Thanks to our brain, we can control raising our right hand or opening and closing our eyes whenever we want.
Why can’t we control the blood pumped in our body or the division of our cells with the same brain?
In: Biology
Conscious thought happens in the cortex. Anything that happens elsewhere in the brain isn’t.
Blood pressure, heart rate, respiration, just basically all the behind the scenes work your brain does all happens in areas deep in the brain way below the cortex. Areas such as the cerebellum, basal ganglia, pons, midbrain, medulla.
Even sensations. For them to be conscious they have to reach the cortex. Temp, pressure, vibration, touch, pain, sight, hearing all of that goes up to a specific area in the cortex. But a lot of sensations like the amount of CO2 in your blood goes to a subconscious part of your brain, you don’t feel it but your body does know that.
Because there is no evolutionary advantage to controlling your blood flow manually. In fact it would probably be a disadvantage as you could damage your body easily.
Also, you’re born with all the neurons you’re going to have in your life. The only thing that changes is the connections that are created between them. This process manifests as ‘learning’.
Some Yogi’s, and other gurus do.
If you focus on a specific body part long enough you can learn to control it.
Just like breathing is automatic, and even happens when you sleep, you can learn to consciously over ride it. (A neccessary skill for swimming).
Emotions can cause us to blush, another automatic body function that indicates capillary flow could be controlled at will. (You can start by deciding to think of embarrassing things when you want to blush).
Latest Answers