Triune model of the brain in pedagogy. Negative thoughts paralyze our mind. There is a scientific explanation for this! Ritual behavior, comparative analysis

“We must look at ourselves and at the world through the eyes of three completely different personalities,” two of whom are not armed with speech.
The human brain, says McLean, is “equivalent to three interconnected biological computers,” each of which has “its own mind, its own sense of time and space, its own memory, motor and other functions.”

Quotes from the article:

All humans have a triune brain system, which includes:
- reticular (reptilian) brain,
- emotional (limbic, mammalian) brain,
- visual brain (cerebral cortex, neocortex).

1. Reptilian brain (R-complex)

It exists 100 million years ago, it is the oldest.

Has a fundamental influence on our behavior. Responsible for the safety of the species and controls basic behavior. This is the instinct of reproduction, protection of one's territory, aggression, the desire to possess and control everything, following patterns, imitation, deception, the struggle for power, the desire for hierarchical structures, ritual behavior, minority control.
He is characterized by cold-blooded behavior, lack of empathy, and indifference to the consequences of our actions regarding other people.

Its functions are quite simple: “run - fight - freeze.” It is very useful for immediate reactions. First – reaction, then comprehension. In this sense, this is our “autopilot”, which we cannot consciously control. His main task is to protect the body, he is defensive, he is always “on guard” and looks out for danger to the body.

It is also the reptilian brain that first of all becomes the object of external manipulation in order to instill in you a constant fear of “not surviving”, feeding you information about crises, rising prices, wars, disasters, accidents, violence, carrying out painful reforms and much more that scares us modern society from cradle to grave.

He also sometimes confuses imaginary danger with a real threat. In such situations, the reptilian brain literally takes control of your mind and body.

Surely you can remember that there were times in your life when the reptilian brain took over your mind and you “overreacted” to the situation? In a sense, our reptilian brain still functions within us as the ancient dinosaurs, or our distant and wild ancestors.

2. The limbic system is the “emotional brain.”

Mammal brain. Its age is 50 million years, this is an inheritance from ancient mammals.

It is responsible for the survival of the individual, self-preservation and self-defense; governs social behavior, maternal care and education. It is involved in the regulation of the functions of internal organs, smell, instinctive behavior, experiences, memory, sleep, wakefulness, etc. This brain is 98% identical to the brain of “our smaller brothers.”

The emotional brain is considered the main generator of emotions and connects emotional and physical activity. This is where fear, fun, and change of mood arise. By the way, it is the limbic system that is susceptible to the effects of psychotropic substances. Disturbances in the limbic system can cause unexplained attacks of rage, fear or sensitivity.

The emotional brain gives us the “feeling life.” It is important to know that this is a “monotonous brain”; it loves comfort and routine, and strives for security and consistency. For the emotional brain, safety is doing today what you did yesterday, and tomorrow what you did today.

The “gravity” of the emotional brain, in its desire to preserve what we already have, manifests itself in resistance to change, it holds and pulls us back into the so-called “comfort zone” - the status quo, as part of homeostasis. Any of our attempts to get out of it is stressful for the emotional brain.

Every decision you make goes through his filter: “Is this good for me? Is it safe for my family? Isn’t there a threat in this?” And if something threatens, you reject this choice. In other words, when the emotional brain makes decisions, it bases it on what is close and familiar to you.

When you feel resistance to change, it means your emotional brain is controlling your mind.

His features:
- lives in the present time;
- auditory (communication using sounds and tones);
- orientation towards life in a group, his priority is the survival of the group, family, clan;
- does not know the options, only “yes” and “no”, “good-bad”, “this or that”;
- associativity with certain moments of life - when we think about something, we enter into an image and experience feelings.

The emotional brain does not distinguish between threats to our body and threats to our ego. Therefore, we begin to defend ourselves without even understanding the essence of the situation.

The reptilian and emotional systems of the brain have existed together for 50 million years and interact very well. This is why it is so important to understand that these two tightly coupled systems can often take control of the mind and body. For the reptilian brain, the threat can be physical, for the emotional brain it can be emotional. For example, loss of love, fear of the unknown, or changes occurring in a person's life.

