ALPHABETICAL BRAIN™ VOCABULARY HUMANIST FAMILY BRAIN STUDY DETAILS ABOUT YOUR LIMBIC SYSTEM #13 September 1, 2020 WHAT IS YOUR LIMBIC SYSTEM? AND WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT? The purpose of your limbic system is to produce all the motivational energy and emotional feelings that both your brain and mind need to survive and thrive in a complicated and potentially dangerous environment. To do so, your limbic system assists in the preservation of the memories of the most salient experiences and most consequential decisions that have saved your life or been successful for you in the past. HOW DO YOUR EMOTIONS FUNCTION? The following book reference in the information box is a beginning approach to the the new fundamental understanding of the brain functions involved in creating your emotions: This book describes a revolutionary new theory of human emotions known as "Constructed Emotion." HOW EMOTIONS ARE MADE: The Secret Life of the Brain by Lisa Feldman Barrett. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2017 (i-xv, 425 pages). The theory states that: "Emotions are constructed in the moment by core systems that interact across the whole brain, aided by a lifetime of learning." This new theory means that "You play a much greater role in your own emotional life than you were ever told or may have ever thought." (page 27) Chapters 8-12 explore the practical, real-world implications of this new theory of emotions on our approaches to health, emotional intelligence, child-rearing, personal relationships, systems of law, and even human nature itself." (page xv). "Chapter 13 reveals how the science of emotion illuminates the age-old mystery of how a human brain creates a human mind." (page xv). HOW ARE EMOTIONS CONSTRUCTED? (pages 25-41) Simulation (your brain's guesses of what's happening in the world, page 27) is the default mode for all forms of thinking and plays a role in emotions (page 28). The following brain facts are the shortest summary possible of the most important brain ideas known. They make possible the brain's neuroplasticity ("plasticity"), which is the brain's ability to create its mind by itself: [1] The most important type of brain cell for any discussion about brain functions is the neuron. "There are a wide variety of neurons, but in general, each one consists of a cell body, some branch-like structures at the top, called dendrites, and one root-like structure at the bottom, called an axon, which has axon terminals at the end." (page 302) [2] "The axon terminals of one neuron are close to the dendrites of other neurons --- usually thousands --- forming connections called synapses." (page 302) [3] "A neuron 'fires' by sending an electrical signal down its axon to its axon terminals, which release chemicals called neurotransmitters into the synapses, where they are picked up by receptors on the dendrites of other neurons." (page 302) [4] "The neurotransmitters excite or inhibit each neuron on the other end of a synapse, changing its rate of firing. Through this process, one individual neuron influences thousands of others, and thousands of neurons can influence one, all simultaneously." (page 302-303) Your limbic system consists of eight major structures that provide more than eight major functions. They are directly involved in your survival activities. And they are involved in all of your other thoughts and feelings, no matter what their associations or their content. Also, your hippocampus, which is a major component of your limbic system, has the triggers for all three types of declarative long-term memory resources and one major non-declarative long-term memory resource. The healthy functioning of your hippocampus is essential for your perception of having a persistent unique authentic secular self. To specify, you have three separate declarative memory modules: semantic memory, and episodic memory, and autobiographic memory; and one non-declarative memory module: procedural memory (also known as "muscle memory") in your brain. They all have "triggers" in the hippocampus part of your limbic system. The special location of your hippocampus at the bottom of your limbic system, in the most protected part of your three pounds of brain tissue, is a clue as to the immense significance of all your memory systems to your self-identity and ability to survive and thrive. The special connection between your memory systems and your prefrontal cortex, which is in your cerebrum, is the source of your conscious self-awareness and adaptable self-identity. Therefore, it is crucial that you understand and protect throughout your lifetime this fundamental relationship between your hippocampus and your cerebrum, which is the executive control center of your brain and entire body. Along with heart attacks and strokes, brain injuries from concussions due to accidental collisions or contact sports or gunshot wounds and diseases from the many dementias (especially Alzheimer's disease) are the most well-known enemies of your conscious self-awareness, which is centered in your prefrontal cortex. Unfortunately, the prefrontal cortex does not