Lizard brain

This tiny critter sitting on a researcher's finger spoke to me. Well, not actually. But seeing it/him/her caused a message to come to whatever part of me that receives messages. I guess I'd have to say "my brain" although some sticklers would argue that "brain" and "mind" are not the same reality. Let's just say for now, my "awareness." Because the first impact of the message was about the physical structure we call "brain."

First, let me introduce brookesia micra, the tiniest of 4 species of tiny chameleons discovered in Madagascar. The photo is of a juvenile, but full-grown they are not that much bigger. Because of what we share as creatures, I'm going to name this one "LizBit." Ever since Michael Dowd came to town and presented a mind-boggling [oops, there's that word again] explanation of the evolution of the brain, I've been using the phrase "lizard brain" a lot.
According to Dowd, among others, the human brain evolved through four stages. We, homo sapiens, have the functions of not merely a triune brain, but four brains zipping along through the nerve cells and spaces inside our skulls. Michael and his wife, Connie Barlow, have created presentations and teaching aids about the spiritual dimension of evolution by depicting the human brain in relationship to the brains of other creatures.

One image that has stayed with me from the show is this one depicting the evolutionary development of the human brain.
On thegreatstory.org, they explain this depiction of the human brain this way:

Our human brain contains the foundations of vertebrate brain evolution: our reptilian brain (our Lizard Legacy) and our paleo-mammal brain (our Furry L'il Mammal). Evolved later is our human rational brain, the neocortex (our Monkey Mind), and highly developed in the human are the prefrontal cortex or frontal lobes (our Higher Porpoise; higher purpose).

LizBit and I have something in common: we both have a "lizard brain."

What the lizard brain governs for us, and also for LizBit, is 5 functions: Food, Flight, Flight, Freeze, and Reproduction. (Michael has been known to call those the 5 "f"s. I'm don't think he means "family" exactly.)
All four sections of the human brain are fascinating. This post is just about the one LizBit and I share. Without my Lizard Brain, I would not survive. I don't like when the functions of my Lizard Brain get dismissed as "lower brain." That's a little like saying gravity is less important than sunlight.
At the same time if Lizard Brain is all I have, I'm vulnerable especially to messages that trigger the responses of the 5 Fs.
Consider television ads, for example. Many of them seem to be aimed straight at my "freeze" response. It's as if I'm supposed to focus like a rabbit caught in headlights on their messages. My eyeballs get stuck for 30 seconds or 90 seconds on how, for the right price, all my primal survival needs will be met. No more fear, just buy this. Loud noises trigger my freeze response. Do you suppose that's why ads, and some program intro music, seem so much louder than the actual program content?
LizBit and his/her relatives generally inhabit dark decaying leaf matter stuck between rocks. It takes the next stage of evolution to get us out the door into the sunlight, seeking sociality and the company of others. That's the gift of the mammal brain, and it's a huge evolutionary step forward. Mammal brain has a different kind of vulnerability. One of the best ways to learn about it is the Animal Planet show Orangutan Island. When our mammalian brain is wounded, we, like the traumatized primates at the rehabilitation center, exhibit 5F behaviors. Those are usually not very pretty, which is why I dislike the TV show "The Survivor."
If we can protect LizBit, and let brookesia micra live by not destroying its environment, maybe we can come to terms with our own survival needs by learning to care for each other even while surviving.