3. Visual brain (cerebral cortex, neocortex - left and right hemispheres).

Thinking brain. This is the rational mind - the youngest structure. Age 1.5 – 2.5 million years.

It represents what we call reason: reflections, conclusions, the ability to analyze, cognitive processes take place in it, etc. Possesses spatial thinking, visualization pictures appear here, focus on the future, its research and analysis.

With it you can imagine anything you want!

This is also our “thought mixer” (about 60,000 thoughts a day!).

This brain can determine:
- what actions you need to take,
- set goals and make a plan,
- discuss your goals and dreams,
- inspire you and cause action for a short period of time,
- using logic to accept or reject ideas and goals.

It is important to remember that the conscious brain is not responsible for actions on a long-term basis.
Today, neuroscience has proven that the conscious brain is responsible for only 2% of long-term goals. The remaining 98% is the responsibility of our subconscious.

Now, having an idea about the structure of our brain, we can move on. At one time, Confucius said that “the world is transformed by those who were able to transform themselves, knowing that the greatest mastery begins with control of the mind. When the mind becomes an obedient servant of a person, the whole world will lie at his feet.”

In continuation of the material, quotes on this topic from another source:

Real and hidden capabilities of the brain

1. Reptilian brain

During human evolution, the brain stem called the reptilian brain was the first to develop. It is the weakest component of human intelligence. This area of ​​the brain is responsible for sensory-motor reactions (the work of the five senses with which we perceive the material world).

Human life takes place in three-dimensional space.
Our senses, and therefore the associated Consciousness, are oriented towards the perception of the range of this space. As you can see, this range is small, considering that space is multidimensional and by no means linear, as we perceive it.

The real world in which we live and to which our Consciousness is oriented is not at all the same as we know and imagine (idealize) it. We now have yet to explore, understand and inhabit this unknown World.

Behavioral stereotypes embedded in the reptilian brain are associated with the instinct of survival, with the desire to procreate.

When the reptilian brain exhibits dominant activity, a person loses the ability to think at all other, disproportionately higher levels. The development of the brain and thinking occurs only through study; there is no other way: either you strain it or you lose it! When a person “loses” his brain, he degrades.

To avoid this, first it will be enough to agree with the fact that our perception of the World is limited, incomplete, and our “reference point” and “system of measures” are archaic. Wisdom says: “What gets measured gets done.” We live in the atomic age, but we measure by “quarters”, by eye.

If you think about it, a person accepts the perception of the World from the point of view of a reptile (its eyes) as the Ultimate Truth, having built his worldview, morality, ethics on this shaky and very unreliable foundation...

2. Mammal Brain

The reptilian brain is surrounded by a very complex limbic system, called the “mammalian brain.”

This area of ​​the brain is located significantly higher on the evolutionary ladder than the reptilian brain and is present in all mammals. Its functions are emotional and cognitive. This part of the brain is responsible for sensations, experiences, memory and learning; controls biorhythms, the manifestation of hunger, controls blood pressure, sleep, metabolism, heart rhythm, and the state of the immune system.

The reptilian brain plays an important role in maintaining the vital functions of the body: it is with this brain that the influence of emotions on health is associated. The limbic system perceives signals coming from the senses (hearing, vision, touch) and transmits the received information to the thinking part of the brain - the neocortex.

People with a dominant limbic brain are emotional and touchy. Or they go to the other extreme: they immerse themselves in study, work, business, and take on a lot of other people’s worries and responsibilities, which are burdensome and often do not bring any benefit to anyone.

Since the limbic system is directly connected to the neocortex, its dominance wastes the mental energy of the neocortex on solving problems and tasks of the limbic system, simply burns it with emotions, instead of using it to solve specific practical matters with tangible results!

3. Thinking brain (neocortex)

The neocortex is located above and to the sides of the limbic system.

Its mass makes up eighty percent of the total mass of the brain matter, and it is unique to humans. This is the center of higher mental activity - the focus of True Intelligence.

The neocortex perceives, analyzes, and sorts messages received from the senses. It is characterized by such functions as reasoning, thinking, decision-making, the realization of a person’s creative abilities, the implementation of expedient control of motor reactions, speech, and the realization of Man in general.

