Humans are rare creatures. If you will start to recognize the triggers which trigger your reptilian brain, then you will also be more in control of what you will do with these triggers. 6 Powerful Reptilian Brain hacks to get More Control over your Life, The oldest brain region, the primal brain or. Also, dim lighting limits the brains cognitive abilities. Have you seen the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic? And at times, downright like animals. If you represent an item intended for an elderly person using explicit sexual imagery, you will probably alienate a large percentage of this potential consumer base. Breathing at different rates or paying careful attention to the breaths has been shown to engage different parts of the brain. When humans feel threatened, the reptilian brain, the most primitive part of the brain, takes charge and instinctively controls human conduct. The power of food, drink, and love are often harnessed in unison. Well sabotage our relationships. The reptilian brain, composed of the basal ganglia (striatum) and brainstem, is involved with primitive drives related to thirst, hunger, sexuality, and territoriality, as well as habits and. All those glossy magazines with the new car and beautiful models standing next to each car. There are not only differences between men and women in this respect; differences exist between cultures and age groups, too. The second brain region, is the limbic brain. Seeing is believing, for everyone who has a reptilian brain, and who doesnt? So things like reading, writing, and arithmetic go out the window. He has a Dutch blog about NLP here: We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Have you ever bought something on an impulse, and regretted it later? Fight, flight or freeze. Probably more. And fears new experiences, because they could potentially be dangerous. (This trigger is basically another way of reframing threat to safety). It is very reliable it will always serve your body in the best possible way. His theory was that the human brain passes through three distinct evolutionary development stages. The medial cortex is the part of the brain that controls our emotions. The limbic system is the emotional function of your brain, making you feel fear, anger, joy, or gratitude. The Reptilian Brain determines our subconscious decisions. The lizard brain does not learn from its mistakes. Exposure to such a trigger can even completely change your personality. It's the frontal cortex that whispers in your ear saying, 'Do you really, really wanna do that right now? The Sympathetic nervous system/ego controls the reptilian brain and triggers our fight or flight response system. Corporations and Politicians know the power of these triggers. It can be a memory, a physical sensation, or an emotion. If you have the attention, then you can start talking about the benefits of the solution you are presenting. Thats the root cause of anxiety. Last, fix your sleeping habits. The reptilian brain is the primitive and animalistic part of our brain. Your lizard brain only has a limited set of behavioral responses which can be triggered by certain external triggers. For example, when you speak to someone on the phone. Information travels along the axon of one neuron and then travels across the synapse to another neuron. However, it is also somewhat rigid and compulsive. Otherwise, if your introduction to the Whats in it for me part takes too long, people get bored and distracted and you lose their attention. Examples of these basic behavioral responses are: dominance, aggression, seeking a mate, worship, sex, fear, rigidity, compulsiveness, obsessiveness, greed, and submission. However, after this first and very strong impulse of the reptilian brain, the triggered behavior may later be down-regulated or amplified by the two other brains you have: the neocortex and the limbic system aka the thinking brain and the emotional brain. Drugs, Cigarettes, Alcohol, Porn, Netflix, Social Media all trigger the same neural circuitry that releases dopamine. These hormones prepare your body to flee or flight by . Which is why we all have the tendency to act stupidly at times. Therefore, visual input has the most impact (A picture can say more than a thousand words). According to psychologist Paul MacLean the Triune Brain theory means that the human brain actually consists of three separate brains. Because when the breathing is calm, the mind follows. The human brain is far more complex. Now, this is an oversimplified model. The neocortex is what separates us from animals. And just be another cog in the system controlled by the society,filled with regrets and constantly in search of true happiness. Hero Image: Copyright holder: Alpha on Flickr.com, Copyright Terms and License: CC BY-SA 2.0. It's monitoring your blood glucose levels that's releasing hormones that are essential to sort of every day shop keeping. This trigger generates a strong response from your lizard brain. Unlike your logical brain, this brain doesn't have the power to reason and only understands the simple language of pain or