How Your Reptilian Brain Controls You

“I don’t know what I was thinking!”

We say things we didn’t mean to. Do things we know we’d regret. Make stupid purchases. Act aggressively in the heat of the moment. Eat mindlessly.

Almost as if we lose control of our own minds. Why?

Our brain has gone through millions of years of evolution. Although we have evolved into brilliant conscious, creative beings… there are parts of our brain that are very primitive and animalistic in nature. The thing is, cultural evolution happens much more rapidly than genetic evolution. As a consequence, our instinctive social behaviors are not fully adapted to the modern way of life.

Our primal instincts heavily influence our behavior. And in some situations, these instincts overpower our rational mind, causing us to act irrationally. Corporations and politicians take advantage of these same primal instincts to manipulate you.

We are fighting millions of years of evolution. Which is why we all have the tendency to act stupidly at times. How do we win that fight? How do we stop being slaves to our primal instincts? That’s what this article is about. 

The Triune Brain Model

Let me quickly get the boring part out of the way. Here’s a simple model of the human brain that separates it into three parts, based on our evolution. (The Triune Model)

Reptilian Brain

The reptilian brain is the primitive and animalistic part of our brain. Also referred to as the croc brain or lizard brain, it developed over 100 million years ago. And it’s primarily concerned with only two things — Survival and Reproduction.

It controls all the life-sustaining functions of our body: Heart rate, breathing, body temperature, excretion, etc. The reptilian brain ensures that we stay alive and kicking, at any cost. 

Limbic Brain

The limbic brain wraps around the reptilian brain. It kind of connects parts of the brain that deal with high and low functions.

This part of the brain handles all our emotions and non-verbal behavior. It is also responsible for our memories and keeps track of pleasant and unpleasant experiences. The limbic brain shapes a lot of our behavior and relationships.

Neocortex

The Neocortex is the outermost layer of the brain and is linked with high-level cognitive abilities. It enables our complex and logical thinking. It gives us the power of abstract thoughts, language, imagination, and higher-order thinking like thinking about thinking. The neocortex is what separates us from animals. 

Now, this is an oversimplified model. Our brain is much more complex than this. But the model is useful to understand how we are driven and manipulated by our primal instincts. Like the Bohr model was useful for understanding the structure of atom. 

Okay, enough nerd talk. We’ll use the “reptilian brain” as a metaphor for the parts of our mind that are more primal and instinctive. 

Evolutionary Perspective

Our ancestors used to be constantly under threat. They had to always be on the lookout for threats and react instantly. When you’re faced with a saber-tooth tiger, there’s no time for thinking. If you try to logically determine the next step, you’ll be dead before you know it.

In such situations, the reptilian brain overrides the neocortex (which is slow and demands more energy). And activates the body’s fight-or-flight response. The actions and emotions that emerge from the reptilian brain do so automatically, without us having to think about them. The reptilian brain is “stupid” but very efficient at keeping us alive.

What Triggers the Reptilian Brain?

Now, here’s the problem. 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.

• Threat to Safety

Anything that threatens your (or your family’s) safety triggers your reptilian brain. Not just physical safety, it could also be your emotional, social and financial safety. It could be someone invading your personal space. Fear of losing your job. Or someone flirting with your partner.

The world has changed and there are very few things out there that actually threaten our survival. But the reptilian brain is wired to constantly scan the environment for threats. That’s the root cause of anxiety. The reptilian brain craves comfort, stability, and familiarity. And fears new experiences, because they could potentially be dangerous.

• Sexual Arousal

The desire to procreate is a very strong primal instinct. So many of our desires can be traced back to this root desire.  We are hard-wired to seek out mates and ensure the survival of our species. Sex is inevitably a powerful trigger. No wonder the prospect of sex makes people behave stupidly. And at times, downright like animals.

We all — regardless of how “good” we think we are — underestimate the effect of arousal on our behavior. 

• Social Status

For thousands of years, high status ensured access to resources and reproductive success. In a way, it still does. Money, power, attractiveness — the possibility of gaining or losing any of these things triggers the reptilian brain. The reptilian brain is self-obsessed, greedy, and aggressive.