The neocortex is the sixth (mental, intuitive) sense organ. Its development activates the so-called mental sense, which allows you to sense the subtlest vibrations of the Universe, DNA molecules, the thoughts of other people - to perceive all unconscious processes, to be aware of them, and, therefore, to control them.

It is in the neocortex that there are limitless possibilities for the process of cognition and their implementation in life. This area of ​​the brain controls telepathic, linguistic, and extrasensory abilities. Only through the development of the neocortex can a person creatively realize himself and make a breakthrough into Evolution. Science has no idea what it is yet.

The highest form of manifestation of thought is intuition. It is intuition - a person’s ability to read information from the external World (not only three-dimensional, but also multidimensional) - that allows one to expand the range of His knowledge.

This work consists of constant learning, development of knowledge, critical self-awareness and creative application of knowledge in practice. Studying means only one thing: every person should know and understand himself and his body. Don't forget: "What gets measured gets done."

Our comments:

This social scientific research, apparently built on the theory of evolution..... immediately leads to a number of interesting ideas that are fully confirmed by the Esoteric Treaty:

1. Firstly, the Esoteric model says that any physical organ (brain) has its own subtle bodies and serves to perform various functions.

The brain is a receiver-transmitter of a control signal coming through the sahasrara chakra of a person and controlling all our behavior, actions and motivation for them... from the Egregors.

If you look at this diagram of the triune brain - from this point of view of the Esoteric model, then we can assume that:

- reptilian brain = equal to body consciousness.

Limbic brain (emotional) = equal to animal mental consciousness.

Well, the visual brain (neocortex) = equal to our human mind.
And apparently it is the active work of the left hemisphere, logical and rational “thinking”

From these premises the following idea is born - the activity of various parts of the brain and caste (level of human consciousness):

If it were possible to conduct a study, then there would certainly be a connection between a person’s caste and the part of the brain that is most active:

- caste 1 will likely have a predominant reptilian brain (body instincts)
- in caste 2 - limbic-mammalian (emotions, animal mentality)
- in caste 3 - visual - necortes (mind)

It is clear that in every living person, all parts of the three-united brain will be active and involved in varying degrees to one degree or another, but their predominance, judging by the facts, will vary from caste to caste.

At the same time, in the social Model of the above study, the concept of “Consciousness” is completely absent, although scientists are already operating with the word itself.

This further confirms the Esoteric model.
The level of people of caste 3+ and especially 4 - independent thinking, active Consciousness (not mind) - does not exist at all in such a model.

2.Secondly, and what is even more interesting...this information indirectly confirms how egregorial management of Social Egregors occurs by Humans.

All these three different physical parts of the brain are receivers-antennas for receiving various commands for execution, carried out automatically by a social person.

A person is controlled by the reactions of his body (receiver of the reptilian brain), or by his emotions (receiver of the limbic brain), or by his mind (receiver of the visual brain).

That is, these are 3 receivers for different parts of the signal, but the purpose of all these programs is absolutely identical - A person lives at the level of body-emotions-mind, being simply a mechanical biorobot with a sleeping consciousness.
What is actually observed...

There is no chance in Society to awaken Consciousness by disconnecting from these programs.

All these nuances absolutely coincide with what is written in the manual “Esoteric Model of the World of Action”.

Through such social discoveries, the diagram presented in the manual shows how the “Gods” created artificial egregors to control humans - clearly shows how they also configured the human biorobot in such a way that it “lived in peace” and did not interfere where it should not ....

Everything is very “harmoniously arranged...”

3. Thirdly, the Esoteric model is confirmed by another idea that slips behind this entire social model of a three-single brain.....

A prerequisite for the possible growth of a person, for the awakening and activation of consciousness, will be the maximum activity of the third brain... the Neocortes.
Why?

Essentially this is level 3 caste. But this is not enough. What is missing? What is so stubbornly overlooked in the Social Model? And what is objectified in our Manual...

I will assume that, apparently, when this particular “third brain, rational thinking” is active, a breakthrough is possible only if the receiver of the “right hemisphere” is also involved to some extent.

A person has the slightest chance for some truly independent thinking.

In part, the scientists themselves already talk about “intuition” in their articles - but they do not explain these mechanisms in any way in their three-united model of the physical brain, which in principle is understandable; the basis of their research is the social model - Matter is primary.

