Mind and body control - how to channel your ‘internal telekinesis’

What is the connection between mind and body?

It’s key to point out that ‘internal telekinesis’ isn’t a clinical term, but rather a way to introduce the idea of using mental power as a tool to physically calm your body.

We spoke to Dr Connie McReynolds, Ph.D., a Licenced Psychologist and author in Redlands, California, to help explore how directed thoughts and intentional focus have an effect on your nervous system and stress response.

McReynolds explains that our brains continually interpret information, looking for signs of safety, uncertainty, and potential danger.

“For example, when something is perceived as threatening, your nervous system can quickly prepare your body to respond,” she says. “Your heart rate may increase, breathing may become faster, muscles tighten, and even digestion can change.

“These are genuine biological responses, not something you are imagining. And because communication between your brain and body goes both ways, physical sensations can sometimes intensify the emotional response.”

She adds that our physical responses aren’t simply reactions to what happens around us - they can also reflect how our brains process and interpret those experiences.

Why is your brain trapped in ‘fight-or-flight’?

Our brains are very good at learning from experience - particularly if it involves uncertainty, fear, or danger. McReynolds notes that our brain can also learn to remain on high alert, even when it’s no longer necessary.

“When you experience prolonged or repeated stress, your brain may become more sensitive to reminders of earlier stressful experiences,” she says. “This increased sensitivity can activate your body's stress response, even when no immediate danger is present.”

McReynolds adds that physical sensations may become part of a cycle. For example, if you have been under constant intense pressure, you may find your heart racing whenever your phone rings, or when you receive a message alert.

“Your brain may have learned to associate those sounds with stress, and your body responds accordingly. A racing heart or tightening muscles may increase your sense that something is wrong, reinforcing the original response.

“What’s important to understand is that your nervous system is not necessarily responding to actual danger. You need to recognise not only what activates your stress response, but also what may be making it difficult for you to return to a more settled state.”

4 ways to support an overanxious nervous system

When your brain perceives a threat, your sympathetic nervous system activates your ‘fight-or-flight’ response - mobilising your body for action.

Although this response is natural, the ability to regulate your body towards a calmer state - triggering the parasympathetic nervous system to a ‘rest-and-digest’ response - can help reset your mind and body.

Whilst there is no single way to instantly reset your nervous system, McReynolds suggests some strategies to help your body to move out of a heightened state of alertness.

McReynolds emphasises that these strategies are not about forcing yourself to relax, or pretending that a stressful situation isn’t happening. They offer different ways to influence physical responses to help your brain and body return to a more settled state.

What are the long-term health risks from an over-activated nervous system?

Your nervous system is designed to respond to stress, but also to recover from it. If your body is kept in a persistent ‘fight-or-flight’ response - with little time returning to a calmer state - it could have an impact on your health.

“When stress becomes persistent, the repeated activation of stress hormones and other physical responses can place considerable demands on your body,” McReynolds cautions.

“Over time, long-term stress can contribute to elevated blood pressure and an increased chance of cardiovascular disease. It can also interfere with sleep, affect digestion, contribute to muscle tension and headaches, and disrupt normal immune functioning.”

She goes on to say that one of the less obvious consequences is how these changes can reinforce each other. Poor sleep, and physical exhaustion can make ordinary demands feel more overwhelming.

If stress levels remain high, it may gradually feel normal living this way - without you realising how much your over-active nervous system could be affecting your daily life.

“The goal is not to eliminate stress - which is neither possible nor necessary,” McReynolds adds. “It’s to help your nervous system respond appropriately to challenges and have sufficient opportunities to recover.”

Why does shifting your mental focus effect your physical biology?

McReynolds notes that where we direct our attention can influence how our brain interprets what’s happening around us. Those interpretations can affect our physical responses.

When we focus intensely on something that’s frightening or uncertain, our brain may interpret that information as a signal to remain alert - with the nervous system responding accordingly.

However, McReynolds explains that when we deliberately redirect our attention towards something neutral, familiar, or reassuring, this gives our brain different information to process.

“If this information helps us recognise that we are safe, the nervous system may begin reducing its state of heightened alertness," she says.