, look for more articles on the neuroscience of personality.  I will report the findings then offer a practical application of these concepts.  As always, I appreciate questions, comments, and feedback on what I have written.

What is a “Christmas Tree Brain?”  Someone who likes to shop? Decorate the house? Take a limo ride to view the holiday lights? Actually, the Christmas Tree Brain is an asynchronous macro-state measured by an electroencephalogram  (EEG).  It is characterized by various brain regions firing at different amplitudes and frequencies.   Colors of blue, green, yellow and red, illuminate the EEG screen, with the overall look resembling a Christmas tree. What’s going on?

From a cognitive standpoint, this pattern is called trans-contextual thinking.  According to UCLA professor Dr. Dario Nardi in his newly released book, , “Regardless what kind of stimulus enters the brain – be it sight, sound, smell sensation- the brain responds by rapidly processing that stimulus in multiple regions, including regions seemingly not applicable to the stimulus.”  Responses to the stimuli tend to be fast, creative, and sometimes seemingly contradictory except to the originator of these thoughts!

Indeed, these are the brain patterns of the ultimate brain stormers in the psychological type world, the ENTP and the ENFP and to a lesser extent, INTP and the INFP.  Another name for these types are the extraverted intuitives. In the case of the ENFP and the ENTP, this extraverted  intuition is a dominant psychological function, occupying half of all of the brain energy these types use every day.

Doesn’t this sound wonderful?  It IS except that with this highly energized state goes creative burn-out.  Another hallmark characteristic of the ENFP/ENTP type is the tendency to work in fits and starts, waiting for the moment of inspiration to hit and set off this powerful pattern all over again.  This pattern of thinking long described in extraverted intuitive personality types scan now be supported by EEG findings.

Recently I was at a brain conference on managing bad habits and addictions. The presenter remarked that, “Nowadays, there has to be some sort of neural correlates as measured by fMRI or other type of scanning or imaging device to lend support to psychological and cognitive theories.”  The Neuroscience of Personality and the work of Dario Nardi is an important first step toward providing supporting evidence via EEG scans.  The Christmas Tree Brain is only one of  the many EEG patterns he has identified that correlate with various psychological types profiles.

On 11-11-11, I will be presenting some of Dario Nardi’s  findings along with a framework describing the challenges that psychologists have today to provide neuroscientific data to support their behavioral theories. In addition, I will offer some insight as to how this can be used in coaching and in uncovering personal potential.

If you would like more details about this upcoming presentation, please contact me at annholm@annholm.net

The MBTI Step III is a tool that describes an individual’s progress toward healthy type development.  Psychological  type is not a static label but a dynamic path leading toward maturity of the personality.  At the Association for Psychological Type International meeting in 2011, Dr. Allen Hammer, one of the co-authors of the Step III instrument, listed these possible manifestations of inadequate type development:

• One being a caricature of one’s type
• Lack of awareness of one’s type blind spots
• The tendency to blame others for shortcomings
• Life stress and dissatisfaction
• Reduced competency and performance

He also listed possible factors that can detour type development including:

• Lack of faith in one’s type ( not seeing one’s type as being as valuable as another
• Lack of acceptance by others of one’s type
• Lack of opportunity to develop one’s type gifts
• Lack of challenge to develop one’s type especially the 3^rd and 4^th functions

The MBTI Step III overview was a 3-hour presentation that covered the essence of the MBTI Step III instrument.  Allen Hammer and Sondra Von Sant, who teach the certification course, presided.  A panel of Step III practitioners including Charles Martin, Laurie Hillis, Sydney Courtice, and me added to the discussion by sharing case stories about how the this tool led to personal examination  of type development for various clients.  Through the discussion of the assessment findings, a release of psychic energy (similar to an “aha moment”) to address life’s challenges and goals is made possible.   Sometimes even one statement on the report can trigger a flood of insight! The panelists shared cases from both counseling and coaching perspective as the MBTI Step III is meant to address both scenarios.

According to Dr. Hammer, healthy type development has these 3 characteristics:

• The dominant function is developed and used effectively.
• A developed auxiliary functioning leading to a balance of perception and judgment
• Awareness and comfort with the tertiary and inferior functions (Knowing when to non-preferred functions best suit a situation)

The MBTI Step III does provide the awareness piece that is so critical to making changes in one’s life.  After all, if you are blind to what may be holding you back from a greater and more satisfying life, it is difficult to decide what to change or how to do it!

For those who did not attend the APTI 2011 conference but would like to experience the Step III, there are several ways to get more information.

1. Contact the Center of  Application of Psychological Type capt.org
2. Join the LinkedIn Step III Group to join in a discussion, ask a question, or start a new discussion.
3. Contact an MBTI Step III practitioner to learn more about it or even experience it yourself.

Another NHL enforcer was found dead in what should be the prime of his life. Wade Belak was found dead in his Toronto apartment today, apparently due to suicide. He joins Derek Boogaard and Rick Rypien in hockey heaven. the causes of death were two suicides and one overdose on alcohol and pain killers.  This is very tragic especially for the families and friends of these players. I believe the culprit here is multiple traumatic brain injuries.  Moreover,  I suspect there are many more of these guys who struggle with pain, irritability, and depression as a result of multiple blows to the head over the course of a hockey career.

In the old days, when someone suffered a concussion on the playing field, court, or rink, it was said that that player, “got his bell rung” .  As soon as he could get back out there, perhaps with the help of some smelling salts, he was encouraged to do so.  However, it is now known that the effects of brain injuries last well beyond the sense of feeling better physically.  Cognitively, they last much longer because the brain has not completely recovered.  The effects of multiple head injuries are cumulative and the effects worsen as the brain ages.

Sports rely heavily on previous motor programming.  In fact, if an athlete is accused of “thinking too much”, it is likely that he is relying too heavily on his prefrontal cortex rather than his finely honed motor skills that are a result of hours of practice. An athlete that is performing in the zone is hardly aware of what he actually did to achieve that level of excellence.  If he thought about it too much, he would lose the flow.  It’s similar to when a golfer suddenly realizes he’s having a personal best round then loses it because he has brought it into awareness.  In my mind, a player could actually appear quite well when his motor functions returned after a concussion, but his executive functions could still be significantly below his pre-injury baseline.

The executive functions are located in the prefrontal cortex of the brain.  They are involved in higher level thinking tasks such as planning, initiating, inhibiting, attention, and decision making. Moreover, the prefrontal cortex is the most vulnerable part of the brain so any concussion would likely involve this area and these functions.  In fact the prefrontal cortex is likely to be the most affected. Is it any wonder why someone who has had repeated blows to the head with little time for full recovery might experience problems in these areas outside of the sports arena?   What happens when they retire and they aren’t earning money using their well-practiced motor skills and having to rely on executive functions?   The worst scenario here is the poor decision to end one’s life.

Now, I am a huge hockey fan.  I love the Detroit Red Wings and have been to 2 Stanley Cup Final games. A close second is football, another head bashing sport. I like these sports very much. However, there are many changes that can happen that will make these sports safer.

1. Enforce the rules that penalize cheap shots that result in head injuries.  No exceptions.

2. Make sure executive functioning of the brain returns to baseline before allowing a return to the game.

3. Provide support and coping skills for individuals who played years before new rules would be in place.  These players are the most vulnerable and need the most help.

Note: Last year’s Minnesota Brain Injury Walk for Thought focused on increasing awareness about sports concussions.  Properly treating traumatic brain injury is important at all levels of competition from youth to professionals.