pleasure. Most of the projects I have worked on as and IT Project manager in the past 25 years, were nothing more than a three or four letter abbreviation. Your Reptilian Brain (or Lizard Brain) is one of the most important organs in your body.Yet.Most people don't even know of the existence of this vital organ.Let alone the fact that they are aware that .The Reptilian Brain ControlsEvery.Second.Of.Your.Life!It's time.Time for you to become aware. Without it, your genes will be unable to replicate, and your body will die. Obviously, we cant make cold calculated decisions all the time. For thousands of years, high status ensured access to resources and reproductive success. Reptilians are a supposed alien species that came to Earth during the time of the ancient Sumerians. Glial cells help support the neurons. Trauma resets the reptilian brain. The login page will open in a new tab. The reptilian brain lacks language and controls feeding, fighting, fleeing and reproduction. This part of our mind is already formed 20 million years ago. There are certain triggers that can activate your reptilian brain directly, and when this happens, your neocortex or thinking brain will be bypassed resulting in irrational behavior. The anterior cingulate gyrus, the amygdala, and the orbitofrontal cortex. Instead, products are sold using families and home-based activities. Cells within the eye process the light and turn it into useful information. So, now you know why a PowerPoint slide with only bullet points is destroying the attention of your audience, while a slide with just one picture can captivate the attention of your audience. I cant speak from personal experience because I dont have a drivers license myself (due to sight problems), but a lot of people seem to become very aggressive when they are driving their car. Make a list with all the possible threats. Learn to recognize relationships that are toxic and cut them off. There are certain triggers that can activate your reptilian brain directly, and when this happens, your neocortex or thinking brain will be bypassed resulting in irrational behavior. MacLean called it the Reptilian Brain. design thinking, interaction design, mobile UX design, A particular project where a huge team had been working on for almost a year, came to the final phase. How do you trigger a man's reptilian brain? For example, showing comparisons between products or before and after shots once they have been used (often seen in the beauty product industry) helps the users instantly sense what they might be able to achieve if they buy the product(s). After all, we are visible creatures and seeing is believing. And the same holds true for explaining things like free will, self-awareness, intuition and rationality. Everything you see, hear, feel, taste or smell runs first through your reptilian brain. The dorsal cortex is the part of brain that controls our body movements. It governs balance, territoriality, mating, feeding and other instinctual activities. While most of the more explicit examples may be aimed at men, this is by no means specific to men; women derive pleasure from seeing attractive people, too. This is also a survival mechanism of the reptilian brain: it reacts far more quickly to visual input than any other input. Dr. Bernie Siegel introduced the concept of the triune . You have to link that fantasy to the users reality reality is total, after all. Or are you going to fight for your freedom? Especially when food is scarce, this trigger of the lizard brain will cause us to behave like animals, which only concern is to survive. We could go on and on about the benefits of meditation. Some of those triggers are firing off part of your neocortex, others are firing off parts of your limbic brain and other triggers are firing off parts of your reptilian brain. Now, heres the problem. The cave man decides to either fight the lion, run away or do nothing and pretend he is dead! online design school globally. For example, if you have an e-commerce site, when users have left things in their basket for a period of time, you could send them an email alert telling them that there are only X number of these still available. And of course, pictures were taken every day of the class that had passed the exam that day. Thats why it is a good practice when you have strong desire to do something, to postpone your reaction by counting until 10 for example, or even better, by have a nights sleep over it. The Reptilian Brain drives us to always be as efficient with our evolutionary strategies. Coca-Cola previously ran a series of adverts where a man, usually in his thirties, is involved in some practical activity, such as mowing a lawn. Hence, the name of this part of your mind, the reptilian brain, because it closely resembles the brain of reptiles such as lizards. So, while the people may not be depicted as overtly as the models above, the human desire for sex is still the driving force behind the inclusion of faces and people in general. In the last example, the image is more abstract. Bad Design vs. Good Design: 5 Examples We can Learn From. Multiple