arianna on the lizard brain

[daniel]

Perhaps most of you get this idea already. Still I was pleased to see it discussed in Huffington's popular column.



Columns Recent Columns
Appealing To Our Lizard Brains: Why Bush Is Still Standing
October 13, 2004 [ Printer-friendly version ]
Since the president's meltdown in the first debate — followed in quick succession by Paul Bremer's confession, the CIA's no-al-Qaida/Saddam link report, the Duelfer no-WMD-since-'91 report, and the woeful September job numbers — I have been racking my brain trying to figure out why George W. Bush is still standing.
The answer arrived via my friend Ed Solomon, the brilliant writer and filmmaker, who explained that the conundrum could be solved by looking at the very organ I'd been racking.
Ed introduced me to the work of Dr. Daniel Siegel, a Harvard-trained psychiatrist and author of the forthcoming book "Mindsight," which explores the physiological workings of the brain.
Turns out, when it comes to Campaign 2004, it's the neuroscience, stupid!
Or, as Dr. Siegel told me: "Voters are shrouded in a 'fog of fear' that is impacting the way our brains respond to the two candidates."
Thanks to the Bush campaign's unremitting fear-mongering, millions of voters are reacting not with their linear and logical left brain but with their lizard brain and their more emotional right brain.
What's more, people in a fog of fear are more likely to respond to someone whose primary means of communication is in the nonverbal realm, neither logical nor language-based. (Sound like any presidential candidate you know?)
And that's why Bush is still standing. It's not about left wing vs. right wing; it's about left brain vs. right brain.
Deep in the brain lies the amygdala, an almond-sized region that generates fear. When this fear state is activated, the amygdala springs into action. Before you are even consciously aware that you are afraid, your lizard brain responds by clicking into survival mode. No time to assess the situation, no time to look at the facts, just: fight, flight or freeze.
And, boy, have the Bushies been giving our collective amygdala a workout. Especially Dick Cheney, who has proven himself an unmatched master of the dark art of fear-mongering. For an object lesson in how to get those lizard brains leaping, look no further than the vice-presidential debate.
"The biggest threat we face today," said Cheney in his very first answer "is the possibility of terrorists smuggling a nuclear weapon or a biological agent into one of our own cities and threatening the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans."
Just in case we didn't get the point, he repeated the ominous assertion, practically word for word, two more times — throwing in the fact that he was "absolutely convinced" that the threat "is very real." It was "be afraid, be very afraid" to the third power.
And when we are afraid, we are biologically programmed to pay less attention to left-brain signals — indeed, our logical mind actually shuts itself down. Fear paralyzes our reasoning and literally makes it impossible to think straight. Instead, we search for emotional, nonverbal cues from others that will make us feel safe and secure.
When our right brain is at Threat Level Red, we don't want to hear about a four-point plan to win the peace, or a list of damning statistics, or even a compelling, well-reasoned argument that the policies of Bush and Cheney are actually making us less safe. We want to get the feeling that everything is going to be all right.
In this state, our brains care more about tone of voice than what the voice is saying. This is why Bush can verbally stumble and sputter and make little or no sense and still leave voters feeling that he is the candidate best able to protect them. Our brains are primed to receive the kinds of communication he has to offer and discard the kinds John Kerry has to offer, even if Kerry makes more "logical sense." Which, of course, he does.
The strutting, winking, pointing and near-shouting that marked Bush's town hall debate performance all sent the same subconscious message to our fear-fogged brains: "I'm your daddy . . . I've got your back. So just go to sleep and stop thinking. About anything."
"At the deepest level," Dr. Siegel told me, "we react to fear as adults in much the same way we did as infants. It's primal. Human babies have the most dependent infancy of any species. Our survival depends on the caregiver. We instinctively look to authority figures to comfort us and keep us safe."
As needy infants, this natural drive to be soothed and reassured is what we looked for in our parents; as anxious adults in these exceptionally unsettling times, it's what we are looking for in our leaders.
Over the remaining three weeks of the campaign, as the anxiety level reaches a fevered pitch — and you can be certain the Bush campaign will do everything in its power to make sure that happens — the test facing voters is no longer, "Which candidate would you rather have a beer with?" It's "Which candidate would you rather give you your blankie and a bottle and keep the boogeyman away?"
I know it sounds ludicrous that the most important election of our lifetime is coming down to who can best pacify the electorate's inner baby, but I can think of no better explanation as to why Bush is not currently hovering at around 5 percent in the polls — a voting block made up of those hardcore fanatics who are as utterly blind to reality as he is.
As long as we're operating from our lizard brains — and reason takes a back seat to more primal needs — George Bush will continue to survive the logic-based attacks on his ever-escalating failures.
The only question that remains is: Can Bush, Cheney and Rove keep us shrouded in the fog of fear long enough to brain John Kerry and win in November?

