Conflict in our Nervous System?
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Tom Hendricks
Nov 25, 2014, 3:30:07 PM11/25/14
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We have a built in prejudice that all the parts of our nervous system work in tandem, that they are never in conflict, and that in every move they better protect us.
Why have we accepted that without any proof?
It seems more likely that the opposite is true. By ending our preconceived notion, we may better understand our behavior and how our nervous system evolved.
For me the first rule of natural selection is that it is more tinkering to fit the present circumstances, than achieving some future perfection. And what works now sometimes leads that species into problems later.
Some clues for me were:
Some processes of the nervous system are unconscious and conflict with our conscious thinking and feeling.
The hormonal changes during puberty cause all types of conflicts of behavior.
The ENS or enteric nervous system, or gut brain acts somewhat independently of the head brain.
Catabolic and anabolic processes evolve but do not blend. The system that nurtures us is different from our immune system.
Perhaps we need to look at the nervous system, not as a finished perfect machine, but instead a work in progress.
Why have we accepted that without any proof?
It seems more likely that the opposite is true. By ending our preconceived notion, we may better understand our behavior and how our nervous system evolved.
For me the first rule of natural selection is that it is more tinkering to fit the present circumstances, than achieving some future perfection. And what works now sometimes leads that species into problems later.
Some clues for me were:
Some processes of the nervous system are unconscious and conflict with our conscious thinking and feeling.
The hormonal changes during puberty cause all types of conflicts of behavior.
The ENS or enteric nervous system, or gut brain acts somewhat independently of the head brain.
Catabolic and anabolic processes evolve but do not blend. The system that nurtures us is different from our immune system.
Perhaps we need to look at the nervous system, not as a finished perfect machine, but instead a work in progress.
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