I recently posted some videos about mirror neurons on my social media, and it gained a lot of interest! So I figured, it’s only fair to write a longer blog about it - for those who want more information.

Here’s the post if you want to check out the videos. Go to Instagram.

Mirror neurons are a type of brain cell that were first discovered in macaque monkeys in the 1990s. They were found to fire not only when the monkey performed an action, but also when the monkey observed the same action being performed by another individual. This finding revolutionized our understanding of the brain and its ability to understand the actions of others.

Since their discovery, mirror neurons have been the subject of much research and debate. In this blog, we will explore what mirror neurons are, how they work, and why they are so important for our understanding of human cognition and behaviour.

What are mirror neurons?

Mirror neurons are a type of brain cell that fire both when an individual performs an action and when they observe someone else performing the same action. This means that when we watch someone else do something, our mirror neurons “mirror” their behavior, allowing us to understand their intentions, emotions, and even sensations.

While mirror neurons were first discovered in the brains of macaque monkeys, where they were found to be active in the premotor cortex and the inferior parietal lobule. Since then, researchers have found mirror neurons in other animals, including humans.

It is important to remember, that mirror neurons (and 90% of the nervous system) function subconsciously. Meaning while they’re doing all this mirroring it’s unlikely you’re fully aware of what you’re mirroring! Think for instance if your system is mirroring someone else’s anxiety. And that you might feel anxious, or drained afterwards, but in the moment you don’t consciously notice why.

How do mirror neurons work?

Mirror neurons work by simulating the actions of others in our own brains. When we observe someone performing an action, our mirror neurons fire in a similar pattern to the neurons that would fire if we were actually performing that action ourselves. This allows us to “map” the actions of others onto our own motor system, which helps us understand and predict their behavior.

Mirror neurons also play a role in emotional processing. When we observe someone experiencing an emotion, our mirror neurons fire in a similar pattern to the neurons that would fire if we were experiencing that emotion ourselves. This allows us to empathize with others and understand their emotional state.

If you’re a parent reading this, you might consider how mirror neurons teach our children. I’m sure you have noticed that they do what you do, not what you say - and this is due to their mirror neurons knowing what is happening in your brain, no matter what words you speak!

Why are mirror neurons important?

Mirror neurons are important because they play a crucial role in our ability to understand and interact with others. They allow us to understand the actions, intentions, and emotions of those around us, which is essential for social communication and cooperation.

Mirror neurons also have important implications for our understanding of empathy and theory of mind. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, and mirror neurons are thought to play a crucial role in this process. Theory of mind is the ability to attribute mental states to others, such as beliefs, desires, and intentions, and mirror neurons are thought to play a role in this as well.

Mirror neurons also have implications for our understanding of language and language acquisition. It has been suggested that mirror neurons may play a role in our ability to learn language by allowing us to map the sounds of language onto the movements of the mouth and vocal cords. (How many kids are missing out on this because their parents faces are facing at their phones, and not engaging in eye contact and allowing our kids to learn language through our own mouth movements?)

Finally, mirror neurons have potential implications for our understanding of neurological and psychiatric disorders. It has been suggested that dysfunction of mirror neurons may be involved in a range of disorders, including autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, and depression.

Connecting mirror neurons and regulation

Part One: Low vagal tone means you will take on others states and won’t be able to shed them.

The most common question I get asked about mirror neurons is.. how do I stop my mirror neurons from mirroring people I don’t want to mirror?!

Or.… how do I recalibrate after I’ve been around someone who’s made me feel anxious, drained, etc.?

In reality, if you are picking up everyone else’s stuff and you are unable to shed it, what it tells me is your vagus nerve doesn’t have a really firm anchor.

What do I mean by that?

Your vagus nerve is what withdraws you from a stressful situation. So if you’re picking up someone else’s nervous system state (hypervigilance/ fight/ flight/anger/emotion etc) that really activates you, your vagus nerve is supposed to come in once the threat has finished and recalibrate you and help you feel anchored into your own body and your own state.