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[lvx23]

Hindbrain mentalities certainly seem to be playing a large role in politics these days. Though I would argue that not everyone is so bound to these reptilian impulses, or at least not so much that this is the only way they regard the international crisis we currently face.

I would add that the logical apparatus still used by many humans to evaluate the world is outdated and vestigial. It remains as a remnant of Newton and Descartes, brutally dualistic and binary, leaving many incapable of finding a middle path or gray zone. Things are either black or white, us or them. Such polarities breed suspision and fear and inevitably result in powerful dogmas which, like the reptilian brain, are similarly inpenetrable by logic.

IMHO, the prevailing insights of physics ultimatley informs the fundamental logic structures we use to define and catalog our world. The last 2000 years have been dominated by the ascendancy of materialism and mechanism, codified and "proven" by Newtonian Mechanics and Cartesian Geometry. The world and our minds grew very linear. A thing is either x or not-x. Predictability is confined to an imaginary state of limited conditions. Aside from divorcing us from the beautiful organic mess of nonlinear nature, this mindset results in the inability of many Americans to look beyond their insular beliefs. We can't even imagine that people living in Bagdhad might be just like you and me. They are unforgivably The Other.

With the advent of Relativity and Quantum Mechanics the human computer is slowly being reprogrammed to think in terms of localized perceptions rather than generalized facts. Social relativism accepts that there is more than 1 way of looking at any given thing, that solutions are not binary. This proceeds directly from Special Relativity which established that fundamental laws are, in fact, only relative to a given frame of reference. Quantum phenomena underscore how we project our expectations onto our observations, as well as the underlying unity of all things. In the West, it seems, it's taken 3 or 4 extra thousand years to arrive at the same conclusions of eastern mystics.

Given enough time the mechanistic view will fade and dogma will be replaced by a holistic relativism. Probably not in time for the 2004 Presidential elections but, hey, evolution doesn't happen overnight.

[Humming]

Anytime I see the word "reptile" now, I can't help but think of David Icke....

Out of curiosity, does anyone here take him seriously?

In concept, at least, what he's saying is on one level true: that the majority of humans are brainwashed tools. In regards to specifics, though, I'm not so sure....

[daniel]

I have given my perspective on Icke before -though have not read the books.

The "reptile aliens" he is obsessed with are the same cortical structure that Arianna discusses.

[Humming]

"The 'reptile aliens' he is obsessed with are the same cortical structure that Arianna discusses."

This is why I brought Icke up.

Daniel, are you implying, then, that Icke's aliens are a manifestation of the innate fear constructed by his own reptile brain, the almond amygdala? I am not taken by paranoid "mind shadows" and choose to ignore people like Icke for pragmatic sanity reasons: fear is a supremely destructive motivation.

Although, I have skimmed a few of his books, and the most interesting 'research' that he does is in the history of this god-like alien race which he claims is in control, through cross-breeding programs and shapeshifting. According to him, there are many mythological accounts of divine snake creatures coming from space and breeding with humans, particularly within the Indus river valley. I can recall many such serpentine mythologies, so I am reasonably intrigued by this idea of cross-breeding, although there could certainly be other reasons for the "cosmic serpent" motif resonance (such as DNA).

Also one of his more interesting points is that he describes the binding of psychic energies, claiming that sites such as Stonehenge are being controlled by these malicious reptiles, so as to diminish all humans' natural psychic abilites. This certainly seems plausible.

I heard from a friend that a kid I went to school with believed all of Icke's stuff. I met him at a party a few weeks ago and was intensely curious as to how fervently he actually believed Icke, so I asked him about it. He kinda looked at me funny and then shouted out very loudly, "YES I BELIEVE THAT BUSH IS A REPTILIAN ALIEN VAMPIRE SATANIST, HOW COULD YOU NOT?" although I could tell that he only sort of half-believed it. It was hilarious to me, although I'm sure that no one else at the party had the slightest clue what the fuck he was talking about....

On a related fear-mongering note, the latest Onion's front page headline reads something like, "Cheney vows to strike in US if Kerry elected" in reference to all the scare tactics that the administration has been using to prostrate the easily manipulatable. It's the boldest Onion headline I've seen. I wonder if they'll be sued....

[ October 14, 2004, 07:17 PM: Message edited by: Humming ]

[Rob P]

Speaking of the Onion-
and their amazingly (sadly) prophetic
headlines....THIS was the top
story for the Jan. 18, 2001 issue!!!!

