Your 7 primal brain circuits control YOU (Here's the fix) 🧠

Panksepp's discovery changes male emotions forever

Author

Federick Gonzalez
February 02, 2026

Alright man, let's cook.

Picture this...

A legendary neuroscientist is tickling rats in his lab. 🐀

... because that's what nerds in white lab coats do.

They're laughing.

Actually LAUGHING.

Yup. Tiny rats.

(In ultrasonic frequencies humans can't hear)

This wasn't some mad scientist gone crazy...

This was Jaak Panksepp...

discovering something that would revolutionize...

how we understand emotions [1].

What did he find?

Your brain has 7 ancient control systems...

...running 24/7 beneath your awareness.

Think of them as your emotional Special Forces units... 🎖️

Each one evolved over millions of years...

Each one serves a specific survival purpose...

And each one can either serve you ... or kick you in the balls. Ouch!

Here's the thing:

These same circuits that helped Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble ...

memba these guys?…

survive saber-toothed tigers?

They're now misfiring at your job...

Your bedroom...

While you pump gas...

Everywhere.

Let me show you what's really controlling you:

THE 7 PRIMAL EMOTIONAL SYSTEMS:

1. SEEKING System 🎯 Your inner explorer

  • Drives curiosity and motivation

  • Makes you hunt for rewards

  • Fueled by dopamine

✅ When healthy: You're driven, purposeful, excited about goals

🚫 When hijacked: Addiction, workaholism, never satisfied

RANGE TEST: Rate your daily motivation 1-10 Healthy range: 6-8 (too high = burnout risk)

2. RAGE System 🔥 Your inner warrior

  • Activates when blocked or frustrated

  • Designed to remove obstacles

  • Think road rage or email fury

✅ When healthy: Assertive, boundary-setting, protective

🚫 When hijacked: Explosive anger, relationship destroyer

QUICK TEST: How often do you feel irritated daily? Normal: 1-3 times | Warning: 5+ times

3. FEAR System 😰 Your inner security guard

  • Scans for threats constantly

  • Triggers fight-flight-freeze [6]

  • Saved your ancestors' lives

✅ When healthy: Appropriate caution, risk assessment

🚫 When hijacked: Anxiety, panic, paralysis

ASSESSMENT: Anxiety moments per week? Optimal: 1-2 | Danger: Daily

4. LUST System 🔥 Your inner lover

  • Sexual desire and attraction

  • Testosterone-driven in men

  • Peak activity: ages 18-35, declines after [2]

✅ When healthy: Passionate connection, intimacy

🚫 When hijacked: Compulsive behavior, relationship chaos, porn, and masturbation challenges

5. CARE System ❤️ Your inner nurturer

  • Bonding with kids, partner, tribe

  • Releases oxytocin and opioids. Think: D.O.S.E. (Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, Endorphins)

  • Yes, real men have this!

Lisa Simpson Hug GIF by The Simpsons

Family hug…

✅ When healthy: Deep connections, empathy, protection

🚫 When hijacked: Codependency, people-pleasing traps, anxious-avoidant toxic attachment styles

6. PANIC/GRIEF System 💔 Your inner attachment alarm

  • Activates with loss or separation

  • That gut-punch feeling

  • Evolutionarily kept families together

✅ When healthy: Appropriate mourning, seeks reconnection

🚫 When hijacked: Chronic loneliness, desperation

7. PLAY System 🎮 Your inner kid

...sadly this gets neglected as adults.

  • Rough-housing, joking, fun

  • Releases endorphins

  • Most men shut this down by 30

✅ When healthy: Humor, creativity, stress relief. Think: Fun hobbies.

🚫 When hijacked: Never serious, avoids responsibility, Peter-Pan syndrome (Never grows up)

Now here's what Panksepp discovered that changes everything [3]:

These systems interact like a neural symphony...

... read that again.

• When SEEKING is too high + PLAY too low = Workaholic burnout

• When FEAR dominates + RAGE suppressed = Passive-aggressive behavior

• When LUST hijacks + CARE disconnects = Serial cheating pattern

Remember James … from yesterday's email series?

His RAGE system was on overdrive...