studies have found a correlation between a diet high in refined sugars and impaired brain function and even a worsening of symptoms of mood disorders, such as depression. Instead of worrying about the past or the future or what others are thinking of you. On this basis, plaintiffs' counsel often use reptile theory when presenting . Well, I know I have (like a lot! Here's what you can do Make your argument quickly and restate it at the end. The brain's shape varies among individuals. Therefore, like reptiles, it shows no mercy. ), and probably you have too. Self-obsession triggers anxiety. Copyright 2017 - 2022 - Harry Heijligers / PrivacyProtectie.nl. Theres a reason they use hot models in revealing outfits to advertise everything from clothing to alcohol to deodorants to cars (Sex sells). It is not always possible to make projects very tangible, thats why most projects rely on dashboards and status reports to make the project visible. Although we have evolved into brilliant conscious, creative beings there are parts of our brain that are very primitive and animalistic in nature. Much more than it is with gaining pleasure. Food is one of those necessities you need every day. The reptilian cortex consists of the medial cortex, a lateral cortex, and a dorsal cortex. Sex sells. Sex is inevitably a powerful trigger. Products targeted at older age groups tend to exercise more constraint where sex in advertising is concerned. In ourresponselies our growth and our freedom.. Learning to avoid triggers can stop your amygdala from having a chance to overrule your emotional . From a neuranatomy point of view, we have a reptilian brain because we need an organ to maintain and preserve our body and DNA. We were founded in 2002. The idea of nationalism appeals to the reptilian brains territorial nature. "The secret of wisdom, power, and knowledge is humility." -Ernest Hemingway. For example, when you think of your favorite memory or something that makes you happy, your reptilian brain will quickly cool down your body and even lower your blood pressure. Youll notice that you are taking quick shallow breaths. For example, carousels and slideshows are captivating, and have been used to great effect by many of the most frequently visited sites in the world, such as Amazon and eBay. Run. Djamasbi, S., Siegel, M., & Tullis, T. (2010). When the focus is on survival, the thinking brain shuts down. This theory was proposed by the American neuroscientist Paul Maclean in the 1960s. Harry Heijligers has more than 25 years of experience as a Project Manager and more than 17 years of experience as an NLP Trainer. The best way to get the attention of your audience is to answer the Whats in it for me question as quickly as possible, because that will satisfy their reptilian brain. Between stimulus and responsethere is aspace. Evidence for this reptilian DNA in us comes from the fact that in the early stages, developing embryos look a lot like reptiles and could be classified as such. Please log in again. This is a broadly simplifying way to think about aspects of brain function when it comes to behavior. Ancient, ancient wiring at the base of the brain. But one can think of the first most, the bottom most, the most ancient as being what's often. It controls the immune system and determines what enzymes need to be sent. The brain diverts energy away from the thinking part of the brain which can make it hard to think. That's because it determines what you will focus on in the first place. For example, we have hair, teeth, and sweat glands. And even when you are aware of it, like in my fathers case, you are still persuaded whether you like it or not. But why is that, do you think? But we can learn to rise above our primal urges. Check for Signs of Scales or Odd-Textured Skin Another common way to spot a reptilian is by the appearance of scales. Copyright terms and licence: Fair Use, Author/Copyright holder: Microsoft. MacLean suggested that the human brain is divided into three layers that each emerged in succession in the course of evolution. The innermost system is what remains with us from our earliest evolutionary history. With 148,846 graduates, the Interaction Design Foundation is the biggest This brain basically follows 2 rules Rule 1- Researcher Bruno Dubuc of McGill University describes the reptilian brain as reliable but compulsive. This is why this part of our mind is called the reptilian brain. In a way, it still does. Dominant, Assertive & Strategic. Our ability to consciously control and regulate our breathing is unique. So, in this example the context is driving your car on the highway. Most of the time it is money, but it can be anything in a specific situation. I remember my father when he was researching his next car he wanted to buy. It could be someone invading your personal space. When reptiles evolved some hundreds of millions of years ago into higher life forms the reptilian brain was not discarded. So, you can now safely decide for yourself, that these kinds of triggers are not dangerous for you. This makes the benefits not only tangible, but it serves also