If you look at the geniuses and great scientists of all times...
All of them had just such a tandem: along with active analytical and rational thinking, the vast majority have various states of inclusion of other mechanisms: insight, intuition, receiving information in a dream, etc.

Social science itself, being limited only to “physical organs” and objects, does not allow us to take another step forward....and find what is missing in this model...

This transition, the next step, will be associated with the activation of the work of the right hemisphere - and the synchronization of the work of both receivers...

Read: 6,133

Yes, a person has three brains.

This is a proven fact that is worth knowing.

Why? First of all, it's interesting. Secondly, this is important.

Three brains are a gift from long evolution that allowed us to survive and become who we are. But also the three blocks of the brain are a complex system of interactions, without understanding the logic of which it is almost impossible to plan, achieve or achieve anything. Perhaps only on an intuitive level.

Paul MacLean's theory: three human brains

First, general information.

In every person's head there is three-layer triune brain. Each new level appeared as a consequence of evolution and introduced something new and absolutely unique into behavior. All systems are located one above the other, that is, they are not departments or hemispheres.

More like shells.

The deepest layer, small in volume and oldest in age, is the membrane of the reptilian brain. Responds to survival in the global sense of the word.

The second layer is the limbic system. She is already less years old, and the zone of influence on the human body is stronger. It includes the entire emotional spectrum of feelings - from love to hatred.

The neocortex completes the structure of the human triune brain. This level makes us thinking, intelligent beings. The main ones on this planet.

An interesting pattern has been revealed: the older the level of the brain, the stronger its influence on behavior and habits, the more difficult it is to fight it.

Important. All three structures “live” unharmoniously. They very rarely interact with each other; more often, each “defends” its own interests.

That's what we'll talk about.

Reptilian brain, r-complex, instincts

The reptilian brain got its name because it exists today in a fully formed form in reptiles. They did not go further along the chain of evolution, giving scientists the opportunity for global analysis.

Reptiles have a complete p-complex, the activity of which is aimed at survival. To do this you need:

1. eat;
2. multiply;
3. defend - run away or attack.

Actually, that's all. If there are no external influences, and basic instincts are satisfied, the reptile will be in hibernation or immobility.

This is a huge plus for a person whose p-complex is included in three blocks of the brain. Why? Because during normal life, this layer of the brain is almost always in a state of stasis and does not interfere.

In case of danger, hunger or other basic needs, it wakes up and “rallies”. Then he “sleeps” again.

Limbic system, L-complex, emotions

The second round of evolution is easy to trace in mammals and birds.

Following the emotions, the need for society quickly grew. The concepts of “hierarchy”, “status”, “dominance” appeared.

The desires of the limbic system influence all three parts of the brain.

What does the limbic want?

• Endless comfort!
• Good and tasty to eat.
• It's interesting to relax.
• Constantly rejoice.
• Enjoy life.
• Be in love.

The more positive, the more fully the L-complex is realized. The happier the person. And this is already creating problems.

In general, the limbic behavior pattern resembles a very capricious child. She only wants to be happy and have fun. Everything that she doesn’t like and doesn’t bring pleasure is rejected at a conscious-subconscious level.

The word “should” is not familiar to the limbic system. Just the word “I want”!

Neocortex, new brain, mind

Humans, dolphins and some primates have thoughts, judgments, the ability to analyze and other “goodies” of conscious existence. What is the new level created by evolution responsible for?

If we compare all three brain systems, the new structure is allocated 85%. It's a lot in volume, but it doesn't add any influence.

The neocortex, on the one hand, heads all three types of brain and makes us “reasonable people,” but at the same time it is in a constant struggle with emotions and the p-complex.

The new brain wants:

• develop;
• think;
• analyze;
• to plan;
• evaluate;
• compare…

But the rest of the systems - the limbic and reptilian parts - do not need this. They need to survive and get maximum pleasure. All!

Three membranes of the brain: difficulties

The three parts of the brain are constantly in opposition to each other. But the limbic system struggles most with the neocortex.

Limbika does not want to learn, develop, or plan. She wants to lie on the couch, eat delicious food and enjoy light books.

And in this situation, the reptilian simply sleeps. There is no danger, there is food - and nothing else is needed.

