Document Discusses Distributed Neural Networks in Human Organs

174 9 General Intelligence in the Everyday Human World The Second Brain . The gastrointestinal neural net contains millions of neurons and is capable of operating inde- pendently of the brain. It modulates stress response and other aspects of emotion and motivation based on experience — resulting in so-called "gut feelings" [Ger99]. The Heart’s Neural Network . The heart has its own neural network, which modulates stress response, energy level and relaxation/excitement (factors key to motivation and emotion) based on experience [Arm(4]. Pattern Recognition and Memory in the Liver . The liver is a complex pattern recognition system, adapting via experience to better identify toxins [C06]. Like the heart, it seems to store some episodic memories as well, resulting in liver transplant recipients sometimes acquiring the tastes in music or sports of the donor [EMC12]. Immune Intelligence . The immune network is a highly complex, adaptive self-organizing system, which ongoingly solves the learning problem of identifying antigens and distinguishing them from the body system [F P86]. As immune function is highly energetically costly, stress response involves subtle modulation of the energy allocation to immune function, which involves communication between neural and immune networks. The Endocrine System: A Key Bridge Between Mind and Body . The endocrine (hormonal) system regulates (and is related by) emotion, thus guiding all aspects of intelligence (due to the close connection of emotion and motivation) [PH12]. Breathing Guides Thinking . As oxygenation of the brain plays a key role in the spread of neural activity, the flow of breath is a key driver of cognition. Forced alternate nostril breathing has been shown to significantly affect cognition via balancing activity of the two brain hemispheres [SKBB91]. Much remains unknown, and the totality of feedback loops between the human cognitive cortex and the various specialized intelligences operative throughout the human body, has not yet been thoroughly charted. HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_013090