A Generalized Model of the Brain

in Deep Dives4 years ago

With consciousness, we have the ability to recognize patterns internally within ourselves, in our consciousness, and patterns taking place externally in the world around us. The internal patterns are seen in the two expressions of consciousness of thoughts and emotions. These lead to the third expression of consciousness which is action that manifests and affects the world around us.

The world is as it is because of what we do. Our actions create the shared existence we live in. But are these actions that fill the world there for our betterment? Are they truly serving us? Or are they hindering and harming us? We live according to the norms that are conditioned into us as the way to live. We buy into what is being sold as the way of life to live. We buy into the modality of living that has created the mess we have across the planet.

If we really want to make things better and stop creating self-inflicted suffering, we need to raise our consciousness through awareness of what is taking place and understanding why it’s happening. We are being socially engineered and mind controlled to engage in behavior that is counter-productive to goals most aspire to. We are manipulated into going against our truer, realer and higher selves and potential for living. By better understanding ourselves we can understand how we are being manipulated and controlled. We can better understand how and why we are where we are and how to change things for the better.

Triune Brain Model

The triune brain model is a convenient way to describe some core functionality of consciousness and the brain. The original model’s claims of evolutionary development are contested and are not 100% accurate. Further, the claims of the functionality being segregated into specific compartments of the brain is not accurate. But as a model for mental activity it’s still useful.

The triune brain model was developed by Paul MacLean. He posited 3 areas of the human brain being directly responsible for 3 capacities of consciousness.

Brain:

  1. basal ganglia (hindbrain, “reptilian” brain)
  2. the limbic system (midbrain, “mammalian” brain)
  3. the neocortex (“human” brain)

Consciousness:

  1. the fight-or-flight survival response and other primal activities
  2. emotions
  3. higher-order rational thinking

MacLean posited that each part of the brain was developed in evolutionary stages, from reptiles, to mammals, to humans. It turns out that the 3 brain components aren’t exclusively contained in the 3 categories of animals. Reptiles also have the “mammalian brain”, the limbic system, although less developed. As do mammals in general have the neocortical brain although less developed compared to the specific human mammal.

Instead of each brain compartment being solely responsible for the qualities of fear/survival responses, emotions and thinking, the neural activity occurs across regions. Nevertheless, the model is still an accurate representation of fundamental components of mental activity. The triune brain model is a generalized overview of the functionality of sections of the human brain and of human behavior. It attempts to identify the corresponding parts of the brain and how it may have developed across classes of animals.

The three models and their associated characteristics have corresponding symbolism with the Christian Trinity as a way to look at human consciousness.

The hindbrain can be viewed as the oldest. In reference to fear and survival, it is symbolically linked to the law-obsessed dominating controller “God”. In fear and focused on survival, we seek to control everything around us. This role has been taken up by government and religions previously. The midbrain is the second oldest with the bio-nature electro-chemical processes that motivate and move us. This references the “Spirit” that moves us, both emotionally and as a motivator for behavior. The most evolved is the higher-order thinking brain with the logical processing. This is the Savior, the Light of the world, the Son/Sun of higher rational consciousness capacities.

The Ancient Egyptian/Kemetian mythology had a similar trinity. The Lord of life and death was Osiris who was broken down and reconstituted, just as we need to break down our lower consciousness drives that dominate us that remake ourselves with higher-order consciousness. Isis is the nurturing mother goddess, as our emotions are the nurturing part of consciousness. Horus was the sun/son, flying high as a falcon of higher order consciousness.

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I like the Triune model. I didn't know its name before, and I didn't know it was controversial. Seems fairly solid as a general way to structure thinking about how our brains work.

AMYGDALA HIJACK
In 3 minutes and 5 seconds,

Nice, good video about how we can operate from the lower automated responses rather than high order thinking and self-control.

By better understanding ourselves we can understand how we are being manipulated and controlled.

Another interesting consequence of this is that torture actually shuts off our prefrontal cortex. So, getting accurate information from someone who is being tortured is next to impossible.

That's a good point. Put someone in survival mode and fear of being killed, and they will tell you anything to survive.