The End…and the Beginning:
Realizing the Promise of the Breakout Principle
At the beginning of this book we suggested that the Breakout mechanism might provide us with a kind of “ultimate self-help principle.” In fact, the Breakout Principle does have the power to enhance many areas traditionally associated with self-improvement and personal transformation, such as creativity, productivity, athletic performance, health, and spirituality.
At the same time, however, much more is involved with the Breakout than just the facilitation of self-help programs. In his 1902 classic Varieties of Religious Experience, William James, quoting the early psychology-of-religion researcher Edwin Starbuck, suggested the existence of such a broad-based, interconnected phenomenon that his readers and listeners must have responded to him in some measure of wonder:
An athlete…sometimes awakens suddenly to an understanding of the fine points of the game and to a real enjoyment of it, just as the convert awakens to an appreciation of religion. If he keeps on engaging in the sport, there may come a day when all at once the game plays itself through him—when he loses himself in some great contest. In the same way, a musician may suddenly reach a point at which pleasure in the technique of the art entirely falls away, and in some moment of inspiration he becomes the instrument through which music flows…. So it is with the religious experience of these persons we are studying. (Varieties, 203, from Starbuck’s Psychology of Religion, 385)
James and Starbuck displayed the amazingly early insight that widely divergent peak experiences, which by definition are individual and subjective, are also somehow connected by a common mechanism. With our emerging understanding of the biology behind the Breakout, we now see that an objective reality—a peculiar biochemistry, neurology, and physiology in the brain and the rest of the body—does indeed make up the physical platform on which these subjective events occur.
Furthermore, the Breakout mechanism appears to involve a peculiarly human phenomenon, which requires self-consciousness and understanding on the highest level. We know that lower animals respond to outside pressures and threats automatically, such as through the fight-or-flight response, which involves the unthinking release of epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine. As humans, we respond instinctively in the same way to stress.
But beyond this point the similarity ends. Current research suggests that animals lack the self-consciousness and advanced mental capacity to be able to understand their biological responses, to predict future consequences, and to devise a strategy to control their inner biology. Human beings, in contrast, can “step back” mentally and evaluate their current situation in terms of future results.
More than three decades ago, I began to explore how human consciousness and volition could elicit the relaxation response to counter the stress response. It has long been recognized that the ability to pursue a cognitive coping strategy represents a distinctively human capacity or skill, which requires a conscious decision. Now, we are beginning to see how this innate and unique human ability to influence our inner biology also works with the Breakout Principle.
To make the best use of this special human gift—the Breakout Principle—you will almost certainly find that you will first have to proceed through two basic steps:
Comprehending and executing these two steps requires the application of your rational, thinking brain. But when you finally understand the process—and when you have prepared or “struggled” as much as needed—you then have to make a conscious decision to “back off” and let your “lower” brain and neurological functions take over. You sever past thought patterns by pulling the Breakout trigger, and that moves you into an entirely new, nonlinear, and holistic way of thinking, where great insights and performances are much more likely to occur. But this is only the beginning.
Many people we have encountered feel that the most exciting and life-changing Breakout experiences of all are those that lead to a peak of transcendence. Such an attitude is certainly understandable, because peaks of transcendence—as well as peaks of self-awareness, as we have defined them—touch upon those areas of life that deal with ultimate meaning and happiness.
If you hope to explore these realms fully, you will certainly find that a prerequisite will be the development of a potent, intrinsic personal belief system. Understanding the Breakout Principle can be a great help in such a philosophical quest, but make no mistake: Your fundamental philosophy of life comes first. The Breakout Principle is simply a biological mechanism that, if properly harnessed, can become an extremely useful tool in the service of your personal beliefs. But the beliefs themselves exist on a deeper plane.
Such life-transforming beliefs may begin in a sudden, blinding conversion or insight, but however they are launched, they typically develop and mature only over a lifetime of “spiritual work.” Deep spirituality or philosophical awareness requires ongoing commitment, study, and discipline, including a willingness to set aside time regularly—preferably daily—to learn and cultivate those habits and inner attitudes associated with a profound philosophy of life.
As you rely on the Breakout Principle to help you explore these peaks of transcendence, you will almost certainly find yourself journeying beyond the boundaries of contemporary science. Science has definitely made our lives healthier and more comfortable in many ways. And science has much to contribute as we try to determine our ethical and social stance on difficult medical issues, such as those relating to genetic research. But ultimately, science cannot set adequate standards to judge the validity or potential of particular belief systems. That role must be reserved for responsible philosophers, theologians, and others who have been trained and who have vast experience in evaluating values and spirituality.
Finally, those who have effectively combined the Breakout Principle with their personal belief systems have often discovered that when they return to the concerns of their daily life, they enjoy an enhanced ability to trigger Breakouts in other areas—such as athletics, artistic creativity, or job productivity. Their deepest beliefs work hand in hand with the Breakout Principle to intensify their levels of personal motivation and commitment.
William James and Edwin Starbuck foresaw more than one hundred years ago that there may be similarities between peaks of transcendence and other peak experiences, such as those involving athletic prowess or musical expression. But those who believe they have been touched by something beyond space and time are often convinced that utilizing the common biological platform of the Breakout is just the beginning of the adventure.
In the end, the Breakout Principle can certainly help explain occurrences and feelings that may have escaped our understanding in the past. It can also enrich our daily lives by expanding our personal creative capacities and by moving us toward higher levels of achievement at work, in relationships, or in athletics.
But at the same time, as we explore these phenomena in greater depth, we should expect to be surprised. We should expect to be pointed in entirely new directions. And we can expect to experience insights that, in our analytical mind-set, we never anticipated or dreamed possible.