Medical Mind-Body Connection: Fear, Thought, and Electrical Events

[Tregg Smith]

As in the case of fear how does thought stimlate adrenal glands? Not so much thought but the instant recognition of a threat causes the release of adrenaline. But there must be an electrical event which is recognition. EEG's show this. But there must be specialized receptors for the different bodily functions. As in the case of sexual arrousal a recogniton of a desirable object causes a restriction in the veins in the genital area causing swelling. Or the sight of a table laid out with good food and wine causes salivation.

 

[pongo38]

..."But there must be an electrical event which is recognition."... Why must it be electrical?

 

[Pythagorean]

But there must be specialized receptors for the different bodily functions.

you have to be careful about assigning biological objects to functionality in a 1:1 way. You're not going to find a receptor for every function, rather receptor and functionality share a complex relationship in which some receptors may be more likely to be associated with particular functions.

There is a good discussion in Robert Sapolsky's lectures on how "electrical" (it's really electrochemical all the way) signaling in the brain is transformed into chemical signaling in the body via the pituitary glands:

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=487385

A word for your interests might be "neuroendocrinology". The cells that manage interactions between hormones and "electrical" signaling are called "neurosecretory" cells. These might help you in your google scholaring and wikipedia'ing.

 

[dimensionless]

I don't think it requires conscious recognition. I think it is more like a key (the stimulus) and a lock (the reaction). Although I suppose one can recognize the key and get the reaction, so maybe there is an abstraction layer too.

 

[Drakkith]

Because mind body connection is direct And have direct relationship with each others,.

I think that was meant like "why must it be only electrical".