What is the Head Center In Human Design

Let’s explore the head center in human design. I’m going to share with you what the Head center is through the lens of human design. The strengths, challenges and actions of the defined and undefined Head centers. As well as diving into the voices and pressures oof the gates of the head center. If you are new to human design and aren’t sure if you have an undefined or defined head center you can download your chart here.

The Head Center In Human Design

The head center is one of two pressure centers in the body (the other is the root) The head is the source of the pressure “to know.”  The head center is here to provide us with wisdom and be a source of guidance for others. Nearly 70% of the population has an undefined head center, a fluid way of processing and only 30% of the population has an defined or fixed way of processing head center.

The head is not here to make decisions or worry itself with directing our day to day lives. The head is a pressure center which moves energy toward awareness. The head feels pressure to know, understand and comprehend things in the world.

Simply put the head is here to ask and expect answers. The head is one of the trickiest centers in the body to master (for a plethora of reasons). We are taught from a very young age to think, which ultimately disconnects us from our body’s inner knowing and immediately gets us into the logic, creativity and thinking of the mind. The head craves knowing; it is literally the pressure to know. The head questions why it inspires, it ideates, and it conceptualizes. The head is the source of questions, confusion, and doubt, especially when it creeps into our decision-making and how we interact with the world.

The reality is the head is not here to be a decision-making tool for our lives. The head is intended to be in service of others, not ourselves. But we often default to our head or mind for our decision-making, for making sense of things. This is because the head, in conjunction with the Ajna which together is known as the mind is the not-self spokesperson for all the undefined centers in our bodies. If we are in our mind, we are in the not-self of whatever particular center, we are having doubts around.

The Pressure to Know and The Human Design Head Center

Getting to know the not-self of the head is critical to letting go of what is not yours as the mind (head and Ajna operating together) is the not-self spokesperson for all the undefined or open centers in the chart. Simply put the head wants to tell you what to do. It likes to tell us what we should say and what we should do. It craves making decisions, it is here to offer wisdom for others not decisions. Recognizing the not self monolog is key to becoming congruent with your design.

The pressure of the head is not here to drive action it is here to drive mental activity. The head in simple terms is ask questions, expect answers.

The head has three gates coming off of it which direct our thinking –

Gate 63 – is focused on securing the future, “what”

Gate 61 – is focused on the present – processing new information in the moment and discerning if it is worth pondering, “why”

Gate 64 – is focused on making sense of the past, “how”

The head is an incredible source of wonder and awe in the body. It has incredible gifts to know the unknowable. When healthy it is a powerful source for creativity.

In the body the head center is associated with the pineal gland which regulates the flow of information between the gray areas of the brain and the neocortex.

The head and ajna often function together and is known as the mind and the not-self spokesperson of the body

The Defined Head in Human Design

With a defined head there is a set and fixed way of thinking based on which channel is activated and connected to the ajna. There is a constant mental pressure to know and seek answers. The mental pressure of the defined mind can heighten mental anxiety especially with what it has yet to grasp and gain a full understanding of.

Since the defined head and defined ajna (if you have a defined head, you will have a defined ajna since there are only three channels coming off of the head), you will feel pressure to take action on your thoughts. Neither the head nor the Ajna are motor centers. Taking action on your thinking will only result in being out of alignment with your strategy and authority. You will also feel pressure to share the questions, ideas, and inspirations you have…again rely on your strategy and authority to ensure you are waiting for the right time to bring these into the world.

The Strengths of a defined Head…

• • • Clear and set on what you believe
    • Consistent access to your thinking
    • Well of knowledge and ideas

The Challenges of a defined head…

• • • Default to negative thinking
    • Struggle to stop thinking
    • Limited bandwidth in terms of your thinking
    • Struggle to get out of your head & into your body
    • Struggle with acting on your thoughts
    • May not always be right (even though your head thinks otherwise)
    • Struggle to manage the near constant mental activity

Action tips for an Head…

• • • Meditation as a tool to occupy the mind
    • Give your mind a job to do vs worrying about making decisions for you
    • Use inquiry and recurring questions to gain clarity from the defined mind
    • Come to peace with mental pressure as it is part of your life
    • Patience is important
    • Rely on your strategy and authority for decision making
    • Your thoughts are a catalyst for thinking not for taking action.

The Undefind Head

The majority of us have an undefined head or mind. The undefined head is a great source of wisdom when used for the right purposes. The challenge is that many of us are relying on our undefined heads for decision-making. This is not correct. With an undefined head, you are a filter amplify the ideas and thoughts of those around you. Thoughts, ideas, and inspiration flow through you. The flow being the keyword.

Many people hold on to the thoughts, ideas and inspiration that come into the undefined head. They identify with them, become them, and ultimately consume them. The mental pressure from the world around takes over their mental monologue and they end up in the not-self of the head. Anxiety and the not-self sets in and the mind becomes conditioned.

With an undefined head people either avoid intellectual pursuits or they immerse themselves into them seeking to be the one with the most knowledge. Since the head is the pressure to know. With an undefined head it is easy to get caught up in problem solving, overthinking, anxiety, overwhelm and indecisions. The pressure to answer the questions of others and consume more and more information.