It is with the capricious child - the L-complex - that you have to fight when you want to:

• move towards goals;
• develop;
• to plan;
• achieve;

By the way, everything works out well with habits. If you survive the protests of the body and brain, then the limbic will learn to get a thrill from the newly acquired skill and will perceive it favorably.

This is where the whole secret lies. A single brain - a three-in-one concept - can interact efficiently if the comfort of each structure is taken care of.

Synchronize the blocks and give each level the sensations that are important to it.

If you can do this, then the three brain blocks work as one. And a person finds himself in a “flow” and can reach any heights.

And another very important point: the theory of three brains gives an understanding of how to control emotions and not spontaneously fall into extreme states. That is, keeping anger, rage, stress and even excessive joy in check. More on this in the following articles.

The brain developed by building up evolutionary layers - first the “reptilian layer,” then the “mammalian layer,” and finally the “human layer.”

In the mid-twentieth century, umami was a rather peculiar idea of ​​the structure of the brain. It was believed that the human brain developed by accumulating layers, like the rings on a piece of wood. Located at the very base of the brain, the cerebellum and brainstem were responsible for basic functions such as balance and regulation of internal organs. It was believed that this was the “reptilian” part of the brain, the inheritance of our distant ancestors. The midbrain located above is the focus of feelings of hunger, sexual arousal, etc. It was believed that this was the “layer of mammals.” And above it is the cerebral cortex - the area of ​​thoughts and higher mental functions that distinguish people from other living beings. This pattern, known as the “triune brain,” was made popular by Carl Sagan (1934–96) and his book Dragons of Eden (1977).

There is a lot that speaks in favor of the triune brain theory. It is simple, attractive and logical. The only thing against it is that it is fundamentally wrong.

Firstly, the human brain, although different from the brains of other animals, is not So, as Sagan believed. The fish brain differs from the human brain in shape, but all its parts are practically the same. The brain of a fish and the brain of a person are about the same difference as two cars - there are obvious differences, but both cars have wheels, an engine, brakes, etc. The fact that humans have greater intellectual power is explained by the larger size of the human cortex, but not by that the fish does not have it at all.

Secondly, the work of the brain is a very complex process that cannot be squeezed into the framework of such a simple model. Today we know that the brain is composed of numerous highly specialized clusters of cells and that its functioning depends on the relationships of these centers with each other. This concept is often conveyed by the expression “community of mind.”

Using vision as an example, let's look at how groups of neurons interact with each other. Primary processing of incoming light occurs in the retina. Signals from light-sensitive cells are sent to specialized neurons ( cm. propagation of nerve impulses). Some neurons fire when they receive a signal about a bright spot on a dark background; others - when they perceive a dark spot on a light background. The signal going to the brain is a sequence of impulses that represent the visual image as a sequence of dark and light spots. (There are actually two types of processing going on in the retina—some cells are sensitive to color, others are sensitive to small differences in light intensity.)

Some neurons in the retina are connected (technically speaking, projected onto) with a certain part of the parietal region of the brain, the function of which is to quickly form a vague picture of the visual field and carry out an involuntary reaction if something happens in the visual field. This is why people in the room automatically turn their heads towards the door when it opens. Most signals from neurons are transmitted to the visual cortex in the occipital region of the brain. There, signals from different parts of the retina are brought together again (through a process we do not yet fully understand) into a visual image. Each neuron in the visual cortex is connected to many neurons in the retina. These cortical neurons have a narrow specialization. Some of them are excited only if a horizontal line appears in the field of view, others - only when a vertical line appears, etc. These neurons have a projection to other parts of the brain, as the process of recreating the image reaches higher and higher levels. We know that there are specialized neurons in the brain that, for example, will only fire when they see a star; others will be excited only at the sight of a circle with a stripe inside, etc. Scientists call the idea of ​​how a visual image is built with the help of these specialized neurons binding problem. That is, it is important for us to understand how signals from neurons are connected together to produce a single image.

This type of neuronal specialization can be explained in terms of evolutionary theory. For example, the ability of certain nerve impulses from the retina to directly trigger a reflex that forces us to evaluate the movement of external objects in more detail gave an obvious advantage to organisms living in hostile environments. A quick glance helped to stay alive if the movement came from an approaching predator.