Playing status games. Trying hard to control self-image. Flipping out when authority is challenged. These are all traits of the reptilian brain.

• Hunger

Our brains evolved during a time when food was scarce and our bodies had high energy requirements. So when you’re hungry, your brain perceives it as a threat to survival. Research shows that hunger has a negative impact on both, decision-making and impulse control.

Food is abundant for most of us now, especially if you’re reading this. This wasn’t the case earlier. So we developed a preference for foods that packed calories. That’s why fatty foods, refined carbs, and sugar are so addictive. 

• Addictions

Addictions disrupt the functioning of the neocortex, a change visible in fMRI brain scans. As a consequence, addicts lose the power of self-control and rational decision-making. The reptilian brain dominates their thinking process.

Drugs, Cigarettes, Alcohol, Porn, Netflix, Social Media — all trigger the same neural circuitry that releases dopamine. They hijack our brain’s reward system to get us hooked. (Fun fact: Brain scans of social media addicts are similar to those of drug-dependent brains.)

• Stress

Stress triggers a combination of reactions in our bodies. Your heart rate shoots up, breathing quickens, and muscles tense up. This response, also known as the ”fight-or-flight” mode, evolved as a survival mechanism. It enabled our ancestors to react quickly to life-threatening situations. (This trigger is basically another way of reframing “threat to safety”)

Unfortunately, the body also overreacts to stressors that are not life-threatening, such as traffic jams, work pressure, or relationship difficulties. In such situations, your reptilian brain overrides your neocortex. 

Here’s an example — children living in neglected or abusive environments often exhibit learning disorders. Their focus is on getting through each day. Finding enough to eat, not getting beaten or yelled at. When the focus is on survival, the thinking brain shuts down. So things like reading, writing, and arithmetic go out the window.

The reptilian brain enables survival but curtails the functioning of the neocortex.

How You are Manipulated

Corporations and Politicians know the power of these triggers. They know how to set off your reptilian brain and prevent you from thinking rationally.

There’s a reason they use hot models in revealing outfits to advertise everything from clothing to alcohol to deodorants to cars (“Sex sells”). They play on your fears and insecurities to get you to buy their products. And sell you the illusion of “happiness”.

Politicians take advantage of the tribalistic nature of the reptilian brain to win elections. They use race, religion, caste to create an “us vs them” narrative and make you feel threatened. The idea of nationalism appeals to the reptilian brain’s territorial nature.

You’re much easier to control and manipulate when you’re addicted, stressed, and depressed.

How Your Reptilian Brain is Holding You Back

The reptilian brain is important for our survival. But its behavioral patterns aren’t pretty. It cannot think logically. It cannot resist temptations. It chases pleasure. It avoids discomfort even if it means a greater reward in the future. It causes you to lash out at your loved ones. It’s obsessive. And it’s easily manipulated.

The reptilian brain thinks from a place of fear and acts on impulse. If we live in a constant state of fear and stress, we’ll never be able to rise above our primal urges.

We’ll keep working at jobs we hate. We’ll do things we’re not proud of. We’ll sabotage our relationships. We’ll forget our dreams. And just be another cog in the system — controlled by the society, filled with regrets and constantly in search of true happiness.

How Can You Win the Fight?

As humans, we are blessed with the ability to think rationally. And the capacity to observe our thoughts, emotions, and behavior (what we are doing right now). Our aim should be to train our minds to think from this place as much as possible. 

Obviously, we can’t make cold calculated decisions all the time. We also need to develop our instincts and learn to rely on them. But we can learn to rise above our primal urges. And create a meaningful life. Instead of going through life like a zombie.

The ideas that follow are pretty common. You’ve probably heard them a thousand times. Maybe you’ll realize their importance with the right context. 

• Habits

Get rid of habits and addictions that trigger your reptilian brain. Quit smoking. Quit porn. Cut down on alcohol, netflix, social media.

Stop eating processed food (sugar, refined carbs, fried foods). It destroys your mental health by causing inflammation in the body and killing the gut microbiome. 95% of your serotonin is produced in the gut.

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.

Nutritional psychiatry: Your brain on food — Harvard Health Blog

It’s okay to indulge once in a while. But don’t build your life around these things.

