When it comes to human behaviour, changing your habits for the better, inspiring yourself or others to change or to take action Maclean's model is still very relevant. Our primal instincts heavily influence our behavior. Below is a list of the methods you can use to stimulate the 'reptilian' brain, a concept proposed by neuroscientist Paul MacLean in his 'Triune Brain' model, either to attract users or to improve their experience: Eat, drink, love What motivates us more than food, drink, and love? Therefore, visual input has the most impact (A picture can say more than a thousand words). Anything that threatens your (or your familys) safety triggers your reptilian brain. This was a period on planet earth where there were very little human beings. you develop a strong understanding of how your mind works. If you want to focus better, have more concentration, be less distracted your reptilian brain really is your best friend! We are fighting millions of years of evolution. Unlike your logical brain, this brain doesn't have the power to reason and only understands the simple language of pain or pleasure. It controls all the life-sustaining functions of our body: Heart rate, breathing, body temperature, excretion, etc. Next time you feel stressed or anxious, observe your breathing. Threat to Safety Anything that threatens your (or your family's) safety triggers your reptilian brain. Robert Sapolsky: What's the best way to think about the brain? It is by nature self-centered. These are not real characters, they're pixels and it's your cortex that's turning that abstract cognitive state into an emotional response. Then it will start to pay attention again. Gray matter is made up of nerve cells and glial cells. All of these triggers can result in irrational behavior. It cannot resist temptations. When you want users or consumers to sit up, listen, and take notice of something, you might need to use threatening signals. Let him do what he loves and support him. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. It controls all our senses and motor skills. MacLean's model suggests the human brain is organized into a hierarchy, which itself is based on an evolutionary view of brain development. The reptilian brain is territorial. The old brain "decides" on the basis of the gain . to learn about core concepts of UX design. 6 Powerful Reptilian Brain hacks to get More Control over your life, 1) Appeal to the pain points of the reptilian brain, 2) Appeal to the self-centered nature of the reptilian brain, 3) Use Contrast to demonstrate importance, 4) Make your value proposition as tangible as possible (aka Show me the money), 5) Focus on the beginning and the end if you want to have an impact, 6) Use Visual metaphors to captivate the reptilian brain of your audience. The basal ganglia, also called the reptilian brain is the most primitive part of our brain. These hormones prepare your body to flee or flight by . Most recently evolved part of the brain. When is that? This part of our mind is already formed 20 million years ago. You see a movie that's emotionally upsetting. Copyright terms and licence: Fair Use. As said earlier, human beings are visual creatures, because the optic nerve is directly connected to the reptilian brain. Check for Signs of Scales or Odd-Textured Skin Another common way to spot a reptilian is by the appearance of scales. Subscribe for videos on becoming superhuman: https://goo.gl/TSDCuvDid you know you have a crocodile brain? It is in charge of feeding, fighting, fleeing and reproduction. Don't let your reptile brain tell you what to do. Ooh, on the other side of the planet, there are people undergoing some traumatic event and I feel upset about it and your reptilian brain responds. Not much. And thats because your lizard brain is already influenced by the sex trigger and your critical thinking brain can nothing do about it.This does not mean that you are always helpless when influenced by sex trigger of course. 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). If exercise could be packaged in a pill, it would be the single most beneficial and widely prescribed medicine in the world. When higher life forms appeared, the more primitive part of the brain went "underground." 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. The human brain may have developed to endow us with capabilities far beyond the reach of other animals, but this does not mean we are any less driven by the same desires. If you want to have more focus in your life, then the reptilian brain is your best friend. What triggers this is a mix between your two primitive . Learn to recognize relationships that are toxic and cut them off. While you may find other ways to prevent an amygdala hijack, these two are the primary ways. 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. Our aim should be to train our minds to think from this place as much as possible. Meditation literally shrinks your amygdala the fear center of your brain. The desire to procreate is a very strong primal instinct. weekly inspiration and design tips in your inbox. The brain diverts energy away from the thinking part of the brain which can make it hard to think. Thats why it is wise to create a pattern interrupt for yourself upfront. Because of our cognitive abilities we tend to "think" that we take our decisions consciously. Challenge your brain and keep it sharp. At the same time, with the social status, you have more ability to gain power and money. Online clothes retailer Asos use a similar method with a warning that items in the basket are low in stock, with a red band underneath the product image. The lizard brain is another synonym for the reptilian brain. Share Your reptilian brain, explained on Facebook, Share Your reptilian brain, explained on Twitter, Share Your reptilian brain, explained on LinkedIn. Without it, your genes will be unable to replicate, and your body will die. Rather than something emotional, here's a threatening beast right in front of you. In both humans and reptiles, the eye acts as a box with a lens to focus the light that passes through it. Now, evaluate with your logical thinking, if each of these threats are in fact a real danger for you. This includes the size and shape of the brain, the number of neurons in the brain, and the connections between the neurons. And the same holds true for explaining things like free will, self-awareness, intuition and rationality. 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. While the reptilian brain only understands visual images, and dont understand words, you have to make your value proposition as tangible as possible when presenting a proposal for a new project, for example. 4. Run. The Triune Brain. Just as readily though, one talks to two talks to three. When one of these triggers are fired off, the lizard brain dominates the neocortex resulting in subconscious irrational behavior. 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. The stronger the trigger will be, the more a persons character will change towards primal behavior. There is your reptilian brain, the oldest part from an evolution perspective, the limbic brain, and the neocortex. Have you ever bought something on an impulse, and regretted it later? The reptilian brain dominates their thinking process. Why? Glial cells provide support for the neurons. Finally, the cerebral cortex is the most evolved part of the brain that oversees impulse control, decision making, and long-term planning. Fear of losing your job. Knowing that the three species' brain cells were molecularly similar, with the same broad . There are a set of strong triggers that can activate your reptilian brain directly, and when this happens, your neocortex or thinking brain will be bypassed resulting in irrational behavior. Your lizard brain only has a limited set of behavioral responses which can be triggered by certain external triggers. In a reaction like Jack's, the reptilian brain becomes so dominant that logical thought is nowhere to be found. Then sitting on the top is the layer three, the cortex. Breathing exercises, physical exercise, and a good night's sleep can help keep your nervous system healthy. This is highly schematic, the brain really doesn't come in three layers. And at times, downright like animals. It is made up of three different areas. Some decisions are driven by science, and others by sexism or long-held stereotypes. But the model is useful to understand how we are driven and manipulated by our primal instincts. design thinking, interaction design, mobile UX design, This is not done by monotonous continuing your presentation of course. Take out 10 measly minutes of the 1440 minutes you have every day. Make music. Everything you see, hear, feel, taste or smell runs first through your reptilian brain. In such situations, your reptilian brain overrides your neocortex. Most of the content on this website has emerged from conversations with readers like you. So it's very easy given that, to think of a three talks to two talks to one sort of scenario. So many of our desires can be traced back to this root desire. For example, we have hair, teeth, and sweat glands. This applies when you want to trigger your reptilian brain or the reptilian brain of your stakeholders. Likewise, your cortex, layer three could influence events down in layer one. But we can learn to rise above our primal urges. This cascade of events triggers the release of stress hormones, including the hormones epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) and cortisol . It's the part of the brain that does impulse control, long-term planning, emotional regulation. They hijack our brains reward system to get us hooked. You cannot control everything. But you have to make a decision. The first step to guard yourself against unwanted persuasion is acknowledging the existence and how it works. The reptilian brain is reliable but tends to be somewhat rigid and compulsive The Limbic Brain The limbic brain emerged in the first mammals.