Have a look at this diagram here…
(Image by Fernando Belfo)
As you can see Dr Paul McLean chunks the brain into 3 simple parts. Neo-Cortex, Limbic Brain and the good old Reptilian Brain. The reason we say ‘old’ is because it’s the most primitive part of the human brain.
Neo-Cortex
This is the part of the brain we hear about most. Left and right side, ideas, decision making and so on. It’s the part of the brain that takes care of our higher order thinking skills. It allows us to THINK, ANALYSE, CREATE, INVENT and DO. So, it’s pretty important, we need it!
The challenge we have is that it only works it’s absolute best when we’re relaxed and happy. Which is an issue if we’re feeling particularly stressed just now.
Limbic Brain
This is where it’s at. This tiny wee part of your brain is in charge. It take care of many things but the main one being our emotions. Everything we see, hear, touch, taste, smell, creates a feeling and that feeling or emotion is sent to the Limbic Brain. Then based on that feeling it decides where to send you. If it’s a positive emotion, happy, relaxed, joy, it sends you up into your Neo-Cortex. You can access all the wonderful information you have up there, you can be creative and all seems fine.
But, if it’s a negative emotion, stress, fear, worry etc, then it send you down to your reptilian brain.
Reptilian Brain
This is that part of the brain that keeps us alive, we need it. This is where our Flight or Flight response lives. If we walk out in front of a bus, first thing that happens is we see and hear the bus. The info gets sent straight to our Limbic Brain, it shuts down the Neo-Cortex and sends you straight to your reptilian brain which believes there is a threat to your life and so it pulls you out of the way. You take flight. Never try and fight a bus.
But it works like this 24 hours a day. Even when we don’t want it to. Job interviews. Your Limbic Brain detects you’re nervous, believes there’s a threat to your life, shuts down the Neo-Cortex and sends you off to your reptilian brain. At which point you just want to get out of there and run away. Oh and the part of the brain that stores all your answers isn’t working!