This creates the foundation that allows you to be around other people and mirror them temporarily but not permanently.

Part Two: When are you noticing someone has drained your nervous system? Usually it’s after the event. What can you start noticing in the moment, to take steps away from mirroring someone else’s state?

What do you do if you can’t recalibrate after mirroring another person’s state?

Step one is awareness. It’s being aware of how people are making you feel on a nervous system level. Because this happens subconsciously and unless we put it into our conscious brain, it just happens - day in day out - without us even recognising what’s happening.

This is how we easily become like the people who we spend the most amount of time with. So, I encourage you stop and notice - what you are doing or what is happening in your body in the moment when you’re around people. Rather than waiting until they’ve left or the situation is over, when you are left feeling really drained and anxious, we really need to start catching it sooner.

Part Three: We all have a metabolic glass ceiling! If you feel you’re holding yourself pretty well for most of the day then collapse at the end of the day, you’ve probably hit that ceiling.

The vagus nerve needs nutrition and stimulation to function optimally - your current glass ceiling isn’t your always glass ceiling.

Something else to consider when it comes to mirror neurons and your dysregulation… firstly we know that the more dysregulated you are, the lower your vagal tone is, the more you will mirror other people’s nervous system states and you won’t be able to pull yourself out of that.

That is the job of the vagus nerve.

Say you’ve been working on yourself and you know that you can activate your vagus nerve, you can regulate yourself around other people, you feel like your starting to anchor inside your own state and your own body. If you are around people who you have to work really hard to remain regulated and to anchor in, there will reach a point where your nervous system will still fatigue.

It’s like a muscle. If you’re pushing that muscle over and over and it’s not coming naturally, you will need to be careful because you will hit your upper limit and you will start mirroring them, simply out of nervous system fatigue.

Part Four: Tips for staying regulated and avoid taking on other’s nervous system states.

There are two things we can do. Physically in the moment, when we start noticing what’s happening in our body, we can make physical shifts towards anchoring back into our own body and avoiding taking on their mirror neuron state.

This could be physically touching your body, like tapping your fingers and wiggling your toes. It could be looking out into the distance, which we know creates neurological safety. In some cases, it can also be removing yourself from the situation before you get too drained or saying no when you know that someone is going to affect you.

What are the criticisms of mirror neuron theory?

Despite their potential importance, mirror neurons have been the subject of much debate and criticism in the scientific community. One major criticism of mirror neuron theory is that the evidence for the existence of mirror neurons in humans is not yet conclusive. While mirror neurons have been found in monkeys, the evidence for their existence in humans is less clear.

Another criticism of mirror neuron theory is that it may oversimplify the complex processes involved in social cognition and behavior. While mirror neurons may play a role in our ability to understand others, they are likely just one piece of a much larger puzzle.

Finally, some have criticized mirror neuron theory for its potential to be misused, particularly in the context of criminal law. It has been suggested that mirror neuron theory could be used to justify punishment based on the assumption that the perpetrator “mirrored” the victim’s actions.

Mirror Neurons and You

Mirror neurons are POWERFUL. And we don't even know what they're doing half the time - they just go ahead and mirror away.

It's completely subconscious - so if you've been beating yourself up about it, or nagging your child, best stop that now! Consciously trying to tell a subconscious behaviour to stop won't get you too far.

Tap into how you feel when you're around certain people, and you'll start to notice what your mirror neurons are doing. It's subtle - you really need to listen to your body (and not try and rationalise it).

Or perhaps you go for the same partners / friends / companions and you constantly end up in the same place? Well in this case your mirror neurons are finding that subconscious familiar (probably from your childhood), which drives you to seek out the same response - because our nervous systems LOVE familiar!

And here's your reminder to keep that inner circle of your life a vagus-safe-place.

So, hopefully now you know a lot more about mirror neurons! Is this something that affects you? If you need more help with your vagus nerve, you can work with me one on one.

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