Your Brain has 3 layers with 3 different functions

Photo Credit: pyschologytoday.com

In this post, I discuss: your brain, how it works, and using this knowledge to master your life.

Magicians have long known that human behavior has a certain pattern to it. This is the secret to creating magic: understanding what other people know, how they will act, and then using it against them. And while magicians use this knowledge to entertain, its usage has been applied to marketing, education, and even brainwashing.

There are 3 distinct layers within the brain:

• The Reptilian: The oldest and most primitive part of the brain. It is the instinct portion of the brain and controls our survival and reproductive portion of our mind. Fear, hunger, sexual desires, etc. It takes control over the other 2 portions of the brain if you are feeling threatened. It will block out any information it deems as threatening (this is important!)
• The Limbic System (paleomammalian): Loosely speaking, this is the emotional portion of the brain. It is in control of what emotions you will feel and the pleasure center of the brain. It also is the part that absorbs information that it deems useful that wasn’t ignored by the reptilian.
• The Neocortex (neomammalian): Again, loosely speaking, this is the portion of the brain that is in control of logic. This is the part of the brain that will apply the “useful information” (that the limbic system absorbed) into a task later.

Learning to control the usefulness of the limbic system and neocortex take time. The reptilian, on the other hand, is what I’m more concerned with. This is the portion of the brain that holds you back from taking risks. 

We are living in a time when taking calculated risks are necessary. It is important not to let fear hold you back from accomplishing a goal you deem necessary. Fear comes in many forms, whether its pursuing a career or simply learning to be more social with people. Do not let your reptilian brain hold you back from accomplishing something great. It will make you fear failure, and therefore success. 

Now that you know that your reptilian brain plays a role in your everyday life, take the time to recognize it when it appears. It is that little voice telling you to stay away from something. If you feel yourself wanting to run away, ask your self, is this simply my primal instincts kicking in? Is this thing I fear truly worth fearing? Perhaps the outcome will outweigh the risk…