Page 99 - Advanced Biblical Counseling Student Textbook

3. What is the connection between what we think and how we feel?

What is the link between emotional arousal and the autonomic nervous system (ANS)?
In a crisis it is your autonomic nervous system (ANS) that mobilizes your body for action and calms it
when the crisis passes. Without any conscious effort, your body’s response to danger is wonderfully
coordinated and adaptive – preparing you to fight or flee (Myers, 2009). Imagine you are walking down
a quiet city street at dusk. You hear the sound of a car slowing down behind you and notice no one else
is around. Alarmed at the car behind you, your muscles tense, your stomach feels uneasy, your mouth
becomes dry, and your heart races. “To provide energy, your liver pours extra sugar into your
bloodstream. To help burn the sugar, your breathing increases to supply needed oxygen. Your digestion
slows, allowing blood to move away from your internal organs and toward your muscles. You start to
run. With blood sugar driven into the large muscles, running becomes easier. Your pupils open wider,
letting in more light. To cool your stirred-up body, you perspire (sweat). If wounded, your blood would
clot more quickly.” 157

After your next crisis, think of this: without any conscious effort, your body’s response to danger is
wonderfully coordinated and adaptive – preparing you to fight or flee. When the crisis passes, the
autonomic nervous system (ANS) gradually calms the body, as stress hormones slowly leave your blood
stream (Myers, p. 255, 2012). Look at this chart below. On the left side, the boy is almost going to fall
into rough water. His father is reaching for him. You can see what occurs in the sympathetic division as
his body is preparing for action. On the right side, you can see the parasympathetic division reacting
once the boy is safe. 158 Our bodies are truly amazing creations!

157 Myers, p. 255, 2012
158 Ibid.

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