Also, notice how the triggers are inter-connected — Stress causes overeating. Social media encourages status games. Self-obsession triggers anxiety. And so on.

Last, fix your sleeping habits. This is extremely important. Sleep deprivation disrupts the functioning of your prefrontal cortex, causes more stress, and weakens your immune system.

• Environment

Clutter triggers stress and anxiety. You don’t need to be Marie Kondo, just try to keep your environment clean and organized. Also, dim lighting limits the brain’s cognitive abilities. Make sure your workplace is well-lit.

Get more sunlight. Spend more time in nature. There’s something magical about nature that melts away stress.

But most importantly, be cognizant of the people in your environment. Surround yourself with the people who bring out the best in you. Learn to recognize relationships that are toxic and cut them off.

• Exercise

Being physically inactive is abnormal. Our bodies have evolved to require the stresses inherent in physical activity to grow and function properly. And exercise is as important for your mind as it is for your body. Probably more.

Research shows that the prefrontal cortex and medial temporal cortex — the regions that control thinking and memory — are larger in people who exercise regularly.

A large body of research in humans has demonstrated that consistent aerobic exercise (e.g., 30 minutes every day) induces persistent improvements in certain cognitive functions, healthy alterations in gene expression in the brain, and beneficial forms of neuroplasticity and behavioral plasticity; some of these long-term effects include: increased neuron growth, increased neurological activity (e.g., c-Fos and BDNF signaling), improved stress coping, enhanced cognitive control of behavior, improved declarative, spatial, and working memory, and structural and functional improvements in brain structures and pathways associated with cognitive control and memory

Neurobiological effects of physical exercise — Wikipedia

If exercise could be packaged in a pill, it would be the single most beneficial and widely prescribed medicine in the world.

Forget the benefits for a second. Working out just makes you feel incredibly good. Even something as simple as walking can totally change your mental state.

Hit the gym. Run. Pick a sport. Whatever you like and enjoy. 

• Meditation

Shit happens. Work can be stressful. Relationships can be difficult. You cannot control everything. But you can control your reactions.

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

Viktor Frankl

Mindfulness gives you the ability to choose your response in difficult situations. Instead of letting your reptilian brain’s whims dictate it. It trains your mind to be calm and present. Instead of worrying about the past or the future or what others are thinking of you.

Meditation literally shrinks your amygdala — the fear center of your brain. And increases the concentration of grey matter in your neocortex, enhancing decision-making, self-control, learning, concentration, and awareness.

We could go on and on about the benefits of meditation. In my opinion, it’s by far the best thing you can do to improve the quality of your life.

Take out 10 measly minutes of the 1440 minutes you have every day. Start with 2 minutes if you have to. How to meditate?

• Breathing

Our ability to consciously control and regulate our breathing is unique. It’s rarely seen in other animals. And we can alter our brain’s state simply by controlling how we inhale and exhale. Breathing at different rates or paying careful attention to the breaths has been shown to engage different parts of the brain.

Next time you feel stressed or anxious, observe your breathing. You’ll notice that you are taking quick shallow breaths. That’s your reptilian brain preparing you to get ready to fight or run.

“Take a deep breath” is not just a cliche. It helps you detach from the impulses of the reptilian brain and bring reasoning to the situation.

If you can train yourself to take just 6-8 breaths a minute, you will have much more control over your behavior. Because when the breathing is calm, the mind follows.

• Create

As they say, use it or lose it. Stop consuming mindlessly and do things that force you to engage your higher-level thinking. Write. Make music. Create art. Learn a new skill or language. Challenge your brain and keep it sharp. 

You have unique gifts to share with the world. Nurturing them will bring you a strong sense of fulfillment. 

Closing Thoughts

Hope these ideas push you ever so slightly towards a meaningful and happy life. 

But you have to make a decision. The odds are stacked against you. Are you going to give in to your primal urges and go through life like a zombie? Or are you going to fight for your freedom? The choice is yours.

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Thank you for reading. Most of the content on this website has emerged from conversations with readers like you. Every Sunday, I send out an email dissecting some aspect of the human mind.

If you can take out a few minutes every week, I promise to help you develop a strong understanding of how your mind works. So that you can have more control over your thoughts, behavior, and life.

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