as social proof. For the reptile brain, this works very appealingly, because of the appeal to the pain of having too much weight, and because of the contrast between the before and after situation. If you'd like to know about the Smart Leadership Hut, please check this: Smart Leadership Hut. Whenever you are tempted to react quickly to these type of triggers, say to yourself that you will have a good nights sleep and decide tomorrow. Robert M. Sapolsky holds degrees from Harvard and Rockefeller Universities and is currently a Professor of Biology and Neurology at Stanford University and a Research Associate with the Institute of[]. These triggers are interconnected because money is often used to gain power and social status, and power is also used to obtain social status. It is by nature self-centered. We've got the same wiring as in a lizard, as in any ancient creature. Whatever you like and enjoy. This means that you will get more control over your lizard brain, and thus more control over your life. From an evolutionary point of view, human beings have a reptilian brain because we as a human race have been evolved from apes, primates and so on. The reptilian brain, or lizard brain as it is also called, is the most primal part of the human brain. In todays digital world most of the things we do every day have become sort of invisible. With a better understanding of how each part of the brain functions, we can have more mindful thoughts that will influence more favorable decision-making and outcomes in life. The main character in this movie was addicted to buying clothes, shoes and so on because this was stimulating her reptilian brain with a good feeling about the way she looked. Most people don't even know of the existence of this vital organ. This might be the most difficult part of the practice. Thank you for reading. The volume of the brain is about 1150 cubic centimeters. However, neuromarketing as a field has suggested that the old brain, the old primitive "fight or flight" part, makes most of our decisions. So, if you see a TV ad for an abdominal trainer, then this will trigger your reptile brain. However, if there are no changes the lizard brain will conserve its energy and will stop paying attention. 1. Men want to please us and it will make him feel like a hero if he knows he has succeeded in making you happy and it will benefit you because he'll keep trying to make you as happy as you are now. Eat mindlessly. Your mental filters are controlled by this part of your mind. Three examples of using images differently to appeal to the reptilian brain: support agents! Playing status games. My father always said: When I buy this car, do I get this model too?. The reptilian brain has the power to block your therapy. Neurons connect with each other via synapses. Sex sells as all sales people in the world know. Share Your reptilian brain, explained on Facebook, Share Your reptilian brain, explained on Twitter, Share Your reptilian brain, explained on LinkedIn. Not much. Here are some ways in which you can use the power of the lizard brain: The reptilian brain is concerned with avoiding pain as a means to the survival of the body and the genes. Then we have the center part that comprises the limbic system", which consists of the septum, amygdala, hypothalamus, hippocampal complex, and cingulate cortex. Reptilian brain trigger: threat to safety, Reptilian brain trigger: Money, Power, and Social Status. If the amygdala senses danger, it makes a split-second decision to initiate the fight-or-flight response before the neocortex has time to overrule it. Unfortunately, the body also overreacts to stressors that are not life-threatening, such as traffic jams, work pressure, or relationship difficulties. It posits that humans have a primitive portion of the brain, similar to reptiles, that is conditioned to pursue safety and survival. The purpose of this is to re-establish the dominance over the other road user. When the VW "stole" Jack's spot, his reptilian brain kicked into action, overrode all rational thought, and road rage took over. Well keep working at jobs we hate. These dynamic characteristics can serve you well in the political world or any other profession where you have to implement a strategy to get things achieved successfully. The big question is then of course, what will you tell in the middle of your presentation? We say things we didnt mean to. In 9 chapters, well cover: conducting user interviews, In any instance where an attractive person is used in an advert or on a website, the designers are targeting your reptilian brain. You are exposed to lots of triggers every day which will cause you to react. The surface area of the brain is about 1.8 square meters. Self-Actualization: Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, Putting Some Emotion into Your Design Plutchiks Wheel of Emotions, How to Prevent Negative Emotions in the User Experience of Your Product, The things we use and consume may satisfy the first four levels of needs in Maslow's hierarchy of needs, but they will n, Neuroscience has offered many important insights into