Our Reptilian Brain and Beyond

The idea for this blog came to me early one morning as I walked my dog. Suddenly our route was blocked by a cadre of people. Clad in white, long-sleeved, loose-fitting jerseys, they marched in an unbroken line in front of us. At strategic intervals a row of three marchers supported a pole on which they waved a large tricolor flag. The marchers’ eyes were fixed straight ahead, oblivious to would-be passersby.

 Envisioning a long delay before the procession ended, I inadvertently uttered a profanity. Jolted by the spontaneity and intensity of my negative reaction, I recognized the workings of my “reptilian” brain, a term I remembered from my studies of neuropathology years ago. 

In the 1960’s Dr. Paul McLean, a neuroscientist/physician,  conceived of the human brain as divided into three basic parts based on their development, from simple to complex. Although the division is now considered to be an oversimplification, the terminology helps to understand how our brains function to negotiate the complicated tasks of living.

The “lower” portion of our brain resembles that found in crocodiles and snakes. Its major function is survival, which explains (the power and passion of) the animal’s attack against those it perceives as invading its turf.

My reptilian brain perceived the marchers as invaders of “my” territory.  Another example of a drastic response to a phenomenon that, in retrospect, seems trivial is road rage.

The reptilian brain operates on the premise of dominate or be dominated. Other traits include an inability to learn from mistakes, control over autonomic bodily functions, like heart beat, respiration, body temperature, mating, and sleep. In humans, qualities like rigidity, obsessiveness, compulsiveness, worship, fear, submission, and greed are attributed to this older portion of the brain.

The new brain, or more highly evolved neo-cortex, confers the ability to develop language, to reason, to become self aware, to correct our mistakes, and most important, to take charge of our reptilian brain.

The reptilian portion of my brain caused me to react angrily to what I perceived as “invasion,” but my neocortex stepped in to remind me that others have a right to be here too.

Distinguishing the functioning of our reptilian brain from the neocortex can go a long way to helping us bring peace and prosperity to our planet. It is our great neocortex that confers our humanity and separates us from all other animals.

(Located in between the reptilian brain and the neocortex, the limbic system, seat of our feelings and emotions, mediates the responses between these other two. This middle brain or emotional center deserves a blog of its own, so I won’t address it here.)

Arthur Clarke (1917) (books by this author) a great science fiction writer, author of 2001: A Space Odyssey, held out high hope for humanity. He said in a message delivered in 2007 on his 90^th birthday, "I have great faith in optimism as a guiding principle, if only because it offers us the opportunity of creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. So I hope we've learnt something from the most barbaric century in history—the 20th. I would like to see us overcome our tribal divisions and begin to think and act as if we were one family. That would be real globalization ..."

Conclusion: To accomplish Clark’s hopeful vision, we best recognize the workings and our ability to control our reptilian brain. Our superior neocortex grants us the capacity to be magnificent creatures capable of supporting civilization and the well-being of our planet (as we recently witnessed in the international climate control meetings in Paris). Here’s to a less violent 2016 and a more civilized century!

Dear Reader, I welcome your responses. Jsimon145@gmail.com

Gratitude for Our Times (& a Peek into the Life & Times of Rose Kennedy)

Rose Kennedy is the subject of the play ROSE, which ran at the Harold Clurman Theatre from November 21st to December 13th, 2015 on 42^nd St. in Manhattan. The one-woman drama, skillfully acted by Kathleen Chalfant, offers food for thought about the changes in politics and in our psyches within the last few decades.

The playwright, Lawrence Leamer is also a  historian-journalist and author of the 1994 best seller The Kennedy Women, The Saga of an American Family, from which I’ve taken some information.

Born in 1890, Rose Fitzpatrick was raised the "lace curtain" of Boston where her father was mayor. In the face of her husband’s infidelities, Rose’s mother, Josie, focused on preserving the sanctity of the home. Years later, Rose replicated her mother’s example as a staunchly Catholic wife to Joseph Kennedy.

Rose’s father depended on the Catholic hierarchy for his political position. He forbade his daughter from attending Wellesley after the archbishop threatened his career if he allowed her to go to such a progressive college.Rose knew none of these behind-the-scene details and was devastated by her father’s withdrawal of permission. (The play reveals the extent of her rage and inability to and forgive the father she dearly loved.)

Mirroring her mother, Rose projected a smiling face to the world. No matter what the circumstances, she had to appear upbeat, chipper, happy and insisted that her children follow her lead. Her faith taught her that motherhood was a sacred duty and she focused on rearing her nine and to a large extent, living through their accomplishments.  

Rose unerringly followed the instructions of the eminent pediatrician of the day to the letter, Dr. L. Emmett Holt who preached strict schedules, no cuddling, and no play.

Fortunately, child rearing practices have evolved to recognize the importance of flexibility and affection, and to encourage and nurture a child’s individual talents.

What benefits parents and children alike too is that women today have many options beyond raising children and living through their offspring's achievements. 

According to Leamer, Joseph Kennedy was not a great entrepreneur. His business tactics involved thriving on other people’s disasters. "He was a brilliant loner, scavenger of other’s disasters, driving stock prices down and then stepping in, making a killing, and stepping out again, buying land in Fla only after 1926 when the bubble had burst."
 

Today we respect couples of wealth and political power, like the Gateses, Clintons and Zuckerbergs, who work as a team and portion out a part of their fortune to benefit society and world-wide causes.

We expect our leaders to show human emotions, which is why many of us understood and sympathized with Vice President Joe Biden when he mourned the death of his beloved son Beau who perished from brain cancer a few months ago.

Conclusion: In brief, this is the season to be grateful and I am heartened by what I’ve learned in comparing the times of the Fitzgerald-Kennedys with today. 

To acknowledge the tragedy as well as the triumphs of life, grants us a degree of freedom in the deepest aspects of ourselves. This level of psychic integration provides real strength compared to a façade of endurance. 

Especially in light of the chaos and tumult we’re experiencing, noting positive changes in our culture is important and uplifting.

Dear Reader, Your comments are welcome.

jsimon145@gmail.com