The undefined head is here to be a filter. It is here to be an observer. Detached from the thoughts that it experiences/flows through them. The healthy undefined head is here to explore the wonder and curiosity of the world, of life, and our consciousness. With an undefined head you are a reflection of the thoughts of those around you, while sprinkling in new insights and observations.

 A healthy undefined head discern which ideas and contemplations are worthy and those that are not. The healthy undefined head offers up new insights, ideas, and inspiration for others. It is filled with intellectual possibilities on all subjects. They are open to the beauty and depth of the unknown and allow doubt and confusion to pass through. They rely on their strategy and authority for their decisions and allow the mind the beauty of deep inquiry for others.

The Strengths of an undefined Head…

• • • Flexible and fluid in your thinking
    • Absorb people and information on a deep level
    • Possibility of a still mind – when healthy
    • Deep wisdom and great expansion lie within the undefined head
    • Wonder and awe about the human experience
    • Depth of thinking

The Challenges of an undefined Head …

• • • Don’t rely on your mind especially for decisions
    • Struggle to remember things
    • The mind can easily become conditioned
    • Under constant pressure to come up with answer
    • Struggle to create boundaries around consumption of content
    • Struggle with anxiety
    • Feeling like “there’s something wrong with you” and a need to prove oneself intelligence
    • Easily overstimulated by too much information
    • Thinking about things that don’t matter

Action tips for an undefined Head…

• • • Learning to tolerate mental pressure without the need to take action
    • Become an observer of your thoughts without them becoming part of your identity – you are not your thoughts
    • Lean on your strategy and authority for decision making
    • Mediation and practices that ground you in your body are helpful
    • Be mindful of what you consume – set clear boundaries especially with social media and any other content that can induce the not-self of the mind

The Gates of the Head Center In Human Design

With the head center through the lens of human design we can look at the gates that reside within the head center and the mental pressure associated with those gates. Below you will find the 3 gates of the head along with what it sounds like in the wild. You may notice this energy in yourself or others.

Consider what does this actually sound like in the real world? Or as I like to say how does this present itself in the wild?

What are the word tracks that we may actually hear from another human?

What is the mental monologue in the ajna that is happening within?

What does this look like, sound like, and how does it present itself?

Human design is a powerful tool, and far too many people look at it from the perspective of theory and philosophy. They miss the point of bridging it into actually living, running a business, and holding space for the human’s experience in all of it.

None of the theory, philosophy, or study of human design matters if we can’t actually leverage it, use it, understand it and apply it to our lives to improve.

Today I thought I would share some insights about what the ajna center sounds like in the real world. With practical word tracks, you can listen for and/or become aware of when you say them in your own life.

 The Voice and Mental Pressures of the Head Center

The head center is a pressure center that drives the pressure and anxiety to know and seek answers. It is a boundless consumption machine in terms of content and information.

Gate 64 – Confusion – The Dreamer – Make Sense of the past “how” – Abstract Visual

The mental pressure to resolve the past and the confusion of how it will make sense.

“I am a very visual person. My mind is always flooded with images of my past, and it makes me confused. I just want it to make sense.”

“I feel so much pressure to make sense of the experiences that have happened to me. I don’t know how that will happen but I am confused about it and am hoping it will become clear. 

Gate 61 – Rationalize – The Ephiphany –  Contemplating the present – “Why” – Creative Inspiration

The mental pressure of resolving what is unknown, conceptualizing, and rationalizing.

 “I had this aha moment when I was reading this article and it totally helped me make sense of my project. I can finally feel like I know how I can bridge this stuff together.”

“I feel so much pressure to make sense of why this is happening to me yet I still can’t figure out why.” 

Gate 63 – Doubt –The Skeptic –  Securing the future – What?  – Logical

The mental pressure of questioning, doubt, and needing an answer.

“I have so many questions that I can’t seem to find answers for and I really need an answer..”

“I feel so much pressure to answer what we are going to do in order to be successful. I am doubtful that we will be able to come up with something new.  

Working with the Head Center in Human Design

When it comes to the head center, I see so many themes over and over again where this center keeps entrepreneurs especially stuck. This center is often where I see clients stuck freeze mode, overwhelmed by all there is to learn. I see this appear over and over again with boundless social media consumption to the point of detriment. This is the center that keeps us stuck thinking, I just need to learn one more thing. If I have that information, then I will be ready.

This center is the pressure to know more. This is overwhelm, overthinking, and the pressure to know more than we do. This is the anxiety of not knowing something and needing to know more. This anxiety “to know” supposedly helps us understand and make sense of our lives.

Reckoning with this center is a high priority if you are going to truly live in alignement with your human design strategy and authority. This center is in part a place where I see entrepreenurs go into freeze mode. Feel free to drop any questions you have below and if this resonates be sure to let me know.

If you enjoy this content and want to dig deeper consider joining the Human Designer Reader Training program – HD Wild or HD Your Biz.

If you enjoyed this article you may be interested in these articles:

Should’ing Yourself in Business

How to Use Human Design in Your Business

Human Design & Productivity

Human Design Marketing & the Voices of the Throat

Dive Deeper into the Centers

Ajna Center Human Design

Throat Center Human Design

Root Center Human Design