I'm really not sure where to put this...so, Mods, please feel free to move it.
Scientists discover 'second brain' in the stomach
Scientists are claiming to have discovered a second brain - in the human stomach.
The breakthrough, involving experts in the US and Germany, is believed to play a major part in the way people behave.
This 'second brain' is made up of a knot of brain nerves in the digestive tract. It is thought to involve around 100 billion nerve cells - more than held in the spinal cord.
Researchers believe this belly brain may save information on physical reactions to mental processes and give out signals to influence later decisions. It may also be responsible in the creation of reactions such as joy or sadness.
The research is outlined in the latest issue of German science magazine, Geo, in which Professor Wolfgang Prinz, of the Max Planck Institute for Psychological Research in Munich, says the discovery could give a new twist on the old phrase "gut reaction".
He said: "People often follow their gut reactions without even knowing why, its only later that they come up with the logical reason for acting the way they did. But we now believe that there is a lot more to gut feelings than was previously believed."
Professor Prinz thinks the stomach network may be the source for unconscious decisions which the main brain later claims as conscious decisions of its own.
The second brain was rediscovered by Michael Gershorn, of the University of Colombia in New York, after it was forgotten by science. He says it was first documented by a 19th century German neurologist, Leopold Auerbach.
He discovered two layers of nerve cells near a piece of intestine he was dissecting. After putting them under the microscope he found they were part of a complex network.
Recent research has already raised the idea that many reactions may be made in the stomach. Benjamin Libet, of the University of California found the brains of volunteers asked to raise their arms only registered activity about half a second after the movement had been made. He believes his work implies another part of the body may have been involved in making the decision.
Source:
Perhaps this accounts for the solar plexus chakra? Any thoughts, comments or opinions?
Blessings
Mirrie
RE: "Second brain"
Very interesting!
Thanks for sharing Mirrie 😀
Amber
RE: "Second brain"
WOW, amazing this is only coming to the fore now. You would imagine that all there is to know about anatomy (excluding the brain), would have been sounded out by now considering the advancements that have been made within human biology even at cellular level.
Does this mean that our A&P exams will need updating? Ha Ha
Jacqui
xx
RE: "Second brain"
ORIGINAL: jordipordi
WOW, amazing this is only coming to the fore now.
Actually, it came to the fore almost nine years ago in a NY Times article. There has since been a [link= http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060930721/ref=pd_sxp_f/002-1151291-0279239?v=glance&s=books ]book[/link], and an article in a mainstream [link= http://cms.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-19990501-000013.html ]magazine[/link] in 1999.
Not sure why it just suddenly became news again.
RE: "Second brain"
Yes. I've known this for quite some time now.
RE: "Second brain"
News to me, although not altogether surprising. Interesting stuff though.
June
RE: "Second brain"
Interesting! - I'm right now about to start another thread here (HP- Science) on the possibility that consciousness is not produced by the brain.
Venetian
RE: "Second brain"
The chinese actually refer to the intestines as the lower brain, if I remember correctly, - so they have believed this for centuries. Also the chinese actually believe we have 3 brains. Our upper brain (head), middle brain (diaphram) and lower brain (the intestines).
L&L,
Sig xx
RE: "Second brain"
Not researched enough to make an intelligent comment but that would be the brain. I definitely think with my stomach and am plump enough to prove it and I intellectually know better. Interesting if the thought about the charkra is true and would this put into question that there may be similar configurations of nerves in the other chakras as well. My first thought was to all the people having the surgery for weight control but I don't think they remove the stomach just bypass it. Fascinating concept.
RE: "Second brain"
As a 'mainstream' scientist, with I hope an open mind, I do get sick of 'scientists' or even more often, so called 'science correspondents' for newspapers, dragging up old news that only has value in its readership grab, or as a lever for screwing yet another research grant out of their parent body.
That there is a collection of nerve cells in the stomach region, has, as said above, been known for many many years, It is just that, a localised collection of nerve cells for carrying out local autonomous/automatic actions.
By no means can this clump of cells be called a 'brain'.
Leo
RE: "Second brain"
I am not sure I have this right so feel free to correct me if I am wrong - I am unable to find the link on this but I once saw a pic of a group of nerves (i think) around the solar plexus chakra - that formed a shape of 2 fish and 5 quadrangles - someone said that the parable jesus told about the 2 fish and the 5 loaves of bread feeding 5000 people was actually reference to these nerves feeding the cells in the rest of our body. Is this anything to do with the second brain they are talking about?
L&L,
SIg xxxx
RE: "Second brain"
yes thats the solar plexus related to chakra system. messages with emotions, feelings, etc are processed here & runs up to the brain - its old news.
Was mentioned in the Anatomy series showing those live dissections not so long back also refering to the second brain. Ancient wisdom unfolding into the modern world slowly.
RE: "Second brain"
I think I follow Leo's thinking. Other places are frankly nothing like a "brain" in the physical sense. I believe and "know" chakras are real and they do have collections of nerve cells - but present physical science cannot quite view that unless by Kirlian photography of the authentic sort.
The brain is indeed unique and we do not have 2 or 5 IMHO.
What I do find fascinating is that it turns out that the heart is about 1000 times more important in terms of its electrical field, and much though present science will disagree, I reckon our consciousness is based in the heart, but not quite at the gross physical level such as the brain is.
The brain IMHO is a very successful abacus which the heart uses, and the heart is not just a "pump".
That's a "paradigm" which will see its day.
Venetian
Edit to add: that we have to divide thinking in such discussion between the totally physical anatomy and the more subtle such as chakras and chi. Sure, I believe in the latter, but it is just not yet a part of accepted science.
My similar thread is at: