In the article you will find information about what the reticular brain is. We will try to understand this concept in detail, as well as find out what effect it has on everyday human activities. The human reptilian brain in neuromarketing has allowed specialists to achieve high success. We will also talk about this, because very often, by influencing this particular part of the brain, a marketer manages to achieve one or another result from a potential client. So, what is it about?
Introduction to the topic
Many do not even think that a person has more than one brain. The fact is that almost everyone thinks that they have one or two at most. In this case, most likely, they represent the brain, which is located in the cranium. You may have remembered the spinal cord. But people who are related to anatomy and biology can also mention bonebrain. There are 3 in total, but in fact the situation is much more multifaceted.
To begin with, we note that there is a science of physiology, which carefully examines the human nervous system. It was neurophysiologists who concluded that in the human skull there are two completely different brains. The main thing is not to confuse these concepts with the hemispheres.
Reptilian brain
So, the human reptilian brain is the so-called first brain. It is believed that it was he who first appeared in animals many millions of years ago. Very often it is called "crocodile brain". The fact is that it is he who performs the key functions necessary for the survival of any living creature. It is he who allows individuals in whole groups to survive for further reproduction. In other words, this is the so-called cave brain, which is responsible for animal instincts in a person. It is also believed that it is he who controls the unconscious part of the brain.
Neocortex
The second brain is the neocortex. Very often you can hear how it is called the "new brain". As for its age, scientists believe that it was formed in humans only a few thousand years ago. It is thanks to him that we differ from animals, which are guided only by the instincts of the first brain.
Thanks to the neocortex, a person can think, reflect, make logical decisions, build relationships, interpret the surrounding reality. It is the “new brain” that allows us to have a mind, an opinion, a certain level ofintelligence, creativity, the ability to communicate with other people, as well as conflict with them and establish various kinds of connections. The neocortex is also involved in making rational decisions and in how active and fruitful our imagination works.
Is there a third brain?
Note that some physiologists say that a person has a limbic brain. Thus, they argue that the reptilian brain, the limbic brain and the neocortex completely provide the conscious work of the entire brain system. Researchers also say that the limbic brain is responsible for emotions. It is he who allows us to interpret them correctly, learn to express and communicate our feelings to other people after an emotional reaction.
In other words, this is a kind of system aimed at processing human emotions, which is attuned to the human consciousness and can be controlled to a large extent.
So, we figured out that the “new brain” is responsible for consciousness and thinking, the limbic brain controls emotions, the reptilian brain allows us to act on the level of instincts and survive, but the spinal cord controls our body, various processes in internal organs. However, we will not consider the spinal cord, because it does not relate directly to our topic.
We have one body, which is controlled by three different systems. Still, the spinal cord should not be overlooked, because it is it that allows us to go about our business, for example, to act on instincts andanalyze your emotions, and not think that you need to constantly breathe, make your heart beat, and blood run through the vessels.
Science side of the issue
The anatomy of the human reptilian brain is similar to that of animals. As for the scientific view on this issue, it is quite well studied, but not everyone agrees on the same opinion.
Thus, psychologists separate the nervous activity of a person, his values and beliefs from other parts of his personality. And physiologists, on the contrary, say that our lives are not controlled by ourselves, but by our hidden physical needs and desires.
For example, the founder of a new direction in psychology, Sigmund Freud, said that he considers man an animal. However, his statement did not cause much support in the scientific world. And it is not known whether the point here is that a person considers himself the crown of creation and does not want to question this statement, even from a scientific point of view, or whether a person is really only partly an animal, but he has all the tools to act relatively independently of his nature.
Two beginnings
It should be noted that in every person there is an animal and a rational one. The fact is that society as a whole understands this, but interprets it incorrectly, because it proceeds from the provisions of ethics, morality and religion. In fact, the theory that a person has, roughly speaking, both good and bad, has its roots in physiology.
So, in a person there is an animal nature, which is mistakenly called bad. Howeverit is what allows us to survive, reproduce, and compete. It is called bad because, following it, a person primarily acts on the basis of his own interests. It must be understood that this is not objective, because if a person did not think about himself in the first place, then humanity, in principle, would not have survived.
A reasonable start is considered to be good, but this is only half true. It is the mind that creates the most terrible weapons, it is the intelligent people who kindle wars and make agreements for terrible events over which they have power. So deciding what is good and bad in a person is pretty stupid.
Another question is that man has real control over the animal and is intelligent in himself. And it is foolish to believe that it depends on external circumstances or his fate. Everything is in himself, and the reins of government are also in his hands.
Functions of the human reptilian brain
We have already figured out what it is, now let's talk in detail about what its functions are. If you try to describe the reticular brain in one word, then it is enough to say the word "instinct". But what is he?
Instinct is some data of a person that he has from birth. They consist of the features of his psyche, determining the future behavior in various situations, whether it be a mortal combat, the ability to choose a partner for reproduction, or the ability to resist what is contrary to views.
A person has a lot of instincts, and each of them controls a specific area of activity. But there are only 3basic instinct by which he survives and can continue his activities, continue the human race.
So, the reptilian brain is responsible for the survival instinct, the most important instinct. It works in a person in various dangerous situations when it is necessary to adapt, win, or simply survive in any way. It may manifest itself in different ways. As they say, there are two reactions - either fight or run. It is, in fact, so. In a stressful situation, a person either enters into an open confrontation, that is, a fight, or tries to avoid danger, pretend to be weak.
