The human mind, for all that it’s capable of doing, can really struggle with basic things. In these scenarios, our reptilian brain takes over and makes things a lot harder than they really are. It’s not our fault though, we’re just trying our hardest to make sense of the world around us. Sometimes we laugh it off or sometimes, we’re too busy trying to keep our lunches down. Below are a couple of simple things that are messing with your mind.

1. Motion Sickness Is Mistaken for Poison

If you’re one prone to throwing up during long rides, then take solace in the fact that your brain is simply trying to keep you alive. When the signals don’t line up, like sitting still but also moving, your brain gets confused and can’t decide on what’s really happening. So it freaks out and tells your stomach to get rid of the “toxins” by puking. And according to scientists, the brain does this because it has a deep fear of being poisoned.

2. Eye Contact Freaks Out the Brain

Next time someone fails to hold eye contact during a conversation, don’t be so quick to assume they’re acting shady. It’s more likely that their poor brain’s all jumbled up as it’s trying to multitask. One possible explanation for this is that our brains use the same regions for talking, thinking and maintaining eye contact. Trying to do all those things at once during a conversation creates a lot of confusion. So the brain tries to reduce the number of tasks by making you avert your eyes. 

3. Color Changes When the Brain Bumbles Light

Do you remember that viral post back in 2015 that had people debating the correct color of a dress? Were you team blue and black or team white and gold? If the former, then congrats, you were right, but you already knew that. So why all the commotion? Well, when we look at something, the brain filters out the source of light and tries to extract more light frequencies from the object itself, hence why some people saw the dress as blue and black. But those who focused more on the source of light around the dress perceived it to be white and gold. Talk about a good ole optical illusion.

4. The Good Looks Bias

Our brain is somewhat shallow and superficial. Not you as a person, but your reptilian brain. And the statistics prove it. Attractive people get shorter sentences, more votes and they are generally viewed as more honest, kind, and intelligent. As mentioned earlier, our brains are really bad at multitasking during conversations. So when talking to a good-looking person, it immediately assumes that their character matches their appearance. We know that is usually far from true, hence the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover.”

5. Crossed Arms Can Bring Pain Relief

Ever wondered why some people curl up in a ball when stricken with pain? That’s the brain’s way of creating relief. Crossing your arms has the same effect too! This was proven in a small study back in 2011 where 20 people agreed to have their hands zapped by a laser. When instructed to cross their arms, the participants reported that they felt better and this was reflected in their brainwaves. One possible explanation is that because the brain uses the left hand to touch the left side of the world and the same with the right and the right side – it gets tricked into sensing a weaker pain awareness.