Lektion 1
Getting Ready
The first session is about getting familiar with the main questions that will be answered in this course. This course will focus on gaining a deeper understanding about the neuroscience of decision making and personality. In the first part of this course, you will gain insight into how we make decisions and why we do what we do. Insights will be given on how our personality traits are anchored in the brain and how they influence our motivations, decisions, and behaviors. In the final part of this course, you will learn about the emotional foundation of our personality and how to regulate yourself to act in line with your life goals.
Lektion 2
It Takes Two To Decide: Why I Do What I Do
Most of the decisions that we make are the result of an interaction between different processes that take place in our brain. You might have noticed that there are many voices in our head trying to influence our decisions, especially when we make important decisions. Some of these voices are fast and loud, others are hardly noticeable or require a lot of mental effort to be heard. In this session, you will be introduced to the two main processes that influence our decisions: the fast and the slow process.
Lektion 3
The Neuroscience Of Thinking Fast & Slow
In this session, you will be introduced to the main brain structures that influence the fast and slow process of our decision making. The fast process is mainly driven by the emotional structures of our brain. As these structures are quickly activated, they mostly produce rapid and/or loud voices that try to influence our decisions. The slow process is mainly driven by brain structures that play an important role in cognitive reasoning, such as the prefrontal cortex. As the prefrontal cortex is related to cognitive performance and executive functions, this part of the decision is often called the rational part of our decisions.
Lektion 4
What I See Is Who I Am
What we see is not what is out there. What we see is who we are. In this session, you will learn about how we all have a unique filter to give the world a personal interpretation. Our experiences are a unique creation based on what is happening in our brain at this very moment. How does that happen? You might have noticed that your brain is never at rest. Your brain constantly produces spontaneous activation. It is the spontaneous activation in our brain that plays a significant role in filtering the information we are exposed to.
Based on an exercise, you will experience how this spontaneous activation can so easily be influenced. It is only in recent times that neuroscientists have discovered how personality traits are related tospontaneous activation in our brain. You will also receive a first insight into how personality traits are anchored in the brain.
Lektion 5
How Is Personality Anchored In My Brain?
Our personality is deeply anchored in our brain. In this session, you will be introduced to one of the most widely accepted and researched biopsychological personality theories proposed by J.A. Gray. In this theory, it is proposed that there are three emotional motivation systems that control our thoughts, emotions, and behavior.
You will be introduced to the first motivational system: the Fight Flight Freeze System (FFFS). When we perceive a danger, the FFFS will be triggered to increase our chances of survival. The activation of the FFFS is one of the most powerful forces that instantly influences our behavior to either fight, flight, or freeze in order to survive a particular situation.
Although we might have a personal tendency to flight, fight, or freeze, the FFFS is not typically associated with the personality traits that guide us on daily basis. The two motivational systems that guide us on a daily basis and, therefore, strongly contribute to our life quality are called the Behavioral Inhibition System (B.I.S.) and the Behavioral Activation System (B.A.S.).
Lektion 6
Meet Your B.A.S.: Sensitivity To Reward
The first emotional motivation system that drives us is called the Behavioral Activation System. This system is related to our sensitivity to reward and our motivation to approach a particular situation. A strong B.A.S. is related to stronger spontaneous activation in the reward system or striatum in our brain. You will gain insights into how a strong B.A.S. expresses itself in daily life.
Lektion 7
Meet Your B.I.S.: Sensitivity To Punishment
Besides the B.A.S., we are all born with another emotional motivation system called the Behavioral Inhibition System. This is our sensitivity to punishment or the occurrence of negative events. When the B.I.S. is triggered, it will activate a motivation to avoid a particular situation. Each one of us has a particular sensitivity in this system, which remains relatively stable throughout our lives. In other words, it is a strong part of our personality.
In this session, you will learn which brain areas play a significant role in the sensitivity of the B.I.S. and how this sensitivity expresses itself in our daily life.
Lektion 8
Time To Meet Jack & Jim
Although our personality usually tends towards either B.I.S. or B.A.S., it is important to remember that our emotional personality is a unique combination of both systems. Both systems are valuable. We need both not only to survive but also for the quality of our life.
Since both emotional motivation systems are such a significant part of our personality, insight into who we are can be a great help to understand our own (emotional) reactions and behavioral patterns. Self-knowledge is the beginning of all wisdom! To gain more insight into the strengths and weaknesses of both the B.A.S. and the B.I.S., you will be acquaintd with Jim and Jack.
Lektion 9
The Harmonious Life Of Jim & Jack
Jack and Jim are both intelligent people who are well capable of understanding each other. However, at times, they are living on emotional islands very far apart. This is the moment where they can lose connection and get caught up in misunderstandings. What do we do? We need to build bridges between those emotional islands! How to build bridges between emotional islands is at the focus of this session. This session will end with a first insight into what we can do for ourselves when our emotions try to drive us away from our life goals, so we can become the truest expression of who we are.
Lektion 10
A New Beginning: Walking Your Unique Life Path
The end of a course – a new beginning. The final session of this course will bring the most important insights together in one story. In addition, the final piece of the puzzle will be delivered for you to walk your unique life path. And do not forget: You are never alone. You always have your inner wise guide as an excellent company.
