Noodle in the Tummy

Posted by Wallen Ellingson on November 07, 19100 at 00:26:20:

Here's an article I received in my email that I'd like to share with everyone. The mingmen and navel area are especially important in Qigong, and also in Eastern meditation techniques and in the martial arts.

"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."

Last updated: 20:18 Friday 3rd November 2000.

Follow Ups:

• Fascinating info. re: dantien area! Thanks! no.msg. NancyCA 20:22:29 11/07/100 (0)

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