BUSH: " OUR LONG NATIONAL NIGHTMARE
OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY IS FINALLY OVER"

WASHINGTON, DC—Mere days from assuming the presidency and closing the door on eight years of Bill Clinton, president-elect George W. Bush assured the nation in a televised address Tuesday that "our long national nightmare of peace and prosperity is finally over."

"My fellow Americans," Bush said, "at long last, we have reached the end of the dark period in American history that will come to be known as the Clinton Era, eight long years characterized by unprecedented economic expansion, a sharp decrease in crime, and sustained peace overseas. The time has come to put all of that behind us."

Bush swore to do "everything in [his] power" to undo the damage wrought by Clinton's two terms in office, including selling off the national parks to developers, going into massive debt to develop expensive and impractical weapons technologies, and passing sweeping budget cuts that drive the mentally ill out of hospitals and onto the street.

During the 40-minute speech, Bush also promised to bring an end to the severe war drought that plagued the nation under Clinton, assuring citizens that the U.S. will engage in at least one Gulf War-level armed conflict in the next four years.

"You better believe we're going to mix it up with somebody at some point during my administration," said Bush, who plans a 250 percent boost in military spending. "Unlike my predecessor, I am fully committed to putting soldiers in battle situations. Otherwise, what is the point of even having a military?"

On the economic side, Bush vowed to bring back economic stagnationby implementing substantial tax cuts, which would lead to a recession, which would necessitate a tax hike, which would lead to a drop in consumer spending, which would lead to layoffs, which would deepen the recession even further.

Wall Street responded strongly to the Bush speech, with the Dow Jones industrial fluctuating wildly before closing at an 18-month low. The NASDAQ composite index, rattled by a gloomy outlook for tech stocks in 2001, also fell sharply, losing 4.4 percent of its total value between 3 p.m. and the closing bell.

Asked for comment about the cooling technology sector, Bush said: "That's hardly my area of expertise."

Turning to the subject of the environment, Bush said he will do whatever it takes to undo the tremendous damage not done by the Clinton Administration to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He assured citizens that he will follow through on his campaign promise to open the 1.5 million acre refuge's coastal plain to oil drilling. As a sign of his commitment to bringing about a change in the environment, he pointed to his choice of Gale Norton for Secretary of the Interior. Norton, Bush noted, has "extensive experience" fighting environmental causes, working as a lobbyist for lead-paint manufacturers and as an attorney for loggers and miners, in addition to suing the EPA to overturn clean-air standards.

Bush had equally high praise for Attorney General nominee John Ashcroft, whom he praised as "a tireless champion in the battle to protect a woman's right to give birth."

"Soon, with John Ashcroft's help, we will move out of the Dark Ages and into a more enlightened time when a woman will be free to think long and hard before trying to fight her way past throngs of protesters blocking her entrance to an abortion clinic," Bush said. "We as a nation can look forward to lots and lots of babies."

Above: Soldiers at Ft. Bragg march lockstep in preparation for America's return to aggression.

Continued Bush: "John Ashcroft will be invaluable in healing the terrible wedge President Clinton drove between church and state."

The speech was met with overwhelming approval from Republican leaders.

"Finally, the horrific misrule of the Democrats has been brought to a close," House Majority Leader Dennis Hastert (R-IL) told reporters. "Under Bush, we can all look forward to military aggression, deregulation of dangerous, greedy industries, and the defunding of vital domestic social-service programs upon which millions depend. Mercifully, we can now say goodbye to the awful nightmare that was Clinton's America."

"For years, I tirelessly preached the message that Clinton must be stopped," conservative talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh said.

"And yet, in 1996, the American public failed to heed my urgent warnings, re-electing Clinton despite the fact that the nation was prosperous and at peace under his regime. But now, thank God, that's all done with. Once again, we will enjoy mounting debt, jingoism, nuclear paranoia, mass deficit, and a massive military build-up."

"After eight years of relatively sane fiscal policy under the Democrats, we have reached a point where, just a few weeks ago, President Clinton said that the national debt could be paid off by as early as 2012," Rahway, NJ, machinist and father of three Bud Crandall said. "That's not the kind of world I want my children to grow up in."

"You have no idea what it's like to be black and enfranchised," said Marlon Hastings, one of thousands of Miami-Dade County residents whose votes were not counted in the 2000 presidential election. "George W. Bush understands the pain of enfranchisement, and ever since Election Day, he has fought tirelessly to make sure it never happens to my people again."

Bush concluded his speech on a note of healing and redemption.

"We as a people must stand united, banding together to tear this nation in two," Bush said. "Much work lies ahead of us: The gap between the rich and the poor may be wide, be there's much more widening left to do. We must squander our nation's hard-won budget surplus on tax breaks for the wealthiest 15 percent. And, on the foreign front, we must find an enemy and defeat it."