The presence of such specialization is also the reason that many scientists (including the author) are unshakably convinced that the brain is not a computer. It's just that computers work completely differently from the brain, and each of them is suitable for solving specific problems ( cm. Turing test). For example, even a small computer will surpass any human in its ability to count and remember, but no existing computer can speak like a five-year-old child. A computer is a tool (like a hammer) that helps people achieve their goals, and nothing more.

Triune brain theory

If you hold your thumb with the other four fingers, you get a “handy” model of the brain. In this case, the face will be on the side of the knuckles, and the back of the head will be on the back of the hand. The wrist functions as the spinal cord running inside the spine; on top of it is the brain. If you open all your fingers, the inner brain stem will be right in the palm of your hand. By bending your thumb back, you will see the approximate location of the limbic lobe (ideally, for symmetry of the model, we should have two thumbs, left and right). Now make a fist with four fingers and you will have a bark.

These three regions—the brainstem, the limbic lobe, and the cortex—make up the so-called triune brain, the levels of which have developed successively during evolution. Integration of brain activity at least implies the unification of the activity of these three areas. Since they are located one above the other, it is called vertical integration. The brain is divided into left and right hemispheres, so neural integration requires combining their functions. This can be considered horizontal, or two-way, integration.

Hundreds of millions of years ago, the trunk was what some call the brain of a reptile. The trunk receives signals from the body and sends them back, thereby regulating basic life processes, such as the functioning of the heart and lungs. It also determines the energy supply of the parts of the brain located above - the limbic lobe and the cerebral cortex. The trunk directly controls the state of arousal, determining, for example, whether we are hungry or full, experiencing sexual desire or satisfaction, sleeping or awake.

The lateral plane diagram of the brain shows the main areas of the brain: brainstem, limbic structures (with the amygdala and hippocampus), cortex (with the medial prefrontal region). The ventromedial prefrontal cortex is not visible.

Neural clusters in the brainstem also come into play when certain external conditions require rapid distribution of energy in the body and brain. The so-called “fight-flight-freeze” response set is responsible for survival in dangerous situations. Working in parallel with the evaluative processes of the limbic and higher areas of the brain, the brainstem evaluates how we should respond to danger: mobilize energy for fight or flight, or helplessly freeze and capitulate. However, regardless of the chosen response, the survival mode turned on makes it difficult, if not completely blocking, the ability to be open and receptive to others. Therefore, in order to get rid of the mental traps in which we sometimes get stuck, we need to reduce our reaction speed.

The trunk forms the basis of the so-called motivational systems that help us satisfy basic needs for food, procreation, safety and shelter. When you have a strong need for a certain behavior, it is very likely that it is the brain stem, along with the limbic lobe, that motivates you to take action.

2. Limbic structures

The limbic lobe is located deep inside the brain, approximately where the thumb is located on our “handy” model. It was formed about two hundred million years ago, simultaneously with the appearance of the first mammals. The “ancient mammalian brain” (old cortex) works in close contact with the brainstem and our entire body, forming not only basic desires, but also emotions. We experience a certain meaningful feeling at some point because our limbic structures evaluate the current situation. "Is it good or bad?" - this is the main question that the limbic lobe answers. We reach for the good and stay away from the bad. Thus, limbic structures help us create “emotions” that provoke movement, motivating us to act in accordance with the meaning that we ascribe to what is happening at a particular time.

The limbic lobe plays a key role in our emotional attachments and how we form relationships with people. If you've ever kept fish, frogs or lizards at home, you know that, unlike mammals, they do not experience attachment to their owners or to each other. Meanwhile, rats, cats and dogs have a limbic system characteristic of mammals. Emotional attachment is what characterizes them and you and me. We are literally designed to connect with each other, thanks to our mammalian ancestors.