develop fully until the mid-20s or early 30s, since there is a fierce biological competition within the developing brain structure: between the prefrontal cortex (ability to reason) and the limbic system (ability to express emotions). In other words, the strong bonding feelings that are evoked by youthful social peer groups in the second decade of life (think, teenagers) are hard for individuals to overcome until the prefrontal cortex part of both hemispheres of the cerebrum is fully developed biologically. When you understand your authentic secular self from this new perspective of humanistic and scientific reasoning, you will be able to understand how your conscious self-awareness and self-identity are constructed out of your own perceptions of your own life experiences. Your evolved self is the real deal. Your willpower and ability to freely change your adaptable self-identity makes it possible to make decisions. Every day you have the new opportunity to educate yourself about your multiple mental forces (brainpower). This is a factual genuine perception of reality, not an illusion! Nevertheless, your limbic system can also be associated with and preserve a lot of useless, dysfunctional memories of social habits and mindsets, including a variety of addictions, that you may have learned during your childhood or youth. But by applying critical thinking skills and strategic reading skills, you will be able to create a vital philosophy of life with a rational ethic and altruistic social values. By gaining knowledge of the eight primary brain structures of your limbic system, which produce many kinds of neurotransmitters that can stimulate your 100-200 billion neurons, you will be able to manage your feelings with enlightened scientific thoughts. YOUR LIMBIC SYSTEM HAS EIGHT MAJOR PARTS (See the numbered list below) instantly go to: DEFINITION OF LIMBIC SYSTEM TOUCH OR CLICK ON THE NAME OF A DEFINITION TO ACTIVATE EACH LIMBIC SYSTEM GRAPHIC [1] OLFACTORY BULBS = These two small clumps of neurons are situated in your limbic system complex pointing to the front on both sides of your brain. They are known as the "nerve/body" system and they respond to the smell molecules in the sinuses in the back of your nose. [2] HYPOTHALAMUS = This single organ structure is divided into two sections with two separate functions. [3] PITUITARY GLAND = This single organ structure is known as the "master gland" because it controls the release of many other neurotransmitters and hormones. [4] AMYGDALA GLANDS = These two glands, one in each of your two hemispheres, consist of two parts linked together in the structure of your limbic system complex. They activate feelings of anxiety, fear, and pleasure. Also, they are directly involved in your memory functions. [5] PINEAL GLANDS = These glands are on both sides of your limbic system complex. Since they regulate your circadian clock, they control your sleep behavior. [6] THALAMUS = This single brain structure in your limbic system complex connects your brainstem to the rest of your brain and is known as the "gateway" from your brainstem (therefore, from all parts of your body) to your brain. [7] HIPPOCAMPUS = This part of your limbic system structure is involved in creating your "sense of self". It is located in the insides of both hemispheres. It deals primarily with your long-term memory storage triggers, including episodic, semantic, procedural, and autobiographical memory circuits. [8] BASAL GANGLIA = This structure, which is located on the bottom of both sides of your "limbic system complex", is divided into several sections with different essential functions. In addition, neurotransmitters cause dozens of hormones to flow through your circulation system (blood veins and blood vessels) and to send biochemical currents flowing through your connectome, which consists of all of the neuronal pathways in both your brain and nervous system. If your brain is healthy, these two communication systems (the blood flow and the biochemical currents) cause the many feelings that you experience when they are activated by your mind's mental force (brainpower). NOTE: See in context: working memory #1, plasticity #10, cerebrum #11, prefrontal cortex #12, pleasure circuit #14, and long-memory #15. Printable PDF Form DETAILS ABOUT YOUR LIMBIC SYSTEM (for your own editing and memory consolidation) RECOMMENDATION: You may print this pdf version and read it and edit it by adding or deleting ideas. Then, you can read your edited version of these ideas according to a reinforcement schedule, such as a few hours later and a few days later and then several times in the next week or two. This strategy can help you take advantage of the power of the spaced-repetition method of memorization. Such deep introspection can change your adaptive self-identity and increase your self-esteem (positive emotions about yourself). REMEMBER ALWAYS: You are your adaptable memory! instantly go to: FACT CHECKER ABOUT YOUR LIMBIC SYSTEM #13 or instantly return to: LIMBIC SYSTEM: BRAIN FLASH CARD #13 or instantly return to: LIST OF 15 BRAIN FLASH CARDS produced by Infinite Interactive Ideas™