"The insanity is over," Bush said. "After a long, dark night of peace and stability, the sun is finally rising again over America. We look forward to a bright new dawn not seen since the glory days of my dad."

[lvx23]

eerily prescient...

[lilith]

George may be trying to re-live his past, perhaps subconsciously recalling old fears. Added to that are the long term effects of drinking and cocaine abuse, not to mention the effect of the people surrounding him.

www.johnadams.net (http://www.johnadams.net)
www.infinitesouls.com (http://www.infinitesouls.com)

[daniel]

hi lilith - thanks for joining us. Love the name!

humming: "Daniel, are you implying, then, that Icke's aliens are a manifestation of the innate fear constructed by his own reptile brain, the almond amygdala?"

I think that Icke is taking this basic fact about the reptillian brain and turning it into an alien eschatology, which is entirely unneccesary. I agree with Arianna that the primal appeal of Bush is the reptillian and primate levels of mental activity. For those entrained by modern propaganda and stereotyped hatreds and resentments, use of the neocortex is seen as perplexing and even "evil."

[residualantipathy]

Funny that I was thinking about psychological political techniques today, and here it is being discussed. Let the synchronicity stop? Seriously.

So here's my thought: I've noticed that the Bush crew likes to accuse their opponents (whoever that may be) of being guilty of exactly the crimes that they in fact are committing. John Kerry is a deserter who betrayed his country during Vietnam (that was Bush, actually), Bill Clinton is a dangerous liar, Saddam Hussein has contempt for his own people and for (gasp!) the democratic process. Now Cheney says that Kerry is "insensitive to homosexuals" with a straight face. Again and again, their accusations are ripe with shameless hypocrisy, which seems to guarantee that the absurdities will go unchallenged and thus, believed.

I think they get their cues from corporate advertising, which is in the difficult position of telling you that you want and need something that you clearly don't. McDonald's calling their burger "Big and Tasty," for instance, when it is quite obviously neither. Or how about Subway leading the way in the diet revolution. The very company that caused a health crisis now wishes to solve it. How? Buying more of their products, of course.

They say the bigger the lie the more likely it is to be believed. There are some big ones out there right now, hanging unchallenged for all of us to see. Unfortunately, the biggest lies (capitalism works for everyone, the war on terror keeps us safe, etc) are so fundamental to the psychological structure of society that it is highly unlikely for them to be debunked on any meaningful level. Sometimes I think that 2012 could come and go and few would notice, because the strength of the lies literally blinds us to possibility.

[lvx23]

From a recent NYT article by Ron Suskind:

In the summer of 2002, after I had written an article in Esquire that the White House didn't like about Bush's former communications director, Karen Hughes, I had a meeting with a senior adviser to Bush. He expressed the White House's displeasure, and then he told me something that at the time I didn't fully comprehend -- but which I now believe gets to the very heart of the Bush presidency.

The aide said that guys like me were 'in what we call the reality-based community,' which he defined as people who 'believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality.' I nodded and murmured something about enlightenment principles and empiricism. He cut me off. 'That's not the way the world really works anymore,' he continued. 'We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality -- judiciously, as you will -- we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors . . . and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.'"

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/17/magazine/17BUSH.html?pagewanted=1&oref=login

[Humming]

Thanks for posting that.

If the people in power are really that delusional, if they think that I am breathlessly awaiting their next move, glued to the television and admiring imperialism as some kind of accomplishment, then I truly have nothing to fear from them.

They are in no position to manipulate my reality, in any way....

[Humming]

A recent Jericho PR survey found that:

"43% of CEOs surveyed said fear was the emotion that most motivates them, followed by 22% that said power, while only 7% said wealth."

http://www.jerichopr.com/releases/eric01.htm

It reminds me of the parable of the pauper who got to be king for a day but had to live under a sword that was hanging by a thin string above his head at all times.

If you're living with fear as your primary motivation, how can anything else be worthwhile?

[jezebelle]

If you're living with fear as your primary motivation, how can anything else be worthwhile?

Exactly. So people like David Icke may have pieces of the truth but MUCH is still unmanifest and the final picture is still emerging. And why be titilated by such a polarity? I quess I watch gookie stuff sometimes, tis to be human. To him it is his reason, but I can't ride some horses.
I imagine we will all stay to the center of our probabilities and manifest something better than the pre-existing meanies.

[Lowlight]

fear is so powerful, and there is so much we could achieve if we left it behind. So many great people in history seemed to have no, or little fear of things that would confont them in life, you would think that their shining examples would inspire more of us to live less in the arms of fear but it seems so much the opposite.

Anyone got any interesting heros?

[nanouk]

mahatma gandhi was without doubt one person i class as a hero.

love n.