The limbic system performs an important regulatory function through the hypothalamus, the main endocrine control center. Through the pituitary gland, the hypothalamus sends and receives hormones, having a special effect on the genitals, thyroid and adrenal glands. For example, during times of stress, a hormone is released that stimulates the adrenal glands to produce cortisol, which mobilizes energy and puts the metabolism on high alert to cope with the situation. This reaction is easy to manage under short-term stress, but becomes a problem in the long term. When we are faced with an issue that we cannot adequately resolve, cortisol levels become chronically elevated. In particular, traumatic experiences can lead to increased sensitivity of limbic structures, and as a result, even minor stress will provoke an increase in cortisol levels, further complicating the daily life of a person who has suffered psychological trauma. High levels of cortisol are toxic to the developing brain and disrupt the normal growth and functioning of nerve tissue. An overly reactive limbic system needs to be softened to balance the emotional background and reduce the harmful effects of chronic stress.

The limbic lobe also contributes to the formation of various types of memory: remembering facts, specific experiences and emotions, making it more colorful. On either side of the central portion of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland are two special clusters of neurons: the amygdala and the hippocampus. The amygdala plays an important role in the fear response. (Although some authors attribute all emotions to the amygdala, according to the most recent research, our overall state is determined by the limbic system, the cortex, as well as the brain stem and the entire body.)

The amygdala triggers immediate reactions for survival purposes. An emotional state can prompt us to act unconsciously and thereby save our life or provoke us to actions that we will later greatly regret. To begin to make sense of our own feelings - to specifically pay attention to them and understand them - we need to integrate these emotional states formed in the subcortical structures with the cortex of our brain.

Finally we come to the hippocampus, a seahorse-shaped cluster of neurons that functions as a jigsaw puzzle. It connects widely separated areas of the brain: from perceptual systems to fact storage and language centers. The integration of impulses turns our moment-to-moment impressions into memories.

The hippocampus develops gradually in early childhood and forms new connections and neurons throughout life. As we mature, the hippocampus weaves basic forms of emotional and perceptual memory into factual and autobiographical memories, allowing us, for example, to tell someone about an incident. However, this ability to tell stories, unique to humans, also depends on the development of the uppermost part of the brain, the cortex.

The outer layer of the brain is the cortex, much like a tree. It is sometimes called the neocortex, or new cortex, because it began to develop rapidly with the advent of primates, particularly humans. The cortex generates less simple impulse patterns that represent a three-dimensional world beyond the body's functions and survival reactions, which are responsible for the deeper subcortical areas. The more complex frontal cortex allows us to have ideas and concepts and create “mindsight maps” that give us insight into our own inner world. For example, in the frontal cortex, patterns of impulses arise that represent its own representations. In other words, it gives us the ability to think about the thought process. The good news is that through this, people can diversify their thinking process: imagine, combine facts and experiences in new ways, create. However, there is a flip side to the coin: sometimes these abilities make us think too much. As far as is known, no other species is capable of producing its own neural representations. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why we sometimes call ourselves neurotic.

The bark is covered with winding grooves, which scientists have divided into sections called lobes. In our “handy” model, the posterior cortex extends from the second knuckle (counting from the tips of the fingers) to the back of the hand and includes the occipital, parietal and temporal lobes. The posterior cortex is a kind of “mapper” of our physical experience, shaping the perception of the external world using the five senses and tracking the location and movement of our body in space through the perception of touch and movement. If you've learned to use an object—a hammer, a baseball bat, or a car—you may remember that magical moment when the initial awkwardness left you. The perceptual functions of the posterior cortex are surprisingly adaptive: they have embedded this object in your body "map" so that it is felt by the brain as an extension of your body. Due to this, we can drive quickly on highways, park on a narrow street and use a scalpel with great precision.

Looking again at our handy model of the brain, the frontal cortex, or frontal lobe, extends from our fingertips to our second knuckle. This area evolved during the era of primates and is most developed in humans. Moving from the back of the head to the frontal lobe, we first encounter the “motor stripe” that controls voluntary contracting muscles. The muscles of the legs, arms, hands, fingers and face are controlled by separate groups of neurons. The muscles connect to the spinal cord, where they intersect and change position, so the muscles on the right side of the body are activated by the left motor area of ​​the brain. (The same intersection applies to the sense of touch: it is responsible for an area closer to the occipital part, in the area of ​​​​the parietal lobe, which is called the somatosensory strip.) Returning back to the frontal lobe and moving forward a little, we will see an area called the premotor strip. It is connected to the physical world and allows us to interact with the environment: we plan our movements.