But there is a third behavior that is above the instinct of the human reptilian brain. This model is that a person begins to think about how to solve a particular situation. In other words, he puts in the first place not his fear and instinct, but the desire to achieve the maximum resolution of the situation. That is, he can show aggression, show that he is ready to fight or fight, but, nevertheless, he will do it intentionally - in order to scare off the enemy, and not in order to finally defeat or destroy him. He can also compromise, that is, show that he is ready for some concessions in order to subsequently achieve mutually beneficial conditions.
So, the survival instinct, or rather the level at which it is manifested in us, also largely determines the social status. The higher it is in a person, the safer and more comfortable he lives. So, the leaders of various tribes, heads of state,people in power, and so on, are usually well off, able to defend themselves, not exposed to dangerous situations, well fed. That is, they are guaranteed to survive, which provides the survival instinct.
But at the same time, there is another side of the coin, which is that it is these people who most often want to get rid of. They want to overthrow, disgrace, kill, etc. That is why they always have to be on their guard, because a blow can be struck at any second and in the most unexpected way.
Reproduction and gregariousness
The second instinct of the human reptilian brain is the instinct of procreation. It is thanks to him that we like certain people, we are trying to create a family in such a way that everyone in it is happy, there is peace and tranquility. Therefore, we strive to enter into a sexual relationship that is pleasant for a person and is his immediate need. Our bodies are fully equipped to have a large number of children in a lifetime.
The third instinct we'll talk about is the herd instinct. It is he who makes us accept the opinion of the majority when we are not ready or weak to express our own opinion. In the past, this instinct was very useful to a person, because it made it possible to organize a community in which each member was ready to intercede for the other and help him. But later, when there were enough people, disunity set in, and people began to conflict among themselves in various groups. That is, the herd instinct, as it were, was divided. The conflicts started witha number of issues, ranging from religious, ethical, state and ending with the most everyday.
However, in the modern world, many people are still guided by the rule that you always need to help only your own, completely avoiding strange and incomprehensible people. These people are against everything unusual and against those people whom they do not understand or who do not meet their standards. Transferring the reptilian human brain to such a reality shows us that the herd instinct does not always work in our favor in modern life. Rather, it hinders our further development and improvement as an intelligent species on the planet.
There is such a thing as xenophobia. It is the fear of everything else. Modern people, instead of aiming for unification and world peace, divide into groups and despise each other. They openly enter into confrontation, start various squabbles and, in fact, they themselves do not know why they are doing this.
Features
The fact is that the psychology of the human reptilian brain is quite difficult to study because it works differently for everyone. This is the main feature of the reticular brain. Everyone's instincts are controlled in completely different ways. Someone is more prone to them, and, in fact, his whole life can be determined on the basis of this. Someone is much less subject to instinctive influences, so he is more open to the world and ready to accept incoming information.
But the starting position depends not only on what psychological aspectsinherent in us by nature. Much depends on the environment in which a person grows up. Even if very strong instincts are embedded in him, but he grows up in the right peaceful atmosphere, then such a person, although he will not lose his prevailing animal nature, will be able to control him from childhood. Thus, this beginning will not cause inconvenience, but, on the contrary, will help in various life situations.
Under the animal principle, we mean the predominance of strong instincts, and not that there is a lot of something bad or shameful in a person.
But if a person grows up or is in difficult conditions for a long time - he is constantly in danger, he grows up in an unfriendly environment, constantly starves or requires some other resources, then his instincts become very aggravated, even if by nature they were fairly weak. In every life situation, they will greatly influence the decision-making and behavior of such a person, if he does not learn how to cope with them. As we understand, the most "qualitatively" instincts are developed among the inhabitants of Asia and Africa. They are least developed among the inhabitants of Europe and America. It is because of this that a large number of conflicts occur in the world.
How to control the reptilian brain
The fact is that in the modern world this feature of human psychology is actively used. For example, in marketing. The psychology of the human reptilian brain, which has been sufficiently studied at the moment, makes it possible in this way to compose advertisingsuggestions for a person to make decisions unconsciously, based on their instincts. That is, it turns out that advertising is aimed at ensuring that it is the reptilian brain that first sees and realizes it.
So, we are shown bright pictures that very often cause a strong response. Experienced professionals have long understood how to use the human reptilian brain in sales. To do this, you need to show a beautiful half-naked woman or the advantage that a person will receive after a purchase over his competitor, who in advertising acts as a neighbor, comrade, colleague.
The principles of contrast are also very well applied, when the viewer is shown a successful successful person, for example, in certain sneakers, and a loser in bad shoes. The picture is aimed at making the loser have a bad figure, be rejected by girls, and have a repulsive appearance. Whereas the person wearing the right shoes has all the perks of being the most successful leader.
So, now you know how advertising and not only affect a person. The reptilian brain makes us quite vulnerable, but still a lot depends on ourselves. If a person wants to develop his consciousness, he will be able to clearly separate the events in which he himself makes a decision and in which he is being manipulated.
The reptilian brain can create a lot of problems for us. How they affect a person through it is known and used all over the world. I must say that modern man has already become quite sophisticated in these matters.and to many irritants, roughly speaking, "is not carried out." But this does not stop marketers who, in the pursuit of more profit, are ready to create more and more annoying incentives for a person.
