Going Reptile: The varying degrees of “losing it” that we experience when our instinctual responses take over, bypassing our higher functioning, in order to “protect” us, often leading to feelings of remorse, shame or embarrassment.
Reptilian Response: Designed to keep us safe from threats, such as tigers or bears, this response can inadvertently “save” us from a perceived threat, such as an encounter with a boss, client or co-worker, which may not go as well as it could without the “assistance” of the reptilian response.
Reptilian Vibe: Our senses are designed to pick up on non-visual or non-verbal cues of danger. You can feel it even if you don’t hear or see it.
Reptilian Functions: Designed to provide safety and survival.
Higher-Level Human Capacities/Functions: Support functioning with creativity, flexibility, motivation, curiosity, connection, compassion and effectiveness.
Full-On Human: Having full access to our Higher-Level Human Capacities
Pocket Reptile: Awareness of a Reptilian Response starting, yet still have access to our Higher Level Human Capacities
Really I’m Fine: While attempting to maintain a pleasant exterior, we cannot see that we have already lost access to some of our Higher-Level Human Capacities.
Zipped Up: While barely containing all that is going on inside ourselves, we attempt to hold it together and navigate the situation. We’ve significantly lost access to our Higher-Level Human Capacities.
Full-On Reptile: We lose it. We’re no longer able to hold together and no longer have access to our Higher-Level Human Capacities.
Going Viral: The act of spreading states from one being to another, such as someone in the Full-On Reptile state infecting another, moving them from Really I’m Fine to Full-On Reptile.
Perceived Threat: An external input that is interpreted as a threat and starts a threat response cascade when no real threat is present.
Neural Wi-Fi: Neurons in one brain that connect to the neurons in another brain, communicating information without a direct wired connection.
Prefrontal Cortex (PFC): The seat of the Higher-Level Human Functions, this part of our brain is the most recent addition to the human brain. This part of our brain includes functions such as good decision-making and appropriate social and emotional responses. Without access to this part of our brain, our responses are less than optimal.
Ping: The opportunity to listen and re-direct the Reptilian Response, if paying attention. These indicators can be body sensations, thoughts, emotions, actions or non-actions, such as jumping in to fix something or procrastinating.
Training our Brain: The act of listening to the Ping Indicators and engaging the Prefrontal Cortex, developing new neural pathways in order to open new possibilities other than Reptilian Responses.
The Four F’s: Fight, Flight, Freeze and Fawn. The four basic Reptilian Response Styles.
