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The Neurobiology of Thriving
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The Neurobiology of Thriving
The Triune Brain
A theory developed by Paul MacLean in the 1960s and fully developed in his book The Triune
Brain in Evolution in 1990.
This is a simplified brain model (which is no longer held by neuroscientists as accurately
reflecting the complexity of the brain) that works very well as a way to understand our
competing inner agendas and different inner aspects of ourselves.
It has been used heavily by both Peter Levine in his somatic trauma-healing work and by Dan
Siegel’s book Interpersonal Neurobiology.
In this theory, the brain has three parts:
Neo-Cortex
The Limbic System
Reptilian (Primal) .
How I experience my neo-cortex:
Examples of neo-cortical activity I am grateful for:
Examples of neo-cortical activity I struggle with or would like to transform:
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How I experience my limbic brain:
Examples of limbic brain activity I am grateful for:
Examples of limbic brain activity I struggle with or would like to transform:
How I experience my primal brain:
Examples of primal brain activity I am grateful for:
Examples of primal brain activity I struggle with or would like to transform:
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How I express healthy flight:
Ways that I go into flight when I’m trying to avoid something that is actually good for me
and/or that I want:
How I express healthy freeze:
Ways that I go into freeze when I’m trying to avoid something that is actually good for me
and/or that I want:
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How I express healthy fawn:
Ways that I go into fawn when I’m trying to avoid something that is actually good for me
and/or that I want:
Which of the 4 Fs is my “go-to” when I want to avoid feeling something?
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In our coaching, when we experience fight/flight/freeze/fawn, two ways to support yourself
in the moment are to ask yourself:
How can I support myself to feel safe in this moment?
How can I love myself in this experience?
When you feel regulated and able to ask these questions, you can ask:
What do I not want to feel right now?
What am I really afraid of?
What is my deeper wisdom telling me about this situation?
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