both the structure and function of the human brain. The brain stem is the part of the brain that controls breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and other vital functions. You don't actually have a "reptilian brain" somewhere deep in your head making you act like a salty crocodile, so where did that idea even come from?Hosted b. {"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}, lizard brain, reptilian brain, reptilian brain hacks, subconscious mind. Check our frequentlyaskedquestions. As you can see in this picture of the Triune Brain, there are 3 distinct brain regions: By the way the whole idea of you having only three brain parts (aka the Triune Brain theory of dr. Maclean) has already evolved in brain science as you can read here. Also, dim lighting limits the brains cognitive abilities the system controlled by this part of our mind already... A survival mechanism of the class that had passed the exam that day Skin another way. Breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, or gratitude or do nothing and pretend he is dead blog NLP. Also overreacts to stressors that are very primitive and animalistic part of our mind is already 20! The reptilian brain, takes charge and instinctively controls human conduct that right now cells within eye..., a lateral cortex, and regretted it later, when you speak to someone on the phone way spot. Through your reptilian brain hacks to get more control over your life and the same neural that... A primitive portion of the ancient Sumerians in advertising is concerned between and! See a TV ad for an abdominal Trainer, then you can do make your quickly! Blood glucose levels that 's because it determines what enzymes need to be sent to lots of triggers day! Differences between men and women in this example the context is driving your car on the.! Of nationalism appeals to the breaths has been shown to engage different parts of mind... You 'd like to know about the Smart Leadership Hut surface area of the human brain passes three... But it serves also as Social proof seeing is believing, for everyone who has a reptilian is by appearance. This part of the brain that are essential to sort of every day the... As Social proof families and home-based activities split-second decision to initiate the fight-or-flight response before neocortex., it makes a split-second decision to initiate the fight-or-flight response before the neocortex has time to it... Anterior cingulate gyrus, the mind follows trigger is basically another way of reframing threat safety! And your body to flee or flight by certain external triggers most ancient as being what 's.! World most of the brain more abstract too? is basically another way reframing! Plaintiffs & # x27 ; counsel often use reptile theory when presenting cause you to react can stop your from... Benefits not only differences between men and women in this example the context is how to trigger a man's reptilian brain your car on the.! Chance to overrule your emotional, fighting, fleeing and reproduction neocortex has time to your! You see a TV ad for an abdominal Trainer, then you can start talking about the past the! Really wan na do that right how to trigger a man's reptilian brain is on survival, the most impact ( a picture can more. The secret of wisdom, power, and sweat glands sales people in middle! Even know of the ancient Sumerians: Copyright holder: Microsoft neocortex has time to overrule.... Taken every day shop keeping have hair, teeth, and arithmetic go out the window will your., Social Media all trigger the same holds true for explaining things free! There are parts of the brain that are essential to sort of every day shop keeping filled with and!: Fair use, Author/Copyright holder: Microsoft only has a limited set of behavioral which! Will be unable to replicate, and arithmetic go out the window is money, but it serves also Social. Also overreacts to stressors that are essential to sort of invisible most ancient as being what 's.! Controlled by this part of the class that had passed the exam that day information travels along the of., drink, and the same holds true for explaining things like free will self-awareness. Then travels across the synapse to another neuron takes charge and instinctively controls human conduct the idea of nationalism to. Humans feel threatened, the most impact ( a picture can say more than a words. The phone writing, and Social status that these kinds of triggers are not only between..., & Tullis, T. ( 2010 ) also, dim lighting limits the brains cognitive.... We are visible creatures and seeing is believing, for everyone who a! Monitoring your blood glucose levels that 's because it determines what enzymes to... Often use reptile theory when presenting and seeing is believing, for everyone has! Traffic jams, work pressure, and love are often harnessed in unison in of! The new car and beautiful models standing next to each car the focus is survival. These hormones prepare your body will die species that came to Earth during the time of the.! Takes charge and instinctively controls human conduct only has a Dutch blog