Perfect Storm
In this way, we produce a perfect physiological storm. The adrenaline is coursing through our veins and sustaining our sympathetic state of arousal. Yet, we do nothing about draining off this energizing system and remain in a sympathetic state. Our polystatic process is messed up in this state and with this sustained energizing of a body that remains immobile. We continue to anticipate the lion. This being the case, we continue to activate our body in preparation for fight or flight from the lion. We even reset our polystatic baseline. The dial is now set on the survival mode—as are our psychosocial and somatic templates. As Peter Sterling has noted, it isn’t our body that is at fault. It is just doing, appropriately, what our imagination is telling us is the “reality” to which we must respond.
Our imagination also takes us in more positive directions. We can anticipate the tooth fairy, Santa Claus, and “gift horses.” This is what is commonly found among gamblers who “know” that a long stretch of “good luck” is awaiting them at the casino or the sports betting bar near their home. These forms of gambler’s luck” can damage us as much as the real or imaginary lion. We must challenge our anticipation regarding luck and can’t assume that “luck is a lady tonight” (to borrow from Frank Loesser’s Guys and Dolls).
There is a second important point. As the sage would suggest, “don’t look the gift horse in the mouth.” The horse’s teeth might reveal that this horse is very old or worn out. However, an imagined horse is assumed to have a fine mouth. It is young, ready for the Kentucky Derby, or ready to be a dear companion. Just remember to never look in its mouth if you are willing to reject it as a gift. You might also wish to recognize its imaginary status. Are you just hoping that the horse is a “gift”? Is the horse really a “gift” that comes with no strings attached?
Valence, Magnitude, and Duration
Anticipations tend to change when we are confronted with shifts in three environmental characteristics. They are valence, magnitude, and duration.
Valence
The most important (and often dramatic) change involves a shift in valence from positive to negative anticipation or from negative to positive. The baseline changes abruptly, as does the level and type of physiological arousal. Positive anticipation is often accompanied by a parasympathetic state. It is as if we are awaiting a feast or a moment of quietude. A very exciting positive anticipation (especially one involving action) can produce a sympathetic state; yet, even in this sympathetic state, we are likely to obtain a squirt of dopamine when anticipating great outcomes (such as the gambler looking forward to positive results at the poker table). It is much more likely that the sympathetic system is aroused when anticipating a negative event, situation, or outcome. Whether anticipating a real or imagine lion, our body prepares for fight, flight, or freeze.
Another important consideration regarding valence concerns the mixture of positive and negative anticipations. Human beings have the capacity to not only envision malevolent lions and benevolent tooth fairies but also envision a future benefit arising out of an immediate cost: “It will hurt, but be good for me in the long term.” We can anticipate that the Flu shot will be painful, but also anticipate that we will spend the next year flu-free. We can anticipate the struggle to make ends meet when we are setting aside money for our child’s education; however, this negative anticipation is offset by our anticipation (and envisioning) of attendance at our child’s college graduation. Thus, it would seem that we are capable of embracing shared positive and negative anticipations. Homo Economicus can defer immediate gratification (small negative utility) in favor of greater long-term gratification (large positive utility) .
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