His CARE system was offline...

And his FEAR of losing control made it worse.

The Male-Specific Challenge:

Studies show men have:

  • Less oxytocin receptor density (harder to access CARE) [4][7]

  • Higher baseline testosterone (amplifies RAGE/LUST)

  • Cultural programming against PANIC/GRIEF expression

No wonder MEN struggle!

Your 7-Circuit Assessment:

Self-rate each system 1-10 (10 being overdrive):

SEEKING: ___

RAGE: ___

FEAR: ___

LUST: ___

CARE: ___

PANIC/GRIEF: ___

PLAY: ___

If any score above 7 or below 3?

That emotional brain circuit needs recalibration.

The 2-Minute Morning Scan:

  1. Close your eyes

  2. Ask: "What am I SEEKING today?"

  3. Notice any RAGE brewing

  4. Check FEAR levels

  5. Acknowledge other systems

  6. Set one intention

This simple scan saved James' marriage.

Because once you SEE the circuits...

You can CHOOSE your response.

Which brings us to tomorrow...

Remember those 7 circuits?

Plutchik found they create 24+ emotional combinations.

Like chemical reactions in your brain. 🧪

Love = Joy + Trust

Contempt = Anger + Disgust

Awe = Fear + Surprise

Tomorrow I'll show you the wheel that maps them all...

And how to decode your emotional GPS in seconds.

Plus: The emotion combination that predicts divorce with 93.6% accuracy ...

You read that right.

dubbed the "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" [5].

(Hint: Most men show it without realizing)

To mastering your primal brain,

Mens Health Secrets
–Live Past 100

P.S. Tomorrow's emotion wheel is used by Spec Ops Military ... crisis negotiators ... and marriage counselors worldwide ... I'll show you the 30-second technique that turns emotional chaos into crystal clarity. This changes everything.

P.P.S. Discuss any new wellness approaches with your healthcare practitioner first. This content provides educational and entertainment value only.

P.P.P.S. >>> Go here to subscribe to our Mens Health Secrets YouTube Channel if you haven't yet... leave a comment... and level up your Mens Health knowledge to live longer.

P.P.P.P.S New Skool.com community coming online soon. Come break "virtual bread" and level-up… with other like-minded men age 40 and up. This is your tribe. Join now. Perks of joining now? It's Free for LIFE. Price activates Q2 2026.

Medical References:

[1] Panksepp, J. (1998). Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195096736.001.0001

[2] Harman, S. M., Metter, E. J., Tobin, J. D., Pearson, J., & Blackman, M. R. (2001). Longitudinal Effects of Aging on Serum Total and Free Testosterone Levels in Healthy Men. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 86(2), 724-731. https://doi.org/10.1210/jcem.86.2.7219

[3] Panksepp, J., & Biven, L. (2012). The Archaeology of Mind: Neuroevolutionary Origins of Human Emotions. W. W. Norton & Company. https://doi.org/10.1086/678639 

[4] Mondragón-Ceballos R, Barrios-De Tomasi J, Hernández-López LE. Oxitocina y vasopresina: diferencias sexuales y sus implicaciones clínicas [Oxytocin and vasopressin: sexual differences and clinical implications]. Rev Med Inst Mex Seguro Soc. 2023 Mar 1;61(2):196-203. Spanish. PMID: 37200960; PMCID: PMC10395999. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37200960/

[5] Gottman, J. M., & Levenson, R. W. (1992). Marital processes predictive of later dissolution: Behavior, physiology, and health. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63(2), 221-233. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.63.2.221

[6] Kozlowska K, Walker P, McLean L, Carrive P. Fear and the Defense Cascade: Clinical Implications and Management. Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2015 Jul-Aug;23(4):263-87. https://doi.org/10.1097/HRP.0000000000000065. PMID: 26062169; PMCID: PMC4495877.

[7] Dumais, K.M., Bredewold, R., Mayer, T. E., Veenema, A. H., Sex differences in oxytocin receptor binding in forebrain regions: Correlations with social interest in brain region- and sex- specific ways, Hormones and Behavior, Volume 64, Issue 4,2013, Pages 693-701, ISSN 0018-506X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.08.012.