Recent advances in functional MRI (fMRI), which measures how neural activity changes blood flow, have allowed scientists and psychologists to witness the real-time working of the brain for the very first time.

We are now able to pinpoint the regions of the brain involved in producing different thoughts or feelings and identify the neural functions involved with the activation of Saboteurs and the Sage.

The Survive Region:
Your Inner Saboteurs

Saboteurs are the voices in your head that generate negative emotions when you handle life’s challenges. They exist in the brainstem, limbic system, and parts of the left brain. They produce much of your stress, anxiety, self-doubt, anger, shame, guilt, frustration, and mind chatter. These negative emotions are only helpful for a second as they alert you to dangers or issues. However, staying in these emotions hurts your ability to see clearly and choose the most impactful response.

The Thrive Region:
Your Inner Sage

Your Sage lives in an entirely different region of your brain, the middle prefrontal cortex, “empathy circuitry,” and parts of the right brain. It generates positive emotions while handling life’s challenges. These include empathy, compassion, gratitude, curiosity, joy of creativity, and calm, clear-headed laser-focused action. This region is wired for creativity and big-picture awareness of what is important and the best course of action.

Activating this region results in release of endorphins that counter the negative impacts of stress-induced cortisol.

Neuroplasticity: The Key to Shifting the Balance of Power

Your brain is made up of neurons. When a signal travels down a neuron, it results in activation of other neurons based on synapses that connect neurons. But there are multiple choices for which direction the signal would travel. The question is which neuron will be activated. Every time a neuron activates another neuron, they become more closely wired together, making it more likely that the signal will go in that direction the next time around. This constitutes a “neural pathway.”

This is how a repeated action becomes an automatic habit. In Positive Intelligence, we use the powerful 10-second PQ Rep technique as a way of intercepting the old Saboteur responses, so we can pause and choose a new Sage response. Repetition results in Sage neural pathways (muscles) to counter the old Saboteur muscles. That is why our training results in sustained change, as opposed to results fading over time. Mental fitness is about building mental muscles and not just stopping at insights.

Saboteur Interceptor Muscle

Your Saboteurs generate all your negative emotions, including stress, anxiety, self-doubt, anger, avoidance, procrastination, insensitivity or discontent. Mental fitness requires the ability to intercept and discredit the Saboteurs.

Building New Neural Pathways

Mental fitness is increased when new mental muscles are strengthened through positive habits. Our program focuses on growing three specific mental muscles, which become visible as new neural pathways in MRI imaging within eight weeks of practice.

Saboteur Interceptor Muscle

Your Saboteurs generate all your negative emotions, including stress, anxiety, self-doubt, anger, avoidance, procrastination, insensitivity or discontent. Mental fitness requires the ability to intercept and discredit the Saboteurs.

Self-Command Muscle

Boost your ability to command your mind to quiet the Saboteur region and amplify the Sage region. Using simple daily exercises, you learn to run your brain, rather than allow your Saboteur-hijacked brain to run you.

Sage Muscle

Your Sage is the one in you that handles challenges with a clear and calm mind, and positive emotions. Your Sage accesses 5 positive powers. For peak performance, you learn to boost all 5 powers and know when to use which power.

Measure Your Mental Fitness

Your PQ (Positive Intelligence Quotient, or Positivity Quotient for short) measures the relative strength of your positive versus negative mental muscles. PQ is the measure of your mental fitness. Take our PQ Score Assessment to discover how often your mind is serving you versus sabotaging you.

Discover Your Saboteurs

Find out how you sabotage your own performance, well-being, and relationships, and how to improve.

Read Our White Papers

Read the white papers that describe the research foundation behind our Positive Intelligence Assessments.