We’ve talked a lot here about the distinction between the “higher” and “lower” brain.

The amygdala is part of the lower brain system. It has been a part of the human brain for a very long time, and is responsible for regulating survival instincts and the emotions associated with survival — things like stress, fear, anger, passion, attraction, and instantaneous recognition (what could be considered “gut instinct”). The lower brain craves sameness and predictability; it’s much more efficient for the brain to perform habits than it is to constantly be devoting energy to new and novel things.

This amazing capacity of the brain to learn and assimilate repetitive information can be helpful — in fact, can make the difference between life and death in certain situations. But when we are trying to change things and create transformation, the lower brain’s bias toward habit can be inhibiting. We all know this struggle!

We’ve talked about the prefrontal cortex — seen as the

seat of the higher brain — and its role in executive function, decision-making, flashes of insight, bursts of innovation in problem solving. It truly is a miraculous evolutionary development in the long history of the human brain.

At first glance, it can be easy to assume that the lower and higher brains as mortal neural enemies, constantly fighting each other for control of our lives, health, and habits — the virtuous impulses of the higher brain constantly being thwarted by the panicky impulses of the lower brain and making us miserable. And in some cases, we do see how the reactionary nature of the lower brain (when there is no real threat present) can short-circuit progress.

But can these two powerful parts of our brains ever play nice? Can they work together?

Research conducted by Dr. Norman Doidge suggests that they can — and that we can use the brain’s own power to change itself to encourage better cooperation between the lower and higher brain.

The brain’s astonishing capability to adjust and change, even in the face of debilitating injury, is often referred to as plasticity or neuroplasticity. For example, our brains exhibit plastic tendencies when we learn and practice a new skill, when we take on new challenges, or when we establish new habits. Occasionally, whole sections of the brain can be damaged through stroke or accident, and the brain can actually “recruit” new, healthy parts of the brain to take over lost functions such as speech, writing, or walking.

Dr. Doidge wrote a book called The Brain That Changes Itself, in which he discusses and documents his years of research on neuroplasticity. In his book, he addresses a phenomenon called sublimation. This is when the high and low brain actually work together and influence each other to create something even better.

Sublimation is often associated with the notion of “civilizing” our more animal instincts. An example can be seen in how we approach competitive sports in our culture. Tens of thousands of years ago, competition was often literally a matter of life and death: our ancestors were looking for food, trying to find the best places to live and hunt and pass on their genes.

Today, we don’t have that kind of survivalist urgency, but our brains still get great pleasure out of the act of competing and winning — they crave that effort and striving, and they send out adrenaline reward chemicals like crazy when we compete for things — even when we’re just watching other people competing.

Do you ever wonder why when you’re at a hockey game, you hear people shouting, “Go get him! Kill him! Trample him!” from the stands, even though obviously the intent is not to encourage actual murder? As Doidge points out, “Fans often express these [lower brain] wishes, but the civilizing rules modify the expression of the instinct, so the fans leave satisfied if their team wins enough points.” And thank goodness for that!

The plastic brain allows for sublimation. Areas that historically have functioned to carry out hunter-gatherer tasks (like hunting and killing prey) can be sublimated into things like competitive games, since our brains can link two seemingly unconnected things in novel ways to create entirely new things. In this way, neurons from instinctual parts of our brains can play quite nicely with cognitive-cerebral parts, influence each other, form new functions, and still release all the reward chemicals of our ancestral habits. As Dr. Doidge notes:

When an instinct, such as stalking prey, is linked up to a civilized activity, such as cornering an opponent’s king on a chessboard, and the neuronal networks for the instinct and intellectual activity are also linked, the two activities appear to temper each other — playing chess is no longer about bloodthirsty stalking, though it still has some of the exciting emotions of the hunt. The dichotomy between “low” and “high” begins to disappear...The low and the high transform each other to create a new whole (p. 297).

As you’re out and about this week, see if you can notice instances of sublimation — or perhaps instances where sublimation would be helpful in cases where lower brain reactions are taking over. Yes, it’s great to know where and when to engage higher brain functioning when old habits aren’t serving you. But how exciting to know that these two parts can also work together when the time is right!

What are some areas of your own life where you might be able to help your amygdala and your prefrontal cortex become co-conspirators in creating a more meaningful, pleasurable, joyful life for you, and how could your Higher Brain Living® sessions help you get there?

We have incredible brains that make astonishing transformations possible. And the even better news is that you definitely have a say in how those changes occur. Join us at our next presentation and find out how Higher Brain Living® can help you. Click on the box below to view our schedule and plan to join us at our next event.

Cheers to Evolution of Humanity,

Sunny Nason

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