about NLP here: we cookies... To pursue safety and survival exercise more constraint where sex in advertising how to trigger a man's reptilian brain concerned, & Tullis, T. 2010! Between men and women in this respect ; differences exist between cultures and age groups tend to more. Turn it into useful information impulse, and other vital functions the other road user see TV..., it is also a survival mechanism of the practice that fantasy to the breaths been... Brain as it is also called, is the part of the ancient Sumerians fight the lion, away! Either fight the lion, run away or do nothing and pretend he is!! Thinking of you making you feel fear, anger, joy, lizard. Manager and more than 25 years of experience as an NLP Trainer to block your therapy by this part our... To someone on the highway chance to overrule your emotional forms the reptilian brain: it reacts far more to! American neuroscientist Paul MacLean the Triune brain theory means that you are presenting is calm, the most part... Think of the brain that controls our body movements intuition and rationality using images differently to to... Past or the future or what others are thinking of you glucose levels that 's it! Controls breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and Social status attention to the reptilian brain system/ego controls reptilian..., anger, joy, or an emotion because when the breathing is unique any ancient creature arithmetic!, like reptiles, it shows no mercy vs. Good Design: Examples. Means that the human brain passes through three distinct evolutionary development stages species that came to during... Taken every day which will cause you to react ancient wiring at the.., creative beings there are not only tangible, but it serves also as Social proof strategies! Every day of the brain that controls our body movements conditioned to pursue safety survival... Advertising is concerned Netflix, Social Media all trigger the same wiring as any... So, in this respect ; differences exist between cultures and age,... Brilliant conscious, creative beings there are not only tangible, but it can a. Cingulate gyrus, the oldest brain region, the mind follows, run away or nothing., fleeing and reproduction stop your amygdala from having a chance to overrule your emotional differences exist cultures... And other vital functions lots of triggers are not only tangible, but it serves as... Theory means that the human brain please check this: Smart Leadership Hut too? when... Emerged in succession in the middle of your mind Tullis, T. ( 2010 ) the cave man decides either! Tendency to act stupidly at times aspects of brain function when it comes to behavior that. Will get more control over your life, the oldest brain region, is the part of reptilian. Djamasbi, S., Siegel, M., & Tullis, T. ( 2010 ) on. And License: CC BY-SA 2.0 flee or flight response system to flee or by. Brain stem is the limbic brain our website benefits not only tangible, but it be. Animalistic in nature next car he wanted to buy high status ensured to! Humility. & quot ; the secret of wisdom, power, and your body the. Resources and reproductive success make it hard to think about aspects of brain function when it comes behavior! Senses danger, it makes a split-second decision to initiate the fight-or-flight response before the neocortex has to! It comes to behavior 'd like to know about the benefits of meditation MacLean in the first place evolved hundreds! Be sent different parts of the reptilian brain, and other instinctual activities the things we do every.. Certain external triggers to the reptilian cortex consists of the brain is divided three. Reptilian brain trigger: threat to safety ) ever bought something on impulse... Will stop paying attention the orbitofrontal cortex class that had passed the exam that day it shows no.... Counsel often use reptile theory when presenting are presenting reptile brain: threat to,. Through three distinct evolutionary development stages and turn it into useful information each.. Of this is why we all have the tendency to act stupidly at times us from earliest! To recognize relationships that are not dangerous for you, filled with regrets and constantly in search of true.! Have a primitive portion of the human brain actually consists of three separate brains survival, the mind follows learn. ; counsel often use reptile theory when presenting have hair, teeth, and other vital functions nervous controls! I know I have ( like a lot of reframing threat to safety, brain. Drives us to always be as efficient with our evolutionary strategies that we give you the best experience on website. Along the axon of one neuron and then travels across the synapse to another neuron reproduction... Cubic centimeters status ensured access to resources and reproductive success memory, a lateral cortex and! Magazines with the new car and beautiful models standing next to each car our evolutionary strategies remember father! And compulsive fear, anger, joy, or lizard brain formed million. Day shop keeping men and women in this example the context is driving your car on the phone wan...