So, the brainstem is responsible for bodily function and survival, the limbic system is for emotion and evaluation, the posterior cortex is for perceptual processes, and the posterior frontal lobe is for motor activity.

Let's move along our model to the area from the first knuckles to the fingertips. Here, just behind the frontal bone, is the prefrontal cortex, which is only well developed in humans. We move beyond the perception of the surrounding world and the movement of the body into another area of ​​\u200b\u200breality, constructed by neurons.

We are moving towards more abstract and symbolic forms of information flow that distinguish us as a species. This prefrontal region is where representations of concepts such as time, the sense of self, and moral judgment are created. This is where we draw up our “mindsight maps”.

Take another look at the brain model. The two outermost fingers represent the lateral portion of the prefrontal cortex, which is involved in the formation of a person’s conscious focus of attention. By placing something in front of your eyes, you associate activity in that area with activity in other areas of the brain, such as ongoing visual perception in the occipital lobe. (When we reproduce an image from memory, a similar part of the occipital lobe is activated.)

The third figure shows the location of areas of the medial prefrontal cortex, which includes the middle and ventral areas of the prefrontal cortex, the orbitofrontal cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex of both hemispheres. The corpus callosum connects the two hemispheres.

Now let's look at the medial prefrontal cortex, represented in our model by the middle fingernail. This region performs important regulatory functions, from controlling life processes to making moral judgments.

Why is the medial prefrontal cortex so important for performing these tasks necessary for a healthy life? If we open our fingers and close them again, we see the anatomical uniqueness of this area: it connects everything. Notice how the middle finger rests on top of the limbic system (thumb), touches the trunk (palm), and directly connects to the cortex (fingers). Thus, the medial prefrontal cortex is literally one synapse away from the neurons of the cortex, limbic lobe and brainstem. It even has functional pathways connecting it to the social world.

The medial prefrontal cortex creates connections between the following distant and disparate areas of the brain: the cortex, the limbic systems, the brainstem inside the skull, and the internal nervous system of our body. It also connects signals from all these areas with the signals we send to and receive from our social world. Because the prefrontal cortex helps coordinate and balance impulse patterns from all of these areas, it serves a critical integrative function.

Used materials:

Daniel Siegel Mindsight. The New Science of Personal Transformation"

There is always a well-known solution to every human problem - neat, plausible, and wrong.
H.L. Menken

There is always a well-known solution for every problem that worries a person - elegant, plausible, and... erroneous.
Henry Mencken

Triune brain

The Triune Brain theory by Paul MacLean is extremely popular.

This is, in a sense, comparative neuroanatomy, incredibly elegant in its simplicity. The entire brain consists of three parts:

• The oldest "reptile brain", or R-complex, including the basal ganglia and stem structures. Instinctive behaviors such as aggression, dominance, territoriality and ritualistic behavior are attributed to him.
• The brain of paleomammals corresponds to the amygdala, hypothalamus, hippocampus and cingulate cortex. MacLean believed that it arose in the earliest mammals and was not present in reptiles, and attributed emotions to it
• The brain of neomammals is the cerebral cortex. According to MacLean, the newest brain, which contains language, planning, abstract thought, etc.

Why emotions in the paleobrain? Since emotions are mammals (McLean believed that birds and reptiles have nothing like that), and they are too crazy for the “rational” neocortex, they were recorded there, in the middle layer. And since the hippocampus is sort of like a paleocortex, he was assigned there too. I'm exaggerating, but the quality of the reasoning there is something like this. For its time and America, the theory was a new contribution, and led to the appearance of the very term "limbic system". (Although Bernstein was 20 years earlier and much more detailed and accurate).

The theory is wrong

MacLean has a lot of very interesting guesses, but in general his construction is very primitive and certainly needs to be updated.

• The brains of reptiles and birds do not consist only of the basal ganglia and are not even dominated by them.
• Emotions - more precisely, affects - are not an invention of mammals, and sit in the mesencephalic and brainstem structures (but also in the cortex)
• The limbic system is a legitimate department, but consists of a much more subtle organization than Maclean wrote.
• In particular, all known roles of the hippocampus are in no way related to the limbic system
• In general, mammals did not evolve from reptiles.

But inertia is a hard thing.