One misconception of the brain that still persists to this day is the way it is isolated from the body. In fact, this misconception lives on because many people still subscribe to it subconsciously!
It is not enough to just remember that the brain is connected to the nerves in other parts of the body. Many people believe this fact, but how well do they really appreciate or understand it? Most of us are just limited to imagining one sensation sending its signal to the brain and the brain is treated like some old-fashioned switchboard office where it processes the signals one at a time.
Today’s science obviously teaches us that the workings between the body and the brain are far more powerful and complicated than that. Just because we’re not taking a course on neuroscience doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to expand beyond a very limited understanding of their connection! Here are three facts to keep in mind that can help with that!
The brain has always been less like a switchboard, and more like the most advanced supercomputer conceived through biological evolution. From the slightest lift of your finger to the sound of the wind outside the window, your brain is taking it all in while still somehow managing to give you precise control as well as consciousness and self-awareness.
To date, even top neuroscientists still cannot explain how the brain accomplishes this. The best they have been able to understand is that the brain does actively filter all these inputs and there are specific parts of the brain that are more active in this role than others (such as the prefrontal cortex and the auditory cortex). And again, this all happens in rapid real-time! Whatever your body is doing, the brain is regulating it, receiving information from it and is being affected by it every single second.
Why are many experts today strongly advocating physical exercise for better brain health? You can understand the answer better if you had a wider appreciation for the brain’s connection to the body.
Most people still treat the brain as an isolated calculator where it is mainly just involved in tasks like computation, long-term planning and imagination.
But in reality, it is also at work when you are lifting weights, or when jogging for a good hour. Everything from the movements of your muscles and their coordination to awareness of your exhaustion and breathing patterns, are all giving your brain its own workout.
In fact, even the music you listen to during these activities is being used by the brain to receive energy and input! The journey of sound to the ear, and then to the brain, is a journey of energy transformation.
This seems like a no-brainer at first glance. We are all challenged to exercise some measure of self-control when we are presented with adverse situations. However, that only scratches the surface.
A lot of the most prevalent challenges we have in psychology today are the effects of taking in things that affect our brain chemistry. This includes tough questions about the use of medication, the kind of food we eat, the impact of our habits etc.
All of this points to the ever active relationship the body and the brain have. For example, when our body is forced into a poor diet, then our brain will have to alter itself in order to make do with its negative effects (such as obesity, sluggishness, lack of motivation due to lack of energy). But at the same time, we do our best to use our brains to turn this situation around and challenge our bodies to enforce this change.
None of this happens in a vacuum where the brain is separate from the body and vice-versa.
Overall, it is high time we started exercising more awareness of how our body coordinates with the brain beyond just our basic understanding of the nervous system. It doesn’t take a degree in neuroscience to at least know that it has always been more than that!
If you need any advice or support, then know that we at the Australian Tomatis Method are still here to help you. Please reach out if you need to, either by email at info@tomatis.com.au or by phone to Francoise at 0414 444 915.
Official Representative of Tomatis Developpement SA in Australia, Asia and South Pacific, Director of the Australian Tomatis® Method, Registered Psychologist, Certified Tomatis® Consultant Senior, Tomatis® International Trainer and Speaker, Co-author of the Listening Journey Series, 40 Years of Experience, Neurodiversity Speaker
