The Mind's Filtering Station: RAS
The Reticular Activating System (RAS) is the gateway to your brain. It selects only the information that matters to you from billions of data points.
What is the RAS System?
The Reticular Activating System (RAS) is a bundle of nerves at our brainstem that filters out unnecessary information so the important stuff gets through. It acts as a concierge, deciding which sensory inputs reach your conscious mind.
How It Works
The RAS filters information based on your focus. When you start looking for something specific (like a red car), your brain ignores other details and highlights that target.
Wellness and the RAS
The RAS has the power to turn your intentions into reality. You can program your RAS through positive affirmations and visualization.
When you set a goal, the RAS makes opportunities related to that goal "visible" and draws your attention toward them.
Practical Applications
Starting your day by saying "I will find 3 things to be grateful for" forces the RAS to filter for positivity.
When you visualize a success, the RAS begins to search your environment for the tools that will help you achieve it.
Bringing your attention to the present helps the RAS filter out unnecessary noise (worry, obsession with the past).