Default Mode

From the Tarot de St. Croix, the Three of Swords; from the Archetype Cards, Nature Child:

          Look carefully at this Three of Swords and you'll notice one of the swords is actually a needle stitching the heart back together. Our thoughts can be useful or harmful. Researchers have found we have a Default Mode Network that automatically comes online when we aren't consciously focused on something. This part of the mind wanders, thinking of the past or fantasizing about the future. As Drake Baer explains, "the brain defaults to thinking about the person it’s embedded in." The DMN tends to drift where there are unresolved issues or where it perceives a threat. If we are angry or grieving, you can guess what pots are simmering on your mind's stovetop. However, we can't stop this flow of thoughts, but we can focus on something else (which takes the DMN offline). Neuroscience has found that meditation is a huge help, but the Nature Child reminds us of that paying attention to our pets or the beauty of the outdoors can guide our thoughts in a more healing direction too.