It appears that we have three distinct brains operating in our head: the lizard brain, the mammalian brain and the primate brain. Each brain has its own agenda and influences our responses to the environment accordingly.
The lizard brain, located in the medula olongta or brain stem, is concerned with avoiding harm. It's a genetic holdover from our evolutionary past and very useful in the wilderness or the big city. From the lizard perspective, the world is a dangerous place full of predators that can gobble it up. The lizard brain is always on the alert for signs of danger. It's response to danger is to flee and hide. The news media seems to be stimulating this part of our brain with information about the bad economy, the dangerous government, the destruction of the planet. If you react to disturbing news through escapist pursuits like television, computer games, drugs and alcohol, your lizard brain is in charge.
The mammalian brain is interested in rewards and pleasure. Although I don't know where this brain is located because I was busy writing notes when Rick showed it to us on the big TV screen, I am very familiar with it. The primate brain seeks those things that give pleasure and satisfy physical desires e.g. thirst, hunger, sex and warmth. A lot of our advertising targets the mammalian brain with pleasure visuals, especially those relating to sex. I think our food seeking drive may be more motivated by smell than vision. So when they start making "smellevision," watch out! My spiritual teacher once told me the food vendor's trick of frying onions. You don't have to sell the onions, just fry them and the people will come and buy whatever food you are selling. So if your response to stress is to eat, you know your mammalian self is on the ball.
The primate brain focuses on social bonding. It feels good to be in association with others. Caring and caregiving is programed into the primate's DNA. We need each other, at least our families and probably our tribe in order to survive in a primate world. Connection to our state or nation is more problematic and not part of the DNA. See Francis Fukuyama's new book The Origins of Political Order for a seminal work on the subject of nation bonding. Nonprofit organizations are stimulating your primate brain when they send you glossy pamphlets with pictures of happy third world people holding baby lambs and smiling.
If you pay attention to how you feel and what you feel like doing, you will know which part of your brain is operating at any tine. When the lizard brain is happy, it is calm and when unhappy, it will avoid. When the mammalian brain is happy, it's physical desires are satisfied. When it is alarmed or stressed, e.g. hungry -- it will approach. When the primate brain is happy, it is caring and social. When alarmed it attacks. This scheme can be summerized:
Brain - happy - unhappy
Lizard - calm - avoid
Mammal - content - approach
Primate - care - attack
So what do you do when you're stressed? Hide? Eat? or Attack? Who is in charge? And then ask yourself who is supplying you with your choices.
Posts
One of my responses to stress is to have a melt-down and cry. That must be a human brain response. I wonder if there is any survival benefit to that response.
ReplyDeleteI just discovered your blog. Your cartoons are enchanting and your ideas well-communicated. (Ed. note: it is medulla oblongata...referring to the shape). I've just subscribed.
ReplyDeleteOpps. Forgot to do a spell check on that one. Glad you like the cartoons and the posts. Lovely to have you following them.
ReplyDelete