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Taming the Inner Animal

How do we become aware of our inner animal?

In last week's episode of EZ Conversations, I discussed the subject with Leslee Jackson Hall (Listen Here), and we explored his book, Tracking Our Inner Animal. The book is a deep exploration of the human condition, inspired by his experiences performing live in Nashville—where, as he put it, “the world would come to him.” Through those interactions, Leslee developed archetypes to understand and approach people at a fundamental level.

In our conversation, we explored the innate aspect of fear and how systems are often designed to capitalize on it. We also discussed how belief systems can serve as guiding compasses when we feel lost. The dialogue was full of depth, peeling back layers of what drives human behaviour.

As I reflected on my conversation with Leslee and looked at the world around me, I continued to be fascinated by the human condition. After millennia of history, with knowledge readily accessible, humans still repeat the same mistakes. As historian James Holland notes, “It is not that history repeats itself, it is human behaviour.” Despite the wisdom passed down through generations, we often fall prey to the same patterns—choosing instant gratification over long-term well-being.

This raises a critical question: What leads us to compromise our brain’s executive functioning and allow our reward system to be hijacked?

The Neuroscience of the “Inner Animal”

From a psychological perspective, the “inner animal” can be understood as the primitive brain systems that evolved for survival. The limbic system—particularly the amygdala—is central to processing fear, threat detection, and emotional reactivity. When unchecked, these circuits can override the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for planning, self-control, and decision-making (Arnsten, 2009).

This neural tug-of-war helps explain why we sometimes pursue short-term pleasure even when we know it harms us in the long run. Research in delay discounting—the tendency to devalue future rewards in favour of immediate ones—demonstrates that heightened activity in the brain’s reward pathways (especially the nucleus accumbens and ventral striatum) can bias us toward instant gratification (Berns et al., 2007).

Taming Through Awareness and Regulation

Fortunately, modern psychology offers pathways to tame this inner animal. Mindfulness practices have been shown to enhance self-awareness and strengthen prefrontal regulation over impulsive drives. For instance, mindfulness meditation reduces amygdala reactivity and increases functional connectivity between the prefrontal cortex and limbic regions (Hölzel et al., 2011). This suggests that by cultivating awareness, we can literally rewire the brain to exert greater control over our instinctual impulses.

Similarly, the concept of self-determination theory highlights the importance of aligning behaviour with intrinsic values rather than external pressures. When individuals pursue autonomy, competence, and connection, they are less likely to succumb to destructive impulses driven by fear or reward hijacking (Ryan & Deci, 2000).

Returning to Balance

Taming our inner animal is not about suppressing instinct—it is about balance. Fear and desire are essential to survival, but when left unchecked, they can dominate our choices and erode mental health. By integrating awareness, cultivating belief systems that give us direction, and practising emotional regulation, we can live in harmony with our instincts rather than in conflict with them.

As Leslee and I explored, our inner animal is not something to fear but something to understand. In doing so, we move closer to becoming whole—living with both our primal instincts and higher reasoning in alignment.

References

• Arnsten, A. F. T. (2009). Stress signalling pathways that impair prefrontal cortex structure and function. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 10(6), 410–422. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2648

• Berns, G. S., Laibson, D., & Loewenstein, G. (2007). Intertemporal choice—toward an integrative framework. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 11(11), 482–488. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2007.08.011

• Hölzel, B. K., Lazar, S. W., Gard, T., Schuman-Olivier, Z., Vago, D. R., & Ott, U. (2011). How does mindfulness meditation work? Proposing mechanisms of action from a conceptual and neural perspective. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 6(6), 537–559. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691611419671

• Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68
  

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