What is a "Lizard Brain"??
Perhaps you've heard the term lizard brain or reptilian brain before. It's the term that we use to refer to the most primitive parts of our human brains. The parts that are designed to keep us alive. These include networks such as the limbic system that help us to recognize and respond to danger. Unfortunately, sometimes the impulses from our lizard brain are too strong and cause us to act in ways that are rash or over-the-top.
Luckily, evolution has also provided us with a nice big frontal lobe. This is the latest part of the brain to develop and it helps us to imagine scenarios before acting and it regulates the emotional input from your lizard brain.
But what happens when the input from your primitive brain structures are too strong for your frontal lobe to handle and you end up "flipping your lid"?
Enter Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a state of nonjudgmental present-focus. With practice, it allows you to become more of an objective observer and have better control over your own emotional reactions. The purpose of this course is to help you understand more about the development of the brain and how mindfulness can be used to enhance its functioning.
You will learn:
- How the brain works
- How the development of brain structures relates to functioning
- What mindfulness is
- How mindfulness relates to the structure and function of the brain
- How to cultivate mindfulness as a skill
Course Curriculum
Hi, I’m Dr. Erik Lande.
I'm the owner and head psychologist over at Insight Neuropsychology in Camarillo, CA.
As a neuropsychologist, my job is to understand how the structure of the brain impacts emotions and behavior. Much of my work focuses on testing for difficulties such as brain injuries, dementia conditions, or the impact of strokes.
I have also worked with a variety of organizations such as Adult Protective Services, police departments, and the FBI to instruct them on ways to better understand the aging brain and assist seniors.
If you would like to see more of my work, you can check out my book, Does My Mom Have Dementia or read a recent paper that I co-authored with an FBI victim specialist for the Department of Justice